There’s something magic in kids’ eyes when they see apple juice being made, says Jenna Fox.
“The kids are standing there with their glasses in their hands, and their eyes are as big as disks,” says Fox, the co-ordinator with Rossland Real Food.
“The kids are so amazed, they just helped pick and make one of their favourite drinks, apple juice, and they can take it home and enjoy it. They have a strong connection to it.”
“It is fairly high sugar content, however, so we do try to limit it a bit,” laughs Fox. “They do start bouncing off each other after a while.”
Despite the sugar buzz, the benefits of making your own apple juice — from local Rossland trees — are obvious.
That’s why more than 40 people — young, old, and families — gathered together this month to pick apples and convert them to apple juice.
Sponsored by Rossland Real Food, under the auspices of the Rossland Sustainability Commission, a group of dedicated Foodies, as they call themselves, are working to ensure the annual bounty of apples, plums, pears and other foods don’t go to waste.
“People are interested in the whole sustainability side of trying to make use of products that are growing and free and in our community,” says Ann Damude, who works for the commission.
“There’s a strong interest in society in general in understanding where our food comes from, and local growers, and using local ingredients in what they cook and eat.”
The last gleaning day had perfect fall weather, and using a map pinpointing publicly accessible trees, the gleaners broke up into groups, and set out to collect apples. They then returned to one of the organizers’ homes, where an old-time apple press converted the fruit into juice.
“This press has been passed from community member to another, and has been used for the last 20 years to press apples,” says Damude. “Every year we have to do maintenance, and have to be careful how we use it. It can tip over easily, and it’s quite fragile.
“But since it was rediscovered about six or seven years ago and the Foodies started using it, giving the public access to it, it’s really taken off.”
By the end of they day, about 1,200 pounds of apples made about 80 gallons (320 litres) of juice.
“We have so many heritage trees — some have been growing for more than 100 years — that the apple juice is almost like wine making,” says Damude. “We get these very complex blends of apples, and every press tastes a little different.
“I think it’s like the Rossland Brewing Company, we could have a Rossland Cider Company, making interesting local ciders from heritage apples that grow on public land.”
But there’s another good reason for encouraging people to pick fruit off local trees. It’s a fundamental part of reducing human-bear interactions, says the WildsafeBC co-ordinator in Castlegar, Jenny Wallace.
“Fruit is probably the No. 2 wildlife attractant responsible for bear conflict throughout the West Kootenay, following closely behind garbage,” says Wallace. “People don’t realize fruit is such a big problem.
“They have the idea that fruit is kind of a natural food for bears, that it’s a healthy food, but unfortunately domestic apples and pears and plums and all those things are not native, and they only grow where people plant them. So anytime a bear gets food in a human-settled area they begin to associate people with food, which is of course not a good thing.”
It sets bears up on a bad path and makes it more likely they’ll be exposed to garbage and more conflict.
Residents of Rossland have another opportunity to clear some fruit trees and come out of it with some healthy fruit juice.
A community apple-pressing session is planned for this coming Saturday and Sunday.
“We encourage people to come out and continue to glean,” says Fox. “Go to your neighbours and ask if they want their pears, plums or apples. You can pick them, bring them to the community press and they can make their own applies juice and bring it home. Drink it, freeze it, can it or make cider of it.”
Residents can sign up for a half-hour pressing session on the Rossland Harvest Rescue Facebook Page or by clicking here.