Mashing The apples used must all be equally ripe. There are three different periods of ripening : early season apples, which ripen in September ; mid-season apples, ripening from October to mid-November, and the « last » or late-season apples which are harvested in December and generally stored until January. For « COEUR DE LION » Calvados early-season apples must not be used since they would have to be mashed early in the year when temperatures are still high - too high in fact for the production of good cider. The actual equipment comprises a crusher, two vats and a hydraulic press. The crusher transforms the apples into a homogeneous pulp or pomace. The pomace is left to « work » for a few hours in order for the walls of the cells of the apples to soften, making it easier to extract the juice. The pomace is then conveyed to the hydraulic batch press which extracts the juice by squeezing. For « Coeur de Lion », Calvados pure juice alone is used ; the pomace is pressed only once and the yield is no higher than 65%.