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With cider being such a
pervasive part of life in the countryside of Brittany, it comes as no
surprise that the region can boast of having several museums devoted
to cider and cider-making...this one is in Pleudihen-sur-Rance in the the
Côtes d'Armor département.
All the steps necessary to make
a good cider are explained
including the gathering of the apples. Despite the many examples of Quimper pottery
decorated with motifs showing
bretons and bretonnes picking the apples directly off tree branches, in
common practice, much of
the crop was allowed to fall to the ground and collected via contraptions
such as the one shown above.
The apples are then crushed...in years gone by that task would have been
accomplished in a horse-powered mill...
...the resulting mash is then pressed. Just about every farm had its own
press...this one has seen better days, but a cider press still intended
for use is well-cared for and requires being taken apart and cleaned
before each annual pressing. (The joints between the boards were
traditionally sealed with cow manure...a practice that we were assured
imparted no flavor to the end result!)
The pressing takes place in
between harvesting the crops and the other chores...one farmer recounted
that the best time was in the evening and it was good to have three
neighbors to assist because afterwards one could play cards.
The museum went over every aspect of cider-making...
...including the all-important tasting...as depicted on this Porquier-Beau
terre vernissée plaque. (Terre vernissée is not faïence...which
describes a piece that is earthenware with a tin and lead-based glaze
applied so that it masks the color of the clay to form a background. Terre
vernissée translates to "varnished earth" and is the term for earthenware
that has been "painted" with colored clays and then has a lead glaze
applied overall).
We tasted not just apple cider, but cider made from
pears and cherries.
Which brings us to the close of this issue...
...and an opportunity to once more raise our glass of cider...just like
the petit breton on this glorious pièce unique (one of a
kind) Quimper faïence platter painted by Théophile Deyrolle...and say
Yec Het Mad Tout! (Good Health to All!) and Gwall Fest...the
closest I can come to Breton for Happy Holidays!
That's it for this issue. Our exploration of Brittany...its towns, its people, and its pottery...as
well as its saints...will continue in our next webisode.
P.S. This issue was only a
little bit late...a remarkable feat considering the obstacles one must overcome...
Where's the problem you say...a tranquil scene...just looks as if someone
is working on the beginning of
this page. However, upon closer examination...
...one detects that a kibbitzer has begun his approach...
...telepathing commands such as "where's my snack?"..."Are you sure that's
what you want to write?"...Isn't it play time?...etc.
Errors in grammer are dealt with immediately...
...and pencil notations are frowned upon...
...until, finally, amid silent recriminations of computer hogging, the
keyboard is relinquished so that you-know-who can work on this issue's
Memo from J-P.
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