My "Cider Squeeze"

Saturday, I ventured to Puyallup, Washington to do a ‘Cider Squeeze.’  I thought this sounded very fall-ish.  It lived up to every expectation I could have had and then some.  I might have overdosed on apples: (I think I ate 6+), hot apple cider and likely the best apple fritter of my life. 

The Meeker Mansion hosts this event every year. Puyallup (pronounced Pew-wallop) is a quaint little town that had fall foliage straight out of a Bob Ross painting.  They had a little pumpkin patch for kids, and about a dozen apple “squeezers” as I like to call them, on loan from the historical society.  Kids, families and dozens of us wandered the grounds of this mansion whose history is steeped in growing and selling hops. (As a beer drinker – seeing hops for the first time in “the wild” was sort of an added plus to this fun day.) 

Making apple cider was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  It takes 5 gallons of apples for one gallon of cider.  I learned the difference between juice and cider is marketing (and maybe pasteurizing? No one could really confirm this for me).    

The Meeker Mansion property was beautiful.  Ezra Meeker was a very interesting guy who set out to reconquer the Oregon Trail in 1906.  Here is some additional information.    

Ezra Meeker was a pioneer and leading citizen of Puyallup, first mayor, one-time Hop King, historian and author.  Ezra Meeker became the self-appointed champion of the Oregon Trail in 1906, when, at the age of 75, accompanied by two oxen, a wagon, a driver and a dog, he made his way from his front yard to Washington D.C., by way of New York City.  His purpose was to preserve and mark the Oregon Trail, which was being obliterated by civilization.  He thought he might make his trip once before he died, but this remarkable man lived to the age of 98 and made this journey by ox team once more, then by automobile in 1916, and by airplane in 1924.  The fact that you can see actual traces of the Oregon Trail is due almost entirely to Ezra Meeker’s efforts.

Sounds like a guy I would want to have a cup of apple cider with.