Once autumn arrives, it’s time to harvest the crisp, juicy apples from the hundreds of trees throughout my farm and turn them into fresh apple cider. Did you see my Instagram posts on @Marthastewart48? There’s something so gratifying about this good, old-fashioned cider making process.
Historically, cider was very important to early Americans. One in every 10-farms in New England operated its own cider mill by the time of the American Revolution. In fact, President John Adams famously drank cider every morning, believing it contributed to his good health - maybe so, he lived to the remarkable age of 90. This week, cider-making was in full swing at Cantitoe Corners. It was a lovely way to welcome the season, put my apple harvest to good use, and enjoy a most refreshing and naturally sweet drink.
Here are some photos, enjoy!
The apples used don’t have to look pristine, but they need to be free from spoilage, which would cause the juice to ferment too rapidly. They should also be well-washed, so they’re ready to go through the press. Bruised apples are put aside for my horses to enjoy.
I’ve had this manual Happy Valley Ranch press for more than 20 years. It is designed to grind and squeeze at the same time.
Pati and Carlos are getting some great exercise pressing apples. This “American Harvester” model consists of a hand-crank grinder affixed to a basket press. The grinder, pressing screw, and flywheel crank are all made of durable cast iron.
The apples are pulled from the basket or crate one by one.
Each apple is dropped onto the rotating drum. The embedded teeth grind up the apples as they are placed into the chamber.
Looking closely, one can see the small blades – they are very sharp. As the wheel is turned, the apples are pressed into the teeth and cut into small pieces.
The rotating drum works very quickly to chop up the fruits. This process is best done with two people, so one can drop the apples as the other turns the wheel.
The flywheel is an 18-pound cast iron wheel attached to the grinding shaft. This allows the operator to turn the drum which grinds the apples. It takes quite a few apples to fill the tub. Once the tub is filled with apple pulp – skins, seeds and cores – the pressing process can begin.
The tub where the apples fall after going through the grinder is called the hopper. The hopper catches the apple pulp while another tub is used for pressing.
The basket press relies on a large screw to add pressure to the crushed apples, or pomace, that are in the tub. It takes some strength to turn the screw efficiently. The 2×4 piece of wood helps add more torque. The hardwood tubs have beveled staves which make them easy to clean. They measure 12-inches high, 13-and-a-half-inches in diameter and are supported by steel hoops.
The screw pushes down on this press plate that is placed on top of the chopped apples. The pressing disk is made of maple wood.
The screw is a one-and-a-half inch thick cast iron threaded acme screw – an industry-leading thickness that can withstand the pressing pressure needed.
As the apples are compressed, the juice flows out of the sides, through a downspout, and into a collection vessel below.
A bushel of apples makes about three gallons of cider. A bushel of apples typically holds about 125 medium apples.
Do you know the difference between apple cider and apple juice? Juice has already been filtered to remove any solids or sediment, and then pasteurized to extend its freshness. Fresh cider is pure, raw juice from the apples.
Look how beautiful the cider is – such a rich, amber color.
All the compressed apple pulp is emptied into a bin and set aside for my chickens – they love pecking at the scraps.
I add a step, which is to strain the cider through layers of damp cheesecloth. This removes all the foam.
The juice is poured into a strainer and directly into a jar.
Pure, fresh apple cider made from crisp, sweet, organic fruits. It’s well-worth all the effort.
After the cider is poured, the top of the jar is wiped perfectly clean and the lids are screwed on top.
More than 60 quarts of cider made so far at the farm…
My “Super Fans” do much more than follow my work - they bring the ideas, recipes, decorating tips, gardening advice, and products I share into their own homes and everyday lives. One even started his own blog, creating an online community and archive celebrating the Martha Stewart brand.
Andrew Ritchie of Ottawa, Canada, founded his blog, "Martha Moments," in 2006. 20 years later, Andrew also hosts a dedicated Facebook discussion group and an Instagram platform with more than 30 thousand followers. Through these channels, he shares stories, inspirations, and product updates with like-minded readers. This week, I am highlighting some of these devoted supporters and brand influencers. Please visit marthamoments.com and follow @martha_moments on Instagram.
Enjoy these photos.
Andrew was inspired to create his own blog, Martha Moments, based on all the many things he has learned and loved from my books, broadcasts, and products. It is still going strong today. Read it online – just click on this highlighted link.
The fan-focused platform blends Martha Stewart brand content, product news, lifestyle inspiration, and other community‑driven features. One entry shared news about one of my newest projects, Hint, my AI-powered home management platform, designed to help homeowners manage, optimize, and protect their properties. I hope you’ve signed up!
I’ve known Andrew for many years. I invited him to be a guest on The Martha Stewart Television Show in 2010. It was a show about blogs and bloggers, a relatively new phenomenon at the time. Andrew and I made yarn cards as one of the segments.
Andrew shares that I taught him how to bake! During the pandemic, he made so many of my recipes, especially the sweet treats, like this cake.
Andrew says, “I frequently make the heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cake that was featured on the cover of the Martha Stewart Living magazine. It is so stunning and tastes incredible, filled with custard and fresh raspberries. A real show-stopper.”
He often serves it on this peacock cake stand.
Another favorite of his is my Meyer Lemon and Coconut cake from my “Cake Perfection” book. It was his choice cake to make for his last birthday.
Andrew loves the inside – so moist and perfectly flavored.
Andrew met up with me in Toronto at the Delicious Food Show in 2013 where I conducted a cooking demo in one of my new kitchens.
Here is Andrew at my Great American Tag Sale in 2022. He’s here with a plant stand he had just purchased. It once lived in my home in East Hampton, New York.
Andrew also helped organize a “Super Fans” event at my farm in June of 2025, with fellow Super Fans, Bernie Wong and Dennis Landon. He says, “it was an experience I will never forget! It was incredible to have so many of us there at Martha’s farm to spend the day with her and meet so many fellow fans. We all shared stories and talked about all the many ways she has inspired us over the years.”
One of the highlights of the day was a tour of my farm and all the many gardens. Everything was in spring bloom!
Here is Andrew standing outside my herbaceous peony garden during the tour.
And here, the group was listening to me talk about the construction of my pool. Devotees came from all over for the special occasion – Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maryland, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Quebec, Ontario, Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina, and of course, New York. And although the day was very warm and humid with temperatures in the high 80s, it was a wonderful time for all.
And here is Andrew before leaving my farm, and touring a few more well-loved Martha-influenced stops before heading home to Canada.
Some “Super Fans” went on to visit my former home, Turkey Hill, in Westport, Connecticut. Here is Andrew with friends Kevin Link and Kristina Kloss – standing outside Turkey Hill’s front gate.
Here is Andrew in front of the Adams House, also in Westport, which I restored in the early 1990s. It was the subject of my book “Martha Stewart’s New Old House.”
In April 2016, Andrew started the Martha Moments Instagram page. He started it to complement his long‑running Martha Moments blog.
The Instagram page was a more immediate way to share updates, inspirations, news, and ideas. Since that initial launch, the account has shared a mix of Martha Stewart–related content — from TV clips and seasonal features to rare archival photos. It has a solid following. Follow it @martha_moments. thanks to all my “Super Fans” for sharing what they love and what they’ve learned. Their own collections, stories, and use of my products, tips, and ideas are also so very inspirational.
It’s so interesting to see how my “Super Fans” bring the ideas, lessons, products, tips, and tricks I’ve shared over the years into their own homes and everyday lives.
This week, I’m continuing to highlight some of my most devoted supporters and brand ambassadors, showcasing the many ways they cook, bake, decorate, clean, garden, and live well. These individuals are much more than casual followers. They’ve watched my shows, read my books, prepared my recipes, and bought and used my products. Their enthusiasm reflects a genuine connection to the Martha Stewart brand and the inspiration behind it.
Please follow them all on Instagram and enjoy these photos from Jake Altman @everyday.herlooms, Jordan Munn @jpgm.co, and Jon Recor @jonrecor. Also follow @marthastewartblog and @marthastewartworld to keep up with announcements, partnerships, events, and updates from the Martha Stewart brand.
Jake Altman says he “appreciates that the brand’s influence goes far beyond decorating a room or making a good meal. It also inspires us all to try new things, learn new projects, and take pride in what we accomplish.”
Jake runs @everyday.heirlooms, a small Instagram account largely devoted to Martha Stewart Everyday, the collection sold at Kmart in the early 2000s. What began as an appreciation for these familiar household products became a fun way to preserve and share a little of the brand’s history. Along the way, Jake has connected with other enthusiasts who remember the collections fondly and are still using many of the pieces more than 20 years later.
In gardening, Jake has been enjoying autumn planting. His potting bench, painted a soft Martha-inspired green, holds a collection of original Martha Stewart Everyday gardening tools. Two smaller, bright orange Martha Stewart Everyday pots filled with yellow mums add a splash of fall color. These are the sorts of pieces that make even an ordinary afternoon of gardening feel special.
This was the very first product Jake purchased from the Martha Stewart Everyday Collection. He originally bought it for his grandmother, and now it’s in Jake’s kitchen, still getting used.
For Jake, Martha’s influence is everywhere. A recent refresh brought together Rainwater-colored walls, Sharkey Gray Martha Stewart cabinetry, and flooring inspired by the marble floors in Martha’s own home. The kitchen is home to some favorite pieces from Martha Stewart Everyday, Martha Stewart Collection, and Martha by Mail.
Here, Jake is preparing apples for a rustic homemade pie at a Martha Stewart Living rolling kitchen island. And look at his apron? It’s Jake’s “Martha Meets Betty” souvenir from when I visited General Mills in 2011.
Jake baked the apple pie in an original Martha Stewart Everyday glass pie plate. He has always loved how the familiar green glass looks with a golden pie crust. It’s a little reminder that the products weren’t made just to look good on a shelf. They were made to be used and enjoyed.
For Jake, the Martha Stewart brand is about quality and what the products inspire. They make one want to roll out a pie crust, plant something new, organize a drawer, set a nice table, or tackle a new project. Good tools make learning and trying easier, and good quality means we can keep using them, sharing them, and passing them along. Twenty-some years later, so many of these pieces are still doing exactly what they were intended to do. They’ve become familiar parts of Jake’s daily routine, and many have earned a place among his favorite possessions.
Jake also included a close-up of another pie he made recently, decorated with pastry leaves for autumn. He was so pleased with how it turned out. It, too, is in a Martha Stewart Everyday Collection pie plate.
Based in Montréal, Jordan Munn is a private chef and lifestyle consultant. He says, “my entire life and career have been shaped by Martha.”
Jordan is also an avid photographer. He attended my special “Super Fans” day at my farm last year. This photo was taken in my flower cutting garden on a 35mm film using a Nikon FX.
Here is one of his photos of eggs and spring tulips.
And one of eggs on stone.
Jordan says, “Martha is part of my everyday in quiet ways. She’s in the jadeite I serve on, the milk glass on my shelves, how I set a table and how I keep a kitchen.” This is Jordan’s squash and pumpkin soup in a milk glass chicken.
Jordan is very passionate about the food he prepares and photographs. This is clams two ways.
This is seared tuna and beets, on sesame bread. Jordan adds, “When I’m cooking for a family on a yacht or in a villa, the standard I hold for myself is hers: to do it properly, use what’s good, make it beautiful without making a fuss.”
This is whole fish, Thai style. Jordan uses seasonal ingredients, and loves to preserve, and forage. He also gardens and arranges his own cut flowers.
Here is a platter of confit sardines. Jordan’s company, JPGM – Larder & Provisions, is built on an important philosophy. The pantry, the garden, the small details that make a home feel cared for. A lot of how I work traces back to what Martha has taught us on her shows, in her magazines, and in the books.
This is tomato, cucumber stracciatella, a dish combining fresh summer produce with stracciatella cheese — a creamy, shredded Italian cheese — often used in salads, pasta dishes, or as a topping.
Jon Recor is another “Super Fan” who has incorporated many of the lessons and tips for cooking, organizing, homekeeping, baking, and celebrating Halloween that he has learned over the years, into his life. Here is a photo of Jon at Foxwoods, where he dined at The Bedford, my second-ever restaurant.
The Martha Stewart brand inspires Jon to bake his childhood favorites, such as this Apple Cider Donut Cake from my book, A New Way to Bake: Classic Recipes Updated with Better-for-You Ingredients from the Modern Pantry was published in March 2017 by Clarkson Potter.
And look, Jon has my figurine next to his homemade cake on top of my cake stand.
Jon came to my Great American Tag Sale in 2022.
Jon is proud of his tag sale finds. Among them, a signed dish from my Kmart collection. Jon adds a fun fact – his first job was at Kmart in 1992, where he kept the stock of Martha Stewart Everyday items always stocked and displayed perfectly.
Jon redid his garage using some pieces he bought at my tag sale, so everything is in excellent order. With everything in its place, projects and tasks can be done without delay.
Here, Jon set up a spare bedroom for work and crafts using furniture from one of my previous collections.
And look at his closet. Here he can find everything he needs in a moment’s notice. For the best homekeeping tips, be sure to get my Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, a comprehensive, room‑by‑room guide to maintaining a beautiful, functional home, blending practical advice with Martha Stewart’s signature style. It was published in 2006 by Clarkson Potter.
When it comes to Halloween, Jon says Martha has taught him to be creative and fun. Jon has gone to Bette Midler’s Hullaween Gala for years. He’s won “best costume” nine times! Here he is as the tooth fairy.
And here, Jon is a box of popcorn.
And this photo was taken a couple of years ago at a book signing, when I released my 100th book, MARTHA: The Cookbook. I hope you have a copy! Jon cooks from it all the time! Please follow these great influencers and supporters on Instagram. @everyday.heirlooms, @jpgm.co and @jonrecor.
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