Why Pasteurisation is Important during Cider Making

Why Pasteurisation is Important during Cider Making



If you’re an avid cider maker, or you’re interested in creating your own, it’s likely that you have looked into pasteurisation. There are many advantages to using pasteurisation during the cider making process, which we cover in this blog.
Pasteurisation is a heat treatment of which kills a number of microorganisms present in the cider, the main purpose is to kill the yeast which will ensure that the fermentation of the cider is stopped. It relies on the concept that most bacteria that are harmful can be killed by high heat.
Pasteurisation can keep the flavour of your cider strong and delicious, pasteurisation can help to make your cider last longer if sealed tightly and kept cool within a fridge.
It’s important to understand that when performing pasteurisation on your cider you must use clean equipment. This is because any bacteria that is introduced to the liquid post pasteurisation, it could inhabit it and make it unsafe to consume. We can guarantee that our pasteurisers are purpose-built and versatile, meaning that they are guaranteed safe to use and can handle liquid in the correct way.
Bacteria can still appear after the pasteurisation process has completed, however. Liquids should continue to be safely handled and stored in the correct way throughout the entire process of cider making.
If you’re unsure how to pasteurise sweetened cider, we can help. There are two methods to pasteurising, whether you want to do it in a bottle or in a bag.
**Bottle Pasteurising**
Start by filling clean glass bottles with your cider and loosely closing the caps. Place the bottles in the tank of the pasteuriser and fill it with water to its required level. We’d advise setting the temperature to 75 degrees, and then set the timer to around 25 minutes. Once the cider has reached the temperature, the timer begins to count down. Once it has ended, the caps on the bottle should be tightened and the bottles removed to cool- be careful, as it will be hot.
**Bag Pasteurising**
Cider can also be pasteurised via bag-in-boxes  Bags can be filled with cider with the help of a filling stand ready for pasteurisation and then sealed. Bags can be pasteurised in a pasteuriser using the same process as if you were using a bottle. The average life of cider pasteurised in a bag-in-box is around 3-6 months.
Here at Vigo Presses, we can help you if you’re in need of some help making the most of your fruit. Whether you need advice on pasteurising or cider in general, you can get in touch by giving us a call on 01404 890093 or by visiting our contact page.

How to Make the Perfect Fruit Jellies

How to Make the Perfect Fruit Jellies

Fruit jellies are the perfect addition to many meals, and are relatively easy to make. You’re going to need one of our steamers to do so, and we recommend the Mehu Liisa Fruit and Veg steamer.

This steamer is the best quality multi-purpose steamer you can buy, and though there are cheaper models available, they simply don’t relate in terms of excellence and length of life.
The steamer will work to extract juice from fruit in a quick and easy way. This is a much favoured method when compared to slow straining, as it is quicker and mess-free. Using a steamer to extract juice is ideal if you are planning on creating jellies including the following fruits; currants, apples, quinces and berries. Steaming these fruits can enhance and release more flavour, helping you to make the most of your delicious fruit jellies.

Once your fruits have been steamed and all juice has extracted, you should measure and transfer to a jam pan. If you are using the Mehu Liisa Fruit and Veg Steamer, the bottom pan can be used for this purpose, and works very well. Refer to the recipe you are using and add sugar according to this. Cook as the recipe suggests or until you have reached the juices setting point, this usually takes around 10 minutes of rapid boiling. It is then that you should pour the jellies into clean, hot jars and seal as soon as possible.

The great thing about jellies is that they don’t have to remain super sweet and sickly, if this isn’t what you prefer. You can add something different to the process by adding additional herbs of choice. Popular varieties of herbs for fruit jellies include mint, thyme and sage. If you’re planning to add these, they should be added to the mixture during the cooking process.

If you don’t want herbs to remain in your jellies once served, you can tie the herbs into a muslin cloth and place this into the jellies mixture during cooking. To include the herbs into the mixture, ensure they are cut very finely for a speckled effect and no strong taste infusions when eaten!

If you’re interested in creating your own fruit jellies, we have a range of delicious recipes for you to try out using a steamer. For more information, or to get in touch regarding using a steamer or any of our products, visit our contact page www.vigopresses.co.uk or give us a call on 01404 890093.