Cider

Our apples arrive in huge pallet boxes, each containing 18-20 bushels. They are lifted by tractor to a door at the rear of the mill and placed inside on a hydraulic lift. This lift dumps them slowly on a conveyor table where they are sorted and then guided through the washer.

Here, 8 jets of water and 12 nylon brushes  scrub them clean. Then they go up a conveyor to the grinder where they are ground to a pulp similar to thick applesauce. This pulp is held in a large stainless steel hopper and then pumped through a nylon hose into the cider press. As the pulp goes in, pure food grade rice hulls are mixed with it. Rice hulls are necessary to separate the juice from the pulp. Once the press is full, the doors are secured and the cylinder starts rotation. Inside two large plates gradually come together, squeezing the apple pulp and causing the cider to run out the many tiny slots and fall below to a collection tray. From here it is pumped into refrigerated storage tanks to be cooled and kept cool until bottled.

Our cider is sold in gallons, half gallons, quarts and pints. 

 

Donuts

We offer two types of donuts: plain and spice. Plain donuts consist of a vanilla cake batter and are often referred to as a cider donut. Spice donuts are made from a vanilla cake mix blended with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Once they are cooled they are rolled in cinnamon and sugar. 

Apples
We offer several varieties of apples throughout the season: 

Paula Red - A new, popular, early apple. All-purpose quality. Excellent for pies and applesauce.
McIntosh - A softer, tart, juicy apple. Great for baking or cooking.
Jonathon - A great all purpose red apple that is slightly tart. Good for cooking and eating fresh.
JonaMac - A cross between a Jonathon and a McIntosh. Also great for baking and cooking.
Red Delicious - Large, waxy, and dark red. Excellent dessert apple.
Empire - A cross between a McIntosh and a Red Delicious. Like a McIntosh but with better color and flavor, a longer shelf life and a refrigerated keeping ability. A high quality dessert apple; also good for cider. Ripens two weeks after McIntosh.
Ida Red - A medium-large red fruit. Excellent, all-purpose apple. Somewhat tart at harvest. Ripens in mid- October.

Sold in pecks, 1/2 pecks and bushels. 
The Chow Mill

The Chow Mill, which is owned and operated by the Northville Cider Mill, is just outside the building. It offers hot dogs, kielbasa, sauerkraut, chips, and cider by the glass. It is open Saturday and Sunday only, from 11 a.m. to 4p.m. There are several picnic tables in the area to eat at.

 

 

 

The Nut Mill and The Fudge Hut

The Nut Mill, an independent company operated by Debbie Abner, offers fresh cinnamon-roasted almonds and cinnamon-roasted pecans packaged in three different sizes: the snack pack, which is 2 oz., the 1/2 lb. pack, and the 1 lb. pack. The Nut Mill runs only during the cider season.

The Northville Fudge Company, which is also independent of the Cider Mill, sells several varieties of fudge. It is operated by Jeff and K.C. Kidder. Some of their more unusual flavors include Creamsicle, Amaretto-Chocolate swirl, and Pumpkin. 

The Northville Fudge Company is in business year-round and takes orders for one-pound tins of either chocolate or chocolate-walnut fudge during the Holiday season.

For the Kids

A play area is provided for children just outside of the mill. This includes a new train play escape and monster truck with a slide. A small play house is nearby also.

A branch off the rouge river runs behind the mill and several ducks have made it their home. They're quite greedy, so come in and ask us for some "duck donuts" to feed the ducks. There are a few benches and a table along the river with a bridge and wooded areas along both sides.

 

Teachers and Students: Click here for our cider mill coloring page.