North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@uslink.net>]

Lisa,
   I would not agree with Claude about apple worms being "essentially 
apples" or quality improvement because of scab, but to each his own.  Claude 
does mention something very worth saying more about: the need to be careful 
about apples that have fallen on the ground.   Clostridium botulinus, the 
bacterium that causes Botulism Poisoning naturally occurs in many/most 
soils.  That's why we wash carrots and rutabegas and lettuce and vegetables 
whose edible parts grow in or near the ground.  C. botulinus is so 
widespread in our environment that traces of it can even be found in honey, 
Nature's purest natural food.  So, if you'd rather not waste those apples 
that have fallen on the ground, be sure to sanitize them before tossing them 
in the hopper and pasteurize your cider to, at least, 165º F (180º is 
better).

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
www.bberryfarm.com
(218)568-8483 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]


Lisa,
I don't think you should bother about worms and scab...

Scab will only improve the quality of your juice by concentrating sugars
acids and flavours (by removing water).
Worms will stay with the pomace - they only have eaten apple anyway, so
they are essentially apples...

The only thing I remove is when an apple is really rotten, or if it has
fallen on the ground, then you need to be more careful.

Claude
in Quebec