Why isn’t your cider pasteurized?

Pasteurization of cider was implemented in the USA due to the danger from ecoli, related to farm animals grazing the orchard and apples picked off the ground. This is why we don’t use drop apples in our process – only those apples selected based on their ripeness right off the tree. And we offer cider in its most natural form – freshly squeezed apples. That’s it. Sanitation and disinfecting of our equipment is taken seriously, and we are proud to offer the purest tasting cider around.  

Do you offer school tours?

Yes! Please reach out to info@alberorchard.com for any questions on school tours. Include date range interested, ages of the group, and if any specific activity requests.

Do you offer U-Pick?

In 2023 we started to offer U-Pick (closed for the 2024 season) for the first time at the orchard! If you walk the property at Alber Orchard & Cider Mill, you’ll note we have some very big apple trees! These trees have been here for 100s of years, and they are what you call an heirloom apple tree. This means that to pick the apples, we use very old ladders that we are able to place appropriately between the branches in order to pick the apple. Apple growths are quite fragile, and since our trees are very old we have designated a specific area for U-Pick. Though, we always offer U-Taste of all available apples in our store.

What’s an heirloom apple?

Heirloom apples by definition are apples that have been passed down for generations. Alber Orchard & Cider Mill started in 1890, and has grown in number of trees with a process such as grafting. When the orchard began its existence, the USA had over 10,000 kinds of apples. However, over time, we have lost some of these varieties as they became extinct. These apples typically have a rich heritage and special notes of flavor, textures, and traits you don’t find in the popular commercially farmed varieties. This is why it’s so important to us to take care of the existing trees, they have literally been around for over 100 years!

How often do you press cider? Is it open to the public?

Typically we press cider Thursday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday. If you are interested in catching a squeeze, please call us to confirm when we are pressing (the times may change due to equipment variables, etc.)

What is “watercore” and how is it related to our apples?

Alber Orchard grows apples with flavor intensifiers. If you're lucky, you'll get a pop of flavor from some "watercore". A dense pocket created by nature and often filled with a more intense apple flavor.
Water core can not be detected prior to biting or cutting into an apple. The water core area is a physiological issue in tissue development, not uncommon in many varieties. A "defect" on the commercial market because of the unusual appearance but we find it to be a hidden gem for a splash of flavor rarely found at your grocery store!