This year has been a bumper year for apples, so we've picked hundred weights of the fruit at various locations around Oxford in the last month. We've already turned our apple hauls into cakes and crumbles, and munched them as we picked, so today the time had come to learn how to make apple juice.

Oxford Farmhouse was the location of our lesson; the socially responsible enterprise takes apples that would otherwise go to waste from all over Oxford. They offer work experience to men who have experienced homelessness or served time in jail, and also welcome the help of volunteers like us, and turn all that surplus fruit into delicious apple juice. So delicious that they just won a Great Taste 2* award!

Rolling up our sleeves (metaphorically - it was a little chilly to actually roll up our sleeves) and donning our marigolds, we spent a happy few hours scrubbing apples in 2 large bath tubs, chopping out the bruises, putting them through the scratter, then packing them into the press under the watchful eyes of Andrew, Mandy, Ed, and Genevieve the dog.

With plenty of opportunity to chat, drink tea, soak up some Vitamin D, and sample the apples as we worked, we made for a cheerful team. As a treat at the end we had tasters of the juice we had made and got a bottle each to take home.

We made about 100 litres of juice, and it was very nearly as much fun as angle-grinding!

A warm welcome to our new Goodgymer Katie. Lovely to meet you!

Thank you for having us Oxford Farmhouse!