Unfortunately, apple cider is not very popular in the CIS, although in many European countries it has long been a popular alcoholic beverage. They especially love it where mass cultivation of grapes is impossible due to climatic conditions.
Apple cider appeared in ancient times. The first written mention of it was left by the famous Roman writer and historian Pliny. At its core, this drink is nothing more than fruit wine. Real apple cider made only from pure juice is produced in some parts of France, and most other producers from different countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England and others) breed it with water.
Not all varieties of apples are suitable for making high-quality apple cider. In France and other countries mass producing this drink, special varieties called "apples for cider" are bred. It is believed that only 48 varieties are most suitable for this drink, among which are sweet, bitter, bittersweet and sour. The main criterion of suitability for the manufacture of cider is the presence in the fruits of the so-called "tannins" and their acidity. The optimal combination of apples: 40% sweet, 40% bitter, 20% sour.
Various manufacturers prepare apple cider in almost the same way. Fully ripened fruits of different varieties are selected and mixed. Sometimes, according to the recipe, other proportions set for different brands of the drink are used. Some of them add a certain amount of pears or other types of fruits. Juice is squeezed out of the crushed fruit and the so-called “wort” is obtained, after which it is filtered and poured into oak barrels. In dark, dry rooms, barrels are left for five weeks. Natural wort fermentation occurs at this time. After fermentation, a low-alcoholic beverage is obtained having a strength of 5-7%. Before bottling, apple cider is filtered, clarified, and pasteurized. Most often, this drink is enriched with carbon dioxide, resulting in an excellent sparkling fruit wine. More expensive is the method of "champagne", which does not differ from the production of champagne. Dry apple cider can be “reinforced” with high-quality cognac. As a result of this procedure, a drink with a strength of up to 10% alcohol is obtained. It is believed that the higher the strength of the drink, the better the concentration of carbon dioxide is preserved. Ready cider is poured into thick-walled bottles, adding a small amount of sugar solution to it, which causes the process of re-fermentation. When 8 g of sugar solution is added to the bottle after fermentation, a pressure of 2 atmospheres is generated in the bottle. Such a drink is considered "quiet." When added to 12 g, a pressure of 3 atmospheres is formed (“medium”), and at 16 g the most “sparkling” and strongest apple cider is obtained.
Fans of natural alcoholic beverages can easily make such a drink on their own. As soon as the “apple spas” begins, cider can be prepared from ripe apples. To do this, select several varieties of apples (sour, sweet and bitter), wash them, cut out all the rotten places and wormholes (if any), remove the stalks. The fruits are cut, passed through a meat grinder or juicer. Juice with cake is placed in glass bottles, barrels or other containers intended for fermentation of the product. Sugar is added to the container (100-120 per 1 kg of mass). The container is covered with gauze and placed in a warm, dry place. After 3-4 days, apple cake will float to the surface, and the juice will remain at the bottom. The juice is filtered, the cake is squeezed out and sugar is again added to it (100 g per 1 liter). The container is closed with a lid, with a tube for removing carbon dioxide removed from it, the end of which is lowered into a jar of water. Juice prepared in this way is fermented for 14-20 days. At the end of the fermentation, the juice is filtered and bottled in jars or bottles that are tightly corked. To obtain a sparkling drink, you can use a siphon with carbon dioxide.