What Fruits can I use for Cider making?

     

 

 

What Fruits can I use for Cider making?

Different flavours of cider can be made from near enough any type of fruit, from berry to elderflower. However, apples are the traditional fruit used to make cider and are used to make the main base of the beverage. The flavourings of other fruits can be added to adjust the flavour accordingly.

Getting the balance right

If you want to stick to traditional cider, the variety of apples to choose from allows you to change the overall taste by mixing the different types. The key is to have the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness and slight bitterness. Different mixes of apples are going to give different flavoured ciders, take note of the proportions you are using as there is no way of knowing the outcome in advance- this will help you to adjust your recipe for the future.

Pear Cider (Perry)

Perry is the equivalent of apple cider. Replace the apples with the same weight of pears. Ripe pears are much easier to pulp than apples. Perry differs from apple cider in its taste, it tends to be more delicate than apple cider and sweeter, some people comment that it has a citrus and tropical fruit flavour.

Berry Cider

If you want to venture outside of traditional cider adding different fruits can be a great way to customise the taste to your preferences. Berries are a popular choice, adding strawberries with a squeeze of lime is said to be the perfect addition for a Summer BBQ. To do this, add the strawberries whole into the fermenter along with the apples. If you want to add lime as well, peel them and cut into quarters, add these too then finish like you would normal cider.

Elderflower Cider

Another combination that is popular is elderflower. Adding an elderflower flavour gives it a lemony and fresh aroma.

When making cider, any fruit can be added to the apples or pears to change the finished taste. It’s all about testing and changing the proportions in order to find the right mixture for you. Something to note though is adding sweetness to your drink can make it more alcoholic. Fruits with more natural sugar will contribute to this. Making cider is a lengthy process that takes time and patience at Vigo Presses we offer a range of products designed to help you make your perfect cider. We’d love to see your fruity ciders, tweet us a photo @VigoPresses or tag us in your Facebook photos. www.vigopresses.co.uk

Top 10 Tips for Cider Making

Top 10 Tips for Cider Making
       

The popularity of craft cider is fast gaining popularity around the world just as craft beer exploded in the late 90s. One difference between the two is that just like wine, cider is made seasonally with the main ingredient being apples. Apples tend to bloom in the spring, so take advantage of the surplus of apples that are available and make some cider to sip throughout the rest of the year. If you are wanting to make homemade cider we have put together a few tips to help you with the process.

1. Gather Ingredients
Don’t be afraid of ugly fruit! To make cider the fruit doesn’t have to be perfect, as long as the fruit is firm and solid they will be good for cider. We recommend that you shouldn’t use fruit that has spent time on the ground. This is because spoilage bacteria on the ground can impact the cider. Large soft brown areas of rot is something you want to avoid. Check out our list of extended ingredients.

2. Creating a Good Blend
One single type of apple doesn’t usually have all the qualities that you want in your final cider. Try to choose a mix of apples that are sweet, tart and aromatic. Most apples that are mainly used for cider are not recommended for eating, this being said why not add some crab apples to your blend, this will add some interesting flavour to your final produce.

3. Crushing Apples
Apples must be crushed to give a grated consistency before pressing. Apples can be crushed simply by pounding them with a bucket and a clean length of timber, note- this is a vigorous process. So freezing them beforehand will make this lot easier. Do not opt for a food processor as they will produce too finer a puree for pressing.

4. Pressing
Whether you are using a sophisticated fruit press or simply old boards and heavy weights it’s entirely up to you. The key is the more pressure you can apply, the more cider you will get. The basic technique is to wrap some pomace in a muslin cloth and squeeze the cloth until all the juice runs out and is collected. The juice will naturally be cloudy and contain small particles of suspended apple solid- don’t worry, this will add to the flavour and texture of the finished product.

5. Temperature
If the weather is cold, which is more than likely living in England, move the juice to a warmer place. Temperature shouldn’t be below 10 degrees, and shouldn’t rise above 20 degrees. Ideally your cider should be kept at 15 degrees for a smooth fermentation and to retain fruity flavours.
6. Fermentation
Be aware that there is most likely to be a fairly vigorous foaming start to the fermentation process- be careful, this can lift the lid. If the fermenter is indoors, place it on newspaper.

7. When does fermentation stop?
In making sure fermentation has stopped you should observe the airlock. If the bubbles have stopped passing through the airlock, your cider may have finished fermenting. To double check use a hydrometer to measure the Specific Gravity – if 1.000 or below the fermentation will have finished. Please note that after it has finished fermenting it will usually settle out reasonably clear- move to a cold place can help move this along.

8. Be Patient
If your cider doesn’t seem to be fermenting, just wait. If you are relying on the wild yeasts which naturally occur in apples, it may take one or two weeks for the fermentation to get underway. If there is still no fermentation after 2 weeks add a cultured yeast (Vigo cider yeast). If this doesn’t kick start it then you may have to add yeast nutrients which will revert it back into a healthy growth.

9. Adding Sugar
If you are finding the taste of your cider too bitter. Sugar can be added. Dissolve it in hot water to make a concentrated syrup. You can either add the sugar at the time of consumption, or else pasteurise the sweetened cider for long term storage, otherwise it will re-ferment.

10. Storing Cider
You can store cider in glass bottles, but first ensure that they are really clean. Bottles can be sterilised by heating in a warm oven – around 80 degrees. Cool them with the caps on before filling with dry cider that will not be pasteurised. An important thing to remember is air must be excluded at all times to prevent spoilage.

We’d love to hear how you got on with making your own cider! Have any other tips you’d like to share with us? Tweet us @VigoPresses to let us know! Use these tips with our step-by-step guide but if you’d like to learn the step by step process from a member of the team, we can help you. You can get in touch by visiting out contact page or by giving us a call on 01404 890093.