On Saturday morning, Evanston residents gathered at the Evanston Farmers’ Market to try the three contenders for the best apple cider in the city. Featuring crimson leaves, misshapen pumpkins and tart cider, the event, lasting from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., caught the attention of Evanston residents.
Lyon’s Fruit Farm, Piedt Acres and K & K Farms all presented their carefully curated recipes made from their farms’ apples.
The cider tasting was set up at a table in the center of the market, and participants were given strips of paper to vote for their favorite. After tallying the votes, K & K Farms was crowned the winner of the taste off. It was the second year the city’s Parks & Recreation Department has hosted the competition.
The Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the intersection of University Place and Oak Avenue.
In an economy where the majority of fruits are imported from other countries, one of the best parts about selling fruit to Evanston is the city’s commitment to buying from local brands, according to K & K Farms owner Linda Koenigshof.
The participating family farms are steeped in tradition — Piedt Acres has been running for six generations. Koenigshof said that K & K uses a secret blend of apples to produce a high-quality final product. Cider-making is a multi-step process to produce the result apple enthusiasts love, she explained.
“We take our mixture of apples to the cider place,” she said. “They wash (and) smash them. They’re filtered a little bit (and) you’ll notice their sediment in the cider. It goes under ultraviolet light, which will kill any germs, but it doesn’t heat it up.”
Last year’s winning cider, Lyon’s, was first on the table. Kenilworth resident Eric Britton said it was his favorite because it was the one with the most depth to it and tasted less raw than the other two.
The second cider on the table, from K & K Farms, was Kenilworth resident Beth Britton’s favorite because she found it the least tart.
Evanston resident Cole Thompson voted for the Piedt Acres cider. He said he preferred a tarter taste when it came to his drink of choice.
“I liked the second one (K & K Farms) initially, but it was so sweet,” Thompson said. “I felt like a sip of it was great. But if I was gonna drink a bunch of it, the other (Piedt Acres) one was a little less sweet.”
Although apple cider tasting was the market’s main event, Gast Farms offered pear cider nearby. Britton was more intrigued by the pear cider than the apple because it felt more unique.
The annual Cider Tasting brought new business to local farms and provided a picturesque fall activity for Evanston residents.
“We were really excited. We came here just for this,” Evanston resident Anabelle Doulas said. “It was really cute. It was a really sweet idea.”
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