The sign that greets thousands of visitors every September and October
Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard was created back in the 1980s by Tim and Jan Vala. Over the years, the family, with their three daughters, Kelsey, Kirsten, and Kyla, have made a magical place in the fall for people of all ages. The hayrack rides, pig races, and haunted houses are just a few attractions. The beautiful orange pumpkins you see all over the property are the epitome of fall!
It has been the family’s love for creating unforgettable experiences that make Vala’s the place to visit every year during September and October. Many people feel this way as there were around 350,000 people who came out to Vala’s in 2021. Even though Jan Vala is no longer with us, I am sure she looks down from heaven and smiles as each person makes their way into Vala’s.
Kelsey Vala Donovan and her husband David, creators of Vala’s Orchard Cider Co.
New ideas for attractions are never-ending at Vala’s. In 2019, Kelsey’s vision of making hard cider became a reality. The production would begin to serve customers in the fall of 2020.
Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. is the first cidery I have ever experienced. I was curious to discover how you learn to make cider and what the process is. I asked the couple how they got into making cider. David told me that he had friends that were homebrewers who got him interested not in beer but cider. The couple began experimenting and traveling the country to discover all the different ciders that were out there.
David said they had learned by each small batch that they had created but was glad to be able to go to the Cider Institue of North America for some formal training.
Kelsey’s background is in Culinary Arts. She enjoys creating ideas for flavor profiles for different ciders. As you will see in this article, there are many ciders, including ones with other fruit in addition to apples. Kelsey also is in charge of making all of the wonderful pies at Vala’s. Now I am thinking about pie and cider pairings, but back to the main story!
Kelsey said that she and David work well as a team because David’s palate picks up on every subtle note, and he can describe them in great detail! I bet that makes it fun when telling others about the cider!
I can only imagine the creative fun that this couple must have when making cider recipes! Let’s see how this comes together, starting with the orchard.
A perfect day to capture the beauty of the apple trees in full bloom
Kelsey had picked a fantastic day for me to come out! The apple trees were in full bloom and looked gorgeous against the blue sky. While on a tour of the property, Kelsey said that they have over 30,000 apple trees and 35 varieties of apples. I didn’t know you could grow that many different kinds of apples in Nebraska! The trees are dwarf apple trees and are on a trellis, making it easier to pick the apples. The idea was to make it easy for parents and their kids to enjoy apple picking in the orchard.
The cider is wholly produced from the apples from the orchard. They use all of the apples left from the trees that people can pick from. Also, there are apples grown just for cider production. Kelsey provided the pictures of the ones above. The following are just a few examples of excellent cider apples.
Golden Russet - sweet and tart simultaneously with some spiciness to it.
Franklin Cider Apple - is known for its bitterness, acidity, and tannins. This apple also has a lot of natural sugars, making it an excellent cider apple.
Northern Spy - is a late-season apple with a good balance of tartness yet also sweet with a hint of pear flavor.
Gold Rush (not pictured) - is a very aromatic apple with a nice sweet and tart balance that makes an excellent dry cider!
So what does the process look like for making the cider?
The apples are harvested and brought into the production area.
Next, they are washed thoroughly.
The apples then make their way into the grinder that crushes the apples into a pulp that would resemble applesauce.
The pulp goes through the press that looks like a series of screens or filters. The juice gets extracted from the pulp.
The juice is then transferred into the fermenter with yeast to turn the sugars into alcohol.
Kelsey said that it took about two weeks for the fermentation to complete. During those two weeks, the yeast has to be fed some nutrients to help keep it healthy and active.
Shown above is the freezer where the fresh juice is stored right after it is pressed. The juice is then defrosted over the winter to ferment. The fermented, filtered cider is stored in the cooler in the large cardboard bag in box totes. The cider will then be kegged from those totes. To give you an idea of how much cider is being produced, in 2020, Vala’s Orchard Cider Co sold 4,000 gallons. The following year, 2021, would see an increase to 14,000 gallons.
Beyond kegging the cider to be served at various locations inside Vala’s, such as the Cider Silo or Cider House, the cider is bottled and sold to patrons to take home. In 2021, Kelsey said they produced 22,000 bottles, and in 2022, they have a goal of 45,000 bottles!
I never knew that bottles of cider go through a pasteurization process. Pasteurization kills any remaining active yeast and increases the shelf life of the hard cider. If the yeast were to remain active, CO2 buildup could cause the bottles to become cider fountains when you open them, and no one would want to have that!
From the fall of 2021, the line up of ciders - photo credit Vala’s Orchard Cider Co.
Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. has a great cider selection ranging from dry to sweet. The labels on the bottle show this, which I love! There are apple cider offerings like the Nebraska Classic Cider and Goldrush Dry. The Goldrush Dry is incredible! At first, there is a slight bit of sweetness. The finish is nice and dry, creating a well-balanced cider at 7.5% ABV (alcohol by volume).
The other ciders available have natural fruit additions such as cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackcurrants. The subtleness of the fruit adds notes without taking away from the apple flavor. Cherry Fizz, Tractor Jam, and Witches Brew are few in this category. Witches Brew has blackcurrants, a bitter little berry that provides outstanding color and balance to the sweetness of an apple. Tractor Jam is a must to try for those who like a sweet cider!
Kelsey and David are also barrel-aging some ciders in bourbon barrels. They have an Imperial Cherry made with Montmorency tart cherries and Bourbon-Barrel Blueberry. The ciders age in the barrels for up to six months. Over this time, the cider grabs additional characteristics of the spirit and the wood from the barrel.
Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) medals from 2021.
What is so impressive for this young cidery is the medals they won in the 2021 Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP)! Goldrush Dry and Cherry Fizz were both gold medal winners! It must feel good to see your ciders appreciated amongst so many others in a competition like this. I can’t wait to see how this year’s competition turns out!
Goldrush Dry shines on a sunny day. This crisp, dry cider is very enjoyable.
This fall, Vala’s Orchard Cider Co. is expanding to a new building called Vala’s Cider Mill. I got a sneak peek of this fantastic establishment that is under construction. You will want to mark your calendar for some visits this fall because the atmosphere will be like no other you have ever experienced!
Kelsey said they are so excited, and the cider crew has been working very hard for this launch. I can’t wait to experience Vala’s Cider Mill this fall and their delightful ciders!
Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard, I don’t know how you keep coming up with these incredible new attractions, but I know all of your visitors love them!
Cheers!