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Paradise Valley Orchard makes
apple cider the old-fashioned way
By Tyler Larson
November 26, 2007 | PARADISE -- The sun begins to rise
over the Bear River Mountains as it attempts to ignite
the hills across the valley with light, only to hit
the clouds that have engulfed them instead. It's early
in the morning during late November in Paradise, Utah,
but work has already begun, which can be known immediately
by the smell of fresh apples in the air.
Paradise Valley Orchard grows apples and makes apple
cider. Rich Weideman, the owner of the orchard, has
been making the fruit juice since 1995.
"It's a life style," Weideman said. "You do it because
you love it, not to become rich."
Weideman worked as a bus driver but quit four years
ago to make cider and become a stay-home dad. He said
he was very happy to make the change.
The cider made at Paradise Valley Orchard is "the
juice that comes from apples, nothing added, nothing
changed," Weideman said. Weideman also said cider is
not pasteurized, which gives his juice that taste that
people like.
"I don't pasteurize because it ruins the taste," Weideman
said. "You go to the store and buy apple juice and it's
been concentrated or sugar, water, and other things
have been added. Here we do it right and we do it safely."
Because Weideman does not pasteurize his cider, he
is not able to sell it in stores due to FDA regulations
banning the distribution of un-pasteurized fruit juice
because of a possible risk of E. coli.
Because he cannot distribute his cider, people come
from all around Cache Valley to have their apples pressed,
especially near the time of Thanksgiving, Weideman said.
Bryan Olsen, who owns 120 trees in Providence, said
he has been coming to Paradise Valley Orchard since
1986 to have his apples pressed for cider.
"Juice at the store tastes like water, here I can
make my juice taste how I want," Olsen said, "I can
make one mixture of apples and get a sweeter taste,
or add a different kind and get a sour kick that really
makes you smack your lips."
Olsen said each year the cider tastes a bit different
depending on how well the season was, which trees produced
apples, and the age of the trees as well. The bees are
also a big determining factor, he added.
Weideman's process begins with brushing and sorting
the apples to assure that each apple is clean. He said
they take out any bad or bruised apples to ensure that
every apple pressed is of edible quality. The apples
are then put into a machine that chops and grinds them
where they are then put into a special cloth and mold
where they are stacked and pressed slowly. Every ten
stacks can make around 30 gallons of cider. He said
they make up to 100 gallons in an hour.
Weideman's store is open seven days a week from 1
to 6 p.m. and is located at 9971 S. Highway 165 in Paradise.
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