Everything is still green and it seems summer just started. However, the kids go back to school soon and the cider mills are opening this weekend. We’ve waited all year to taste that wonderful nectar from our Michigan apple growers – finally, it is apple cider time.
Our state is blessed with over a hundred cider mills and the Rochester area has three that still press their apples the old-fashioned way, on site for you to watch and enjoy.
On the north edge of the village of Goodison, is the Goodison Cider Mill on Orion Road, home of the “World Famous” Pistachio Nut 
Bread. They offer a nice variety of donuts, jams, honey, and caramel apples. Watch cider being made on the weekends. It is unfiltered and unpasteurized; and they use an ultraviolet light to treat the cider. It’s the best of both worlds, the cider is fresh and flavorful and completely safe for all to enjoy.
Goodison Cider Mill opens this Labor Day weekend and will be open seven days a week until Thanksgiving and then weekends only until Christmas. Activities for all ages on the weekends will start soon and run during the busy part of the season. Owner, Bob Steinheiser, suggests you “visit our new web site to find out more” at www.GoodisonCiderMill.com.
Rochester Cider Mill, on Rochester Road, three miles north of town offers traditional pressed cider, unpasteurized and untreated. They also offer craft cider that uses some of Michigan’s other tasty produce. Grape, cranberry, blueberry, cherry and holiday apple cider blends will become available throughout the season.
Trever Barkham is a third generation cider maker and states that the “Rochester Cider Mill has been family-owned and family-run for over 30 years.” You’ll find all the regular treats here: donuts, pies, fudge, caramel apples, and honey. Michigan apples are also available for baking at home or packing in lunch boxes.
A unique feature is the antique wall of farm tools. Before power tools were available, our recent ancestors harvested the food for our tables with great labor. See for yourself and imagine farming the old-fashioned way. The Rochester Cider Mill will also open this holiday weekend and be open seven days a week until the end of the year.
Across town, where Dequindre, Avon and 23 Mile Roads meet, is Yates Cider Mill. The press is water-powered and the cider is flash-pasteurized. This is a big operation set in a beautiful location on the Clinton River. You also have access to the Clinton River Trail and the Macomb Orchard Trail for hiking and biking.
Family-friendly with lots of parking and picnic areas, Yates Cider Mill tends to attract huge crowds in September and October. They have a fudge shop with Frankenmuth Fudge, donuts, pies, and large variety of other products to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Darlene Narloch, manager at Yates, says “I’m very excited about our new satellite location at Great Lakes Crossing Mall” in Auburn Hills. It’s located in the food court and will be open year-round. Both locations are open now.
All three use Michigan apples and press their cider on-site. Customer demand tells them how often to press (the cider is always fresh). Visit weekend mornings for the best chance to witness the magic of squeezing goodness out of a blend of apples.
As apples mature throughout the season, the cider gets sweeter. So right now at the start of the season the cider is tarter and will become quite sweet by the end of the year – it’s fun to taste the difference throughout the season – and it gives you a reason to return often and visit all three area mills. Apple cider is fat free, cholesterol free, and sodium free. The only sugar is what the apples produce naturally and it’s very good for you.
While you may find cider at other locations around town, such as grocery stores and fruit stands, Rochester, Goodison and Yates cider mills offer the real deal and a true local product in the Rochester area.
Rochester Area Cider Mills that their press cider on site:
Goodison Cider Mill
4295 Orion Road
248-652-8450
Rochester Cider Mill
5125 Rochester Road
248-651-4224
Yates Cider Mill
1990 East Avon Road
248-651-8300
For a complete listing of Mills & Farms in Michigan, visit:
By Michael Dwyer
About Michael Dwyer
Mike, Nice article. Tom