Ilmar Saar, owner of Piiri farm, near Võru, has been pressing apple juice for years.

For those who wish, he also heat-treats the pressed juice and packages it into special bags. Ilmar, who has a keen interest in tech, has together with his son built both the apple crusher and the system for pumping the juice into this heater.

"My greatest inspiration was the pulp machinery set up at the Räpina pulp and paper mill 150 years ago, which works on the same principle as a paper machine. When I started constructing the press, I aimed to be able to press all kinds of apples, and, with a few exceptions, I've been able to achieve that," Saar said.

Ivar Kanarik, who lives in Põlva, has been pressing apple juice in an outbuilding next to his home for decades now.

This year, he, too, added a juice heating device, which he can even control via a smartphone app.

The long summer, which arrived early, helped too.

Kanairk said: "I think this year's harvest has been very good. Everything has ripened earlier than usual, and I believe the season is only just beginning. The first summer apples have been pressed, so now we are moving on to the autumn apples, which are much easier to press, as they're not as mushy or overripe."

This means the work can continue as late on in the year as early November.

"Some people believe the best time to make juice is after the first autumn frosts, as the juice is supposedly better and sweeter then. And it's true, once the first frosts pass and it warms up again, we do fire up the machines," Kanarik added

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