Apple cider

Natural cider

Historically, all cider was left in its natural state, raw and unprocessed. In time, airborne yeasts present on apple skins or cider-making machinery would start fermentation in the finished cider. Left on its own, alcohol would inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. When modern refrigeration emerged, cider and other fruit juices could be kept cold or frozen for long periods, slowing fermentation. Any interruption of the refrigeration, however, could allow bacterial contamination to grow. Outbreaks of illness resulted in some state government regulations requiring any commercially produced cider to be treated either with heat or UV radiation.

As a result, natural raw cider is a specialty seasonal beverage, produced on-site at orchards and small rural mills in apple-growing areas and sold there, at farmers markets, and at some juice bars. Such traditional cider is typically made from a mixture of several different apples to give a balanced taste. Frequently, blends of heirloom varieties such as Jonathan and Winesap, once among the most sought-after cider apples for tangy flavor, are used. Many US states now require that unpasteurized cider have a warning label on the bottle.

Even with refrigeration, raw cider will become slightly carbonated within a few weeks and eventually become hard cider as fermentation continues. Some producers use this fermentation to make hard cider; others carry it further on to acetification and create artisanal apple cider vinegar.

Treated cider

Many commercially produced ciders are pasteurized or have artificial preservatives added which extends their shelf life; the most common method used is pasteurization, but UV irradiation is also employed.

Pasteurization, which partially cooks the juice, results in some change in the sweetness, body, and flavor of the cider; UV radiation has less noticeable effects. Cooking cider and adding chemical preservatives have allowed many ciders to be transported and sold without refrigeration.

Impetus for federal-level regulation began with outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 from unpasteurized apple cider and other illnesses caused by contaminated fruit juices in the late 1990s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made proposals in 1998; Canada began to explore regulation in 2000.

The U.S. regulations were finalized in 2001, with the FDA issuing a rule requiring that juice producers and most large cider producers follow Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) controls, using either heat pasteurization, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), or other proven methods to achieve a 5-log reduction in pathogens.

Canada, however, relies on a voluntary Code of Practice for manufacturers, voluntary labeling of juice/cider as "Unpasteurized", and an education campaign to inform consumers about the potential health risks associated with consuming unpasteurized juice products.

Commercial production

Modern cider making has come a long way from early forms of production that involved a man- or horse-powered crusher. These consisted of a stone or wood trough with a heavy circulating wheel to crush the fruit, and a large manual screw press to express the juice from the pulp. Straw was commonly used to contain the pulp during pressing and was later replaced by coarse cloth. The Palmer Bros. Company, of Cos Cob, CT, made the most popular "modern" rack-and-cloth press from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, when production shifted to OESCO in Massachusetts. As technology advanced, rotary drum "scratters" came into use. Today, nearly all small pressing operations use electric-hydraulic equipment with press cloths and plastic racks in what is commonly called a "rack and cloth press", and electric hammermill "breakers".

Depending on the apple varieties and the extraction method used, it takes about one-third of a bushel (10 liters) to make a gallon (3.78 liters) of cider. Apples are washed, cut, and ground into a mash that has the consistency of coarse applesauce. Layers of this mash are then either wrapped in cloth and placed upon wooden or plastic racks where a hydraulic press then squeezes the layers together, or the mash is distributed onto a continuous belt filter press, which squeezes the pulp between two permeable belts fed between a succession of rollers that press the juice out of the pulp in a continuous, highly efficient operation. The resulting juice is then stored in refrigerated tanks, pasteurized to kill bacteria and extend shelf life, and bottled and sold as apple cider. The juice may also be fermented to produce hard cider, which may then be further treated by exposure to acetobacter to produce apple cider vinegar, or distilled to produce apple brandy. The waste left after pressing, known as pomace, is sold for cattle feed.

Variations and derivatives

Non-alcoholic

Hot mulled cider, similar to "wassail", is a popular autumn and winter beverage. Cider is heated to a temperature just below boiling, with cinnamon, orange peel, nutmeg, cloves, or other spices added.

Rosé apple cider can be obtained using red-fleshed applecrabs.

"Cider doughnuts" traditionally used the yeast in raw cider as a leavener. Today they are sometimes sold at cider mills and roadside stands, though there is no assurance that natural cider is used. Visiting apple orchards in the fall for cider, doughnuts, and self-picked apples is a large segment in agritourism.

Chai spices can be added to apple cider to produce chaider.

Alcoholic

Apple cider may be used to produce hard apple cider, apple wine, applejack, or apple brandy, among other possibilities.

Cultural significance

Apple cider is the official beverage of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.