Watch the Apple Press in Action at Merridale This October

Want to see where cider really begins? Come watch us press apples during harvest at Merridale.

October is one of the busiest times of year in our orchard and cidery. Apples are coming in, the press is running, and fresh juice is making its way into the cellar to begin its transformation into cider.

Throughout October, visitors to Merridale may get lucky and catch our team pressing apples while they’re here.

Apple Pressing Dates in October

We’ll be pressing throughout the month as harvest allows, so you never quite know when you might catch the press running.

But if you really want to see it in action, we have two confirmed pressing dates:

Thursday, October 8, 2026
Thursday, October 22, 2026

Come by the farm, grab a cider or tasting and take a walk over to see one of the most important parts of our orchard-to-glass process happening right in front of you.

So, How Do We Press Our Apples?

It starts with a whole lot of apples.

Freshly harvested apples are loaded into our processing area, where they’re rinsed before travelling up the auger toward the press.

Then they reach what we affectionately call the Squeeze Box.

Picture a giant accordion. The apples are crushed and loaded into the press, which squeezes them to release the fresh juice that will eventually become Merridale cider.

And here’s something you might not expect:

We only press our apples once.

Why?

Because the first press gives us the juice we want. Rather than squeezing every last drop out of the fruit, we focus on that first pressing and the quality and character it brings to our cider.

Once the pressing is finished, what’s left of the apples is called pomace. The press opens, the pomace is dumped out and another load of apples begins its journey through the Squeeze Box.

Then the fresh juice heads to the cellar, where the next stage of cider making begins.

Experience Harvest While It’s Happening

There isn’t really a backstage at Merridale during harvest.

When you visit in October, you’re visiting a working orchard and cidery during one of the most important parts of our year. You might see bins of apples arriving from the orchard, hear the press running or watch fresh juice coming off the line.

That’s part of the fun.

Try your luck anytime throughout October, or visit October 8 or 22 for your best chance to see the apple press in action.

While you’re here, take a walk through the orchard, join us for a cider tasting, grab something to eat or explore more of what’s happening during harvest at Merridale.

Because around here, cider doesn’t just start in a bottle.

It all starts in the orchard.

See all Harvest Has to Offer at Merridale →