It’s cider time at Sturges Orchards
Some people call it hard cider because of the alcohol content. But all cider is hard to make, considering that you have to plant and graft and prune the trees, protect them from all sorts of weather and pests, pick and press the apples, ferment it, and then blend and bottle it. Aaron Sturges loves doing it. What started as a small experiment in 2015 when his son, Nate Sturges, came back to help at the orchard is growing into a bigger part of the family’s agricultural business.
Their spread now has 16 acres of apple trees. Each year, Mr. Sturges plants several hundred more trees, lately focusing on more tannic varieties known as “spitters” because you can’t really eat them. But their tannins and acids make for much better cider than the adulterated sugar water being dispensed by many national and international brands. There’s more cider than ever, but not all of it is as good as his.
Sturges Orchards and Farm Market near Fombell is Beaver County’s second licensed limited winery, a status it applied for so it could start selling hard cider in 2015. Mr. Sturges bet that it would bring in more young people than just his son. The bet is paying off. At some farmers markets where he sells it, such as the Market Square Farmers Market in Downtown, he always sells out. It’s a good problem to have.
“I ferment cider all fall and winter,” he says. “I blend and bottle all year. I press cider all year as well. My challenge is time in the