Sugar most often needs to be pre-dissolved in water or juice, and then the mixture is added to the wort.

Just pick clean, healthy fruit. Purity is one of the first conditions for making good cider. Avoid morning and evening dew. Selected by hand or by machine, harvesting is preferably done in dry weather. A ban on plastic apple picking bags, burlap sacks or burlap sacks is best.

Harvesting and pickup should be carried out in a timely manner, avoiding injury to the tree fruit. Storing apples collected from orchards ensures good preservation of the fruit until cider is created. At this stage, the apples should be able to not only retain their raw qualities, but also acquire a ripe fineness. And thus increase their value in ciders.

How to make sparkling cider

By adhering to the above recipes, you ultimately get a drink that does not contain gas (“still”) - in fact, the familiar apple wine. To saturate it with gas:

1. Once the fermentation process has stopped, remove the cider from the lees.
2. Pour granulated sugar into the bottom of the bottles (previously perfectly washed and well wiped) at the rate of 10 g per 1 liter of volume. Thanks to sugar, re-fermentation will occur and carbon dioxide will begin to be released.
3. Fill the bottles with cider. Do not fill it all the way to the neck; let there be 5-6 centimeters of empty space. Close the lids tightly. It needs to be sealed.
4. For 10-14 days, transfer the bottles to the dark, to a place where room temperature is constantly maintained, without changes in heat and cold.
5. Monitor gas pressure levels daily
6. If excessive pressure occurs, carefully release (release) the accumulated excess gas. Otherwise he will break the bottles.
7. Transfer the finished carbonated product to the cellar or place it in the refrigerator. Keep it in the cold for several days before consuming.

Dried fruit drink

If you are excited about making this drink in the middle of winter, then don’t be upset and wait for a new apple harvest. For the drink, you can buy inexpensive fresh apples, which are sold all year round, and dried fruits. Cider is made from these components as follows. A layer of dried apples is placed in a jar or barrel, and on top of them are prepared, cut into large pieces of fresh ones. The fruit should fill about half of the container you plan to use to make cider. A homemade recipe for making a drink from these components is that they need to be poured with boiled, cooled water and sealed for about three weeks, leaving in a dark place for successful fermentation. After the specified period, the cider can already be drained. The base for this drink can be filled with water and infused at least three more times. But keep in mind that you will get a rather sour drink. It can be sweetened before use.

Cherry cider

1. Sort through the berries and pour them into an enamel container, mash them (with your hands or using a pestle). Knead carefully so as not to damage the bones.
2. Fill the resulting mass with water. Cover the container with gauze and leave it warm for a couple of days. Stir its contents periodically.
3. After a couple of days, strain the resulting juice into a clean container.
4. Squeeze the juice out of the cake, pour sugar into it, stir the solution so that the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the resulting liquid into the main container.
5. Take a large bottle and pour all the juice into it for further fermentation. Fill the bottle no more than ¾ of its volume.
6. Cover the neck of the vessel with a piece of gauze and wait about five days for the fermentation process to begin.
7. Pour the resulting wort into another bottle and place the water seal on its neck. A medical glove with one punctured finger is suitable as a replacement. You can also use its analogue - a tube from an IV. To do this, close the neck of the bottle with a lid, cut a hole in it and thread a tube through it. Dip the other end into a jar of water, and cover all joints in the lid with silicone. The water seal will prevent the release of carbon dioxide and prevent oxygen from entering, causing the wort to become moldy.
8. After 2-3 weeks, the fermentation process will end. This moment can be determined either by the “falling off” of the glove (if it was used as a water seal) or by the appearance of carbon dioxide bubbles in a jar of water. Pour the resulting drink into bottles, cap them and place them in a cool place.
9. Once the cider has lightened, begin tasting.

How to prepare a non-alcoholic analogue

This version of cider can be consumed by children, pregnant women and people involved in sports. It can also be safely used by vehicle drivers - you can’t expect intoxication from it.

It is not worth preparing non-alcoholic cider in large portions at once - due to the lack of ethanol in the composition, the shelf life is reduced to several days.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 liters of apple juice;
• several oranges;
• cinnamon stick;
• a piece of ginger root about 3 centimeters;
• cloves to taste.

Preparation:

1. The apple juice is heated over low heat to a temperature of 90 degrees.
2. Oranges are cut into slices, ginger into thin slices. All ingredients are added to the pan.
3. The cider is boiled for 5 minutes, after which it is covered with a lid.
4. After an hour, you can start tasting.

Advice! You can add other fruits to the drink to taste: pear, grapes or a few slices of melon.

Recipe for Sparkling Apple Juice Cider

Using the classic cider recipe from apple juice, you can make a great sparkling wine. To do this, well-fermented dry cider will need to be fortified with cognac - diluted to a strength of 9-10%.

Sparkling cider will be stronger, so it can safely be called a light wine. The higher the percentage of alcohol in the drink, the more carbon dioxide it will retain.

To infuse the drink, you should use bottles with thick walls, preferably made of dark glass.

To make sparkling cider from apple juice, add sugar to the drink and set it for secondary fermentation. It’s not difficult to make sparkling wine - you need to add 12-16 grams of sugar to each half-liter bottle of fermented cider.

During secondary fermentation, the bottles must be tightly closed with lids and carefully placed - keep the cider in a horizontal position at a temperature of 25-27 degrees until the drink clears.

After this, the bottles must be turned over and placed upside down and left for 2 months. During this time, all the sediment will collect in the lid and become compacted.

The recipe for making cider from juice this way may seem quite complicated, but it allows you to achieve delicious results. After the planting has compacted, the bottles of cider can be taken to a cool place or placed in the refrigerator. You need to very carefully remove the lid and pour off some of the wine and sediment, then immediately close it tightly.

You can add a little fruit liqueur to each bottle to give the drink just the right amount of sweetness. Instead of liqueur, you can use regular fruit syrup.

Recipes for cider from juice are useful not only for lovers of light drinks. If you're into home winemaking, you can use cider to make stronger drinks such as Calvados.

It is more difficult to prepare cider from store-bought juice, since it is very rare to find a suitable drink on sale. By adding sugar and yeast, you can make a light, pleasant cider, but for sparkling wine you must use only natural juices.

Drinking culture

Once you understand how cider is made, it's also a good idea to figure out how it should be consumed. It is believed that the dry drink is ideal for various seafood, such as shrimp and oysters. It can also be successfully combined with various cheeses, low-fat kebabs and vegetables. But sweet varieties are best drunk with desserts. This cider goes well with baked goods, sweets, chocolate, and mascarpone.

This drink has many benefits. It does not contain any chemical additives; in addition, it is not only a source of vitamins B6, B1, C, but also iron, calcium, potassium, and pectin. They also say that cider can normalize blood pressure and have a positive effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. But do not forget that the fermentation process produces an alcoholic drink, so you should not abuse it.

• Mix varieties. This is a one-stop solution for making apple cider rich and flavorful.
• Monitor the temperature. Each stage of cooking has its own temperature regime. For the first two stages of fermentation it is 20-22°C, and for aging it is only 10-12°C.
• Take care of the water seal. A common household rubber glove does not allow cider to breathe adequately and in many cases leads to damage to the raw material.
• Get rid of sediment. Before serving, make sure there is no sediment in the drink bottle. Otherwise, it must be removed again. And remember that cider is served chilled.

Apple cider in the walls of your home - take a trip into history.

General technological principles

Cider is usually understood as an alcoholic drink made from apples, carbonated and sweetish in taste. This is a traditional cider recipe, but not the only one. There are not only sweet and semi-sweet varieties, but also dry ones. Instead of apples, you can use pears, quince and other fruits. There is still (still) cider and even non-alcoholic cider. Let us present the main stages of home winemaking using apple cider as an example.

Fruit preparation

To understand how to make apple cider truly tasty, let’s look at the composition. Industrial cider production uses specially bred “cider” apple varieties, for example, Yarlington Mill, Black Kingston, Bitter Tremlett. They contain sufficient amounts of tannins and acids, creating the rich natural taste of natural cider.

To achieve the same effect from garden apples, mix different varieties. You will need sour, sweet and tart varieties. It is customary to use late autumn varieties for apple wine. The apples are picked by hand and left to ripen in the cellar for 1–2 months.

The fruits that have lain down and are filled with juice must be carefully sorted from the leaves and cuttings. To preserve natural yeast on the surface of the peel, there is no need to wash the apples. Unless they are store bought. Particularly dirty ones can be wiped with a cloth. The benefits of using natural yeast culture significantly outweigh the possible harm from the remaining dirt.

Now you need to chop the apples. This is done at home using a food processor, blender, meat grinder, chopper, crusher and any other available tool. Choose a method based on the volumes to be processed.

Juicing

According to the experience of practicing winemakers, 10 kg of apples yield 7–8 liters of apple juice, and from it 5 liters of finished cider. It is not recommended to make cider from store-bought juice. Pasteurization used in factories does not leave the strains of microorganisms necessary for fermentation. Baker's, dry and even wine yeast are not capable of becoming a complete replacement. They impart a specific beer smell that hides the fruity aroma.

Preparation of wort. Universal recipe

To prepare the wort, 3 components are usually used: apple juice, water and sugar. Water is needed to neutralize the excess acidity of the apples. For very sweet apples it may not be necessary. The amount of sugar and the need for water are determined by the initial sweetness of the apples. Let's make a summary table of the composition of the wort for different varieties of apples.

For 10 liters of wort you will need:

Active and quiet fermentation

To maintain the sterility of the mash at the very beginning of fermentation, it is necessary to install a water seal. It will ensure timely removal of gases and prevent souring. Popular options: a latex glove and a sealed hose, the end of which is immersed in water. Anyone who has already prepared mash for moonshine will not have any difficulties making them.

The behavior of the water seal is one of the indicators of the readiness of apple mash at home. Combining this point with other features, we get the following algorithm:

• A layer of sediment has formed at the bottom of the fermentation tank.
• The taste of the mash turned from sweet to bitter.
• The characteristic sour smell has disappeared.
• Gas release and foaming have stopped: the water seal hose does not release bubbles into the water, and the glove has deflated and fallen off.

Cider with raisins

This drink is prepared in two ways; the taste of the drinks is identical when using the same varieties of apples and proportions, so when choosing, you should rely on which is easier.

Method 1

You will need 20 kg. assorted apples from sour and sweet varieties, 50 gr. raisins The fruits are wiped with a clean rag and sent to ripen for 2-5 days. When they become soft, chop or grate them on a coarse grater.

It is important to remember that you should not chop them too much, as the apples release juice much worse. It is squeezed separately from sour varieties and from sweet ones; the juice is kept in an enamel or glass container in a cool place.

After three days, sediment will form in the containers with juice; now you can strain the liquid through several layers of gauze or thick cloth and combine. Pour cider into bottles, adding 5-10 pieces to each bottle. highlight

Method 2

Skip 2 kg

apples through a juicer, add the pulp, and place the collected liquid in the refrigerator for 3-4 days until sediment settles, then carefully drain. Raisins 20-30 g

boiling water for 3-5 minutes, add steamed berries to the drink when it is poured into a storage container.

How to make homemade apple cider

Preparation of raw materials. Collected apples must be wiped with a dry soft cloth (do not wash them!) - this will preserve live yeast on their surface, which promotes the fermentation process. Place the apples in a warm room for a couple of days. Then clean the fruits: remove the stems and leaves.

Grinding of raw materials. Cut the apples into several parts, then pass through a meat grinder or puree using a blender.

Preparing a container for cider fermentation. For these purposes, it is recommended to take large glass containers (for example, 9-liter bottles), but plastic bottles, basins, and large enamel pans are also suitable. Wash the containers well, pour boiling water over them and wipe dry.

Laying out the apple mass into containers. Pack the ground apples into clean containers so that 1/3 of them remains free - this is necessary for the formation of foam and carbon dioxide. Add sugar there - 100 g (maximum 150 g for very sour apples) for each kilogram of apple mass. It is better to add sugar gradually, constantly stirring and tasting the wort. It should be sweet, but not cloying.

Preparing for fermentation of apple cider. Cover the neck of each container with thick gauze and secure the sides with a strong thread. Place in a room at room temperature, where sunlight should not penetrate.

Control of the primary fermentation process. Over the course of 4 days, it is necessary to regularly stir the fermented mass, drowning the pulp in the juice.

Preparation for the secondary fermentation process. When the hissing is clearly visible and the characteristic smell of the fermented mass is felt (about 3-4 days), it needs to be squeezed out and poured into another container. Install a water seal on its neck or put on an ordinary medical glove (sold at a pharmacy), with a hole made in one finger for the free release of carbon dioxide.

1. Fermentation of apple juice. Place containers with future cider in a dark place where the air temperature will be in the range of 18-26 degrees. There they will be stored for up to two months, until fermentation stops completely. This will be indicated by a deflated glove or the cessation of air release from the water seal.

Merging. Remove the resulting drink from the sediment and pour into another container. Experienced winemakers use a thin tube for this (like a dropper). Strain the cider again through thick cheesecloth.

Bottling of the drink and its ripening. Prepare bottles and caps in advance: everything needs to be thoroughly washed and sterilized. Pour the strained apple cider into bottles (jars), seal or seal well. Place them in a dark place with a temperature of 8-12 degrees. The temperature must not be allowed to drop below 5 degrees, otherwise the cider will not acquire the necessary properties. After 3 months, apple cider at home will be completely ready for consumption.

How to make cider from apples

This is already the fifth way to make cider from apples. This recipe is quite complicated, but the result will be very good. Before cooking, carefully select all rotten and non-blind apples. You should not wash the apples, but if some apples are too dirty, then they should be taken and washed so that the wild yeast remains on the rest. It is necessary to place emphasis on the ripeness of apples because they should contain a lot of sugar.

1. First, take the apples and grind them to a mushy state using a meat grinder, juicer or other items that can be used to do this.

2. Add sugar syrup, water and sugar to the apple porridge.

3. Place the wort in a glass jar or some other container for fermentation, and let it stand open for 3-4 days in a warm place until fermentation begins. Moreover, the wort must be stirred every day so that mold does not form on it.

4. When fermentation has begun, you need to squeeze the apple pulp out of the wort and put a water seal on the jar, or put on a rubber glove with a pierced finger.

5. Place the jar for fermentation in a dark, cool place until the process is complete (1-2 months).

6. When the cider has fermented, remove it from the sediment and bottle it. The cider must be filled up to the neck, otherwise the trapped oxygen can turn your wonderful cider into ordinary vinegar.

7. Place the bottles in the refrigerator. In this state, cider has a shelf life of 3 years, and over time it will only become tastier and more aromatic.

Recipe for homemade apple cider with honey

If you want to treat yourself to an unusual honey cider, then set out to make a sparkling, apple-honey drink. This method is even more troublesome, and you will have to perform many additional steps, but the result will be a completely original, incomparable cider with an apple-honey aroma.

1.5 kg of light viscous honey;

Six liters of spring or simply well-purified water;

8 kg of selected sweet apples.

1. Cut clean, unwashed, towel-wiped apples into small slices. Take gauze, fold it in several layers and sew a bag of a suitable size into which you place the apple slices. Tie the free edges of the linen container tightly and place it in a large enamel, earthenware, or wooden container.

2. Place a wooden circle with 3-centimeter holes drilled on top and place a weight - a 10-liter bucket filled with water.

3. Boil the prepared drinking water and cool it. Then dilute the honey well in it and pour the prepared honey syrup into a saucepan with apples, cover with gauze and put away for fermentation for 35 days in a cool place, excluding light.

4. After this, carefully drain the liquid into a clean bowl and leave, and fill the pulp remaining in the bag with the same honey syrup, quantitatively equal to the drained liquid, and again leave for 35 days.

5. Drain the cider again, but into another clean container, leaving that too. Pour the same newly prepared syrup into the pan again and keep it for the same time, under the same conditions, strain.

6. Mix the freshly strained cider with the previously drained drink, stir and let sit. Be patient, it needs to be kept cool for at least nine months.

7. Drain the finally fermented homemade apple cider from the sediment and leave it in the cold for another four weeks, tightly sealed in a clean container.

Apple honey cider

A very tasty drink is obtained with the addition of honey. However, it takes so long to prepare that it is not suitable for those who crave quick results. Only the taste of the resulting alcohol can justify such a long wait.

Any apples are suitable for this recipe, even those that can be classified as substandard (bruised, uneven, etc.).

Prepare:

• apples – 8 kg
• honey – 1.5 kg
• water – 6 l

You need to prepare it like this:

1. Cut the apples (without cutting the peel) into 4 parts, put them in a fabric bag (new or clean), and tie the top. Having placed the bag in a basin (enameled), press it with a weight.
2. Boil 1/3 of the water (2 liters) and dissolve 1/3 of the honey (0.5 kg) in it. Pour this liquid over the apples. Cover the entire structure with gauze and leave for 5 weeks. At this time, the juice and honey will ferment.
3. The resulting juice should be poured into a clean container, and the apples should be poured again with a honey solution made from a third of water and honey.
4. After 5 weeks, drain the juice again and pour the last part of the honey solution over the apples.
5. When another 5 weeks come to an end, you will need to pour all three parts of the future cider into one container. It needs to be sealed and the juice allowed to stand for 9 months in a fairly cool room.
6. Next, pour the cider into bottles (without stirring the sediment) and seal them. Refrigerate again. In a month - enjoy.

Pear cider is most often prepared in the same way as apple cider (with sugar). And if your garden has a rich harvest of pears and apples, you can make assorted cider, taking an equal amount of both fruits. Sometimes they take twice as many apples as pears, getting a 2:1 ratio.

Sometimes pear cider is prepared according to a recipe using yeast, although the classic drink is prepared without it. It is believed that if pears are used as a raw material, then this recipe is the most reliable in terms of ensuring fermentation. Pears for cider are ripe, but with sourness. Moreover, unlike the recipe with apples, in this case the base is not fruit puree, but squeezed juice. So, let's begin.

Prepare:

• pear juice – 4.5 l
• granulated sugar – 1.3 kg (5 cups)
• yeast - 25 grams

You need to prepare it like this:

1. Prepare the pears: remove the core and grind into a puree. Squeeze the juice out of it. This can also be done using a juicer.
2. Fill the bottle with juice and place it in a warm place (without light) for three days, covering it with gauze.
3. Drain the juice into a clean container through a rubber hose. In this case, the sediment should not be disturbed.
4. Add sugar and introduce yeast. After this, the container must be closed (with a rubber glove) and kept for six months.
5. The finished pear cider needs to be tasted, distributed into bottles, corked and removed from a cool place (cellar) as needed.

As mentioned above, there are other types of cider. For example, cherry or plum. They are prepared according to the first recipe, with the addition of sugar. In this case, the seeds are removed from the fruit in advance. Gooseberries, rose hips, cherries and many other fruits can also be used as raw materials for cider, but apples are consistently recognized as the best.

Cook at home

Consider a recipe for apple cider at home, which makes it possible to get a drink with a strength of 12%. It will be easy to drink and will not cause a hangover. To make apple cider according to this recipe, you need to take:

• 1.5-2 kg of sugar;
• about 10 kg of fresh apples.

At the first stage, you need to take the apples, completely remove the stems from them and wipe the fruit with a linen napkin. After this, you should cut all the apples into slices along with the seeds and skin. Then they need to be twisted in a meat grinder. If you have a blender or food processor, then in this case it is better to use this particular device.

Next, take large three-liter glass jars and rinse them thoroughly in hot water with the addition of soda. After this, scald the jars and wipe them completely with a towel. We move on to the applesauce and put it in jars about 2/3 of the capacity. Sugar must be added to each jar of puree, with the expectation that about 100-150 g of sugar should be contained in 1 kg of apple puree.

Please note that the wort you prepare should not be overly sweet, but at the same time very sour.

After completing this process, you need to wrap gauze placed in 4 layers around the neck of each jar. After this, the prepared wort should be placed for about 4 days in a fairly cool place or at room temperature, protected from direct sunlight, to carry out the fermentation process. Every day you should mix the contents in the jars as thoroughly as possible.

As soon as 4 days have passed, the contents must be poured into completely clean containers, first filtered through a so-called metal sieve. The cake that remains must be squeezed out well. After this, you need to install a water seal on each jar and place the mixture in a room where there is practically no sunlight for 36 days in a row. The only rule that should be followed at this stage is to establish the optimal temperature, which should not exceed 270C.

If you notice that the liquid has stopped producing bubbles and has become significantly lighter, then in this case you can be sure that your delicious apple drink is completely ready. At the last stage, you should filter the drink through cheesecloth 5-6 times, pour it into clean containers and seal the bottles tightly. After this, the bottles are placed in a cold room and left to mature for about another 3 months. After this period, you can try the drink you made yourself.

Cider from juice

There is another way to make this low-alcohol drink. It can be made from freshly squeezed juice from non-acidic apples. Please note that packaged drinks sold in supermarkets cannot become the basis for cider.

To prepare it, you need to add 100 grams of sugar or a special starter for each liter of juice. By the way, it can be made from unwashed raspberries, water and sugar. To do this, crushed berries are poured with half a glass of warm water and covered with a spoon of sugar. The container is closed and placed in a warm place for three days. At the same time, it must be shaken every day.

The juice, mixed with starter and sugar, is poured into a jar and closed with a water seal. The container is kept in a cool place until the release of gas bubbles stops, but this is not cider yet. A homemade recipe for this drink requires that the liquid be carefully drained without sediment. After this, you need to wash the container, pour the base of the future wine back into it and put it in a cold place for three months. After this period, the cider can already be bottled.

Traditional fresh apple cider recipe

This method is quite labor-intensive, but the result will certainly not disappoint you and you will not regret the time and effort spent.

Before making cider from apples, you should sort out the fruits very carefully. The most suitable apples for this drink are winter varieties. All fruits must be well ripened, without obvious signs of rot.

The prepared fruits must be crushed to prepare the wort. To do this, you can use a regular hand grater, meat grinder, blender or juicer. When using a juicer, do not throw away the pulp - making apple cider will be much faster with it.

Mix the juice and pulp, add a little sugar, mix and place in any container for fermentation. The wort can be prepared in any enamel pan, milk can or glass jars. Using this recipe for homemade apple cider, you can do without sugar, but then the fermentation process will be much longer, and the strength of the resulting drink will be significantly lower.

Be sure, before making apple cider, think about how and where you will store it. If you are going to prepare a large amount of the drink, then prepare a special room in which you will prepare the mash and keep the finished cider. The wort must be placed in a warm place for 3-4 days - the temperature should not be lower than room temperature.

The wort for apple cider at home needs to be stirred daily and carefully monitored when fermentation begins. As soon as the first signs of fermentation appear on the surface, the pulp will need to be squeezed through a fine sieve or several layers of gauze. Pour the resulting juice into three to five liter jars, install a water seal on them or wear regular rubber gloves. Using gloves, make a small puncture on one of your fingers to allow excess carbon dioxide to escape.

You can make cider from apples as a weak alcoholic drink without adding sugar, but in this case the wort will ferment for several days longer.

Place the cans of cider in a cool, dark place where they will sit for 1-2 months. When fermentation has completely stopped, the drink will need to be drained from the sediment. You can strain the resulting cider using several layers of gauze.

Pour homemade apple cider into small containers - it is best to use half-liter bottles, close and put in the refrigerator. You need to pour the drink right up to the neck and close it tightly, otherwise, due to the ingress of oxygen, the cider may turn into fruit vinegar.

Apple cider prepared according to this recipe can be stored for three years. The longer the drink sits, the tastier and more aromatic it will be.

Yeast

It is best to take wine yeast; you can buy it in stores. Brewer's yeast is also sold - it is also used for cider and other homemade wines.

If you put wine in the cider shortly before, you can take the wine liquor from it (the grounds that settled to the bottom during fermentation). The most ideal thing is if you have sediment from apple wine. Use it as a yeast starter.

Protected from the elements and soil moisture

Caution: The apples are finishing to ripen, they must remain dry to avoid rotting. Only apples of ideal ripeness can make good cider.

3rd step, which divides itself into several times or operations.

Preparation of premises and equipment. Washing apples Sorting apples Grating and chopping apples Grinding crushed pulp Pressing Removal. In dry weather, when apples ripen, and when. The pulp becomes soft and easily squeezes under your fingers. Leaf juice. Apples are doing well. The epidermis loses its green color, becoming yellow-orange. The apple has reached maximum sugar and flavor.

Finally, you can use regular yeast for baking. Dry or fresh. But keep in mind that special wine yeast gives a better aroma and taste than the usual yeast for dough.

Sugar-free apple cider

This recipe is very popular among the French and English. It contains no other ingredients except natural freshly squeezed apple juice.

So you can use any amount of juice in the process of making homemade cider without any proportions or restrictions.

Considering that in this case no auxiliary ingredients are used that will help start the fermentation process, you need to use unwashed sweet apples without any chemicals. And store-bought fruit is definitely not suitable for this recipe, in principle, as for others.

And the main rule is that the sweeter the apples, the stronger the finished product.

Cooking method

1. Pour any amount of freshly squeezed apple juice into a sterile container and leave for a day in a dark room at room temperature.
2. Then we install a water seal or a medical glove with a small hole in the finger on the neck.
3. We transfer the container to a warm place with a temperature of 18–27 degrees for about 1–1.5 months.
4. After this time, drain the cider from the sediment using a straw and pour it into a clean container.
5. Now we leave the drink for 4 months in a cool room (preferably a cellar) to stabilize the taste.
6. Before tasting, carefully drain the apple cider from the sediment again and then bottle it.
7. This drink can be stored for 6–9 months in the refrigerator or cellar.

If you want the cider to become slightly carbonated, at the bottling stage, pour literally 10 g of granulated sugar into the bottom of the container and then pour in the cider.

Then the drink will begin to ferment again and carbon dioxide will form.

Important! In this case, the bottle should be filled with non-carbonated cider only to 75% of the total volume. .

Recipe from a mixture of sweet and sour varieties

Apple cider is prepared at home according to different recipes, and each of them is time-tested and will definitely give the desired result. But if you like to experiment, you'll love this recipe.

Before preparing the drink, the apples should lie down for some time, and when they soften (it is important not to let the apples rot), sort them out and weed out the spoiled ones. After this, you need to chop the sour and sweet apples (each variety separately) and squeeze the juice out of them, leaving it for several days in a cool room until the grounds settle

Then feel free to drain and mix the two types of juice in the proportions you like.

When bottling this drink, don’t forget to put a few raisins in each bottle to give the taste a unique flavor. In a dark and cool room this drink can be stored for a whole year. There is another recipe for apple cider at home, and it also includes sour apple varieties - the most preferred for making this drink. Clean glass bottles need to be filled with crushed ripe apples; barrels and enamel pans are also used for these purposes.

To prevent all the vapor from evaporating, wear gloves on the jar.

“When bottling such a drink, do not forget to put a few raisins in each bottle to give the taste a unique flavor.”

Add cold water and lemon or orange zest to the apples. Sprinkle wine yeast on top and leave the sealed bottles to ferment for three days. Strain the infused drink, and pour boiled water over the pulp a second time, which should be the same amount as you drained the drink. A similar procedure can be carried out up to three times, which will ultimately yield three units of cider per unit of apples.

Video

Homemade apple cider

Apples of different varieties can be combined. The ideal ratio is one in which one part of sour apples is mixed with two parts of sweet ones. Pear cider is made using the same technology. If possible, I advise you to prepare an assortment - mix pears and apples in equal proportions.

Ingredients:

• apples – 10 kg;
• sugar – 1.5 kg;
• water (in rare cases) – up to 1 liter.

1. Wipe the collected apples with a dry cloth (do not wash them), put them in a warm room for 2-3 days.

Wild yeast lives on the surface of the fruit, which is needed for fermentation; it is important not to wash it off.

2. Remove leaves and tails. Grind the apples, peel and seeds, with a blender or meat grinder until smooth.

3. Rinse the fermentation container with hot water and wipe dry. Fill with crushed apples to a maximum of 2/3 of the volume. For example, if three-liter jars are used, then up to 2.5 kg of apple juice can be placed in each jar. Free space is needed for foam and carbon dioxide.

4. For every kilogram of apples, add 100-150 grams of sugar, depending on the initial sweetness. The wort should be sweet, but not cloying. Mix.

5. Tie the neck of the container with gauze and place it in a dark place at room temperature for 3-4 days. Stir the contents of the jars every day, knocking down the dense top layer and drowning it in the juice. After 8-16 hours, a characteristic smell of fermentation, foam and hissing appears.

6. Squeeze the juice out of the apple juice, which is then poured into a clean, dry container for fermentation. Next, install a water seal on the jar (barrel) or attach a medical glove with a hole in one of the fingers (pierce it with a needle).

Cider under a homemade water seal

Glove instead of water seal

7. Homemade apple cider should ferment in a dark place at a temperature of 18-27°C for approximately 30-65 days. Then sediment will appear at the bottom, the water seal will not release bubbles (the glove will fall off) and the drink will noticeably lighten, which means that fermentation has ended.

If fermentation does not stop after 50 days from the moment the water seal is installed, to avoid bitterness, you need to drain the cider through a straw into another container and leave it to ferment under the same conditions.

8. Drain the fermented cider from the sediment, then pass through 3-4 layers of gauze.

9. Pour the filtered drink into bottles (if you do not plan to saturate with gas, fill to the neck) and close tightly with stoppers. Homemade cider can also be stored in jars with lids.

10. The drink should mature for three months in a cool room (6-12°C). Then you can move on to tasting.

Ready cider after 60 days of aging

Typical mistakes when making cider at home

1. Careless attitude to washing apples. Firstly, this can cause infection, and secondly, the yeast found on apple skins is not always suitable for making cider. In order for the juice to ferment, use special yeast intended for cider, or at least yeast intended for the production of fruit wines. If necessary, find them through specialized sites on the Internet, using conventional search engines (Google, Yandex). Today this is absolutely easy for any Internet user to do.
2. Sugar. Don't use granulated sugar, forget about it altogether. Juice already has enough sugar in the form of fructose. If you delve deeper into this topic, it becomes clear that to make cider you need to take at least two varieties of sweet apples. And, even if there is only one variety, so as not to be sour, it must be very sweet. Adding sugar or its derivatives at the final stages of the process only spoils the taste of the cider.
3. Secondary fermentation. It is designed to reduce the amount of yeast in the cider and clarify it (all substances must settle well). This fermentation becomes meaningful when the main fermentation process is completed. This is evidenced by a strong slowdown in the decrease in the density of the fermented wort. This is determined visually (if you do not use a hydrometer) by the spontaneous settling of the foam cap.
4. A siphon is used to saturate the drink with gas (carbonation). There is no need for it. After all, carbonation is already a natural conservative. In addition, it adds additional taste to the drink.

You can immediately carbonate 20 liters of drink in one container only if you use a special container, a keg. In other cases, storage is inconvenient and the cider can be ruined. Experienced master brewers (cider makers) use carbonation directly in the container.

Having completed the secondary fermentation, drain the resulting product from the sediment into another container and bottle it. Here you need to decide on the carbonization method.

In fact, it is necessary to add sugar in any form to the bottles. Some cidermakers add granulated sugar, others prefer sucrose or fructose. There are specialists involved in invert syrup.

Regular apple juice is also used - a proportion of 10% of the available fermented product. Prepare the juice in advance and freeze it in the freezer, or buy it at the supermarket. Even if it is not entirely natural, it will have little effect on the taste of the finished drink and will be almost unnoticeable.

It is inconvenient to divide the liquid into bottles, so pour it into a container with fermented wort, previously removed from the sediment, and then pour it into bottles. The cider will carbonate and will be completely ready for consumption after 10-14 days. In general, after two weeks you can already enjoy the wonderful taste of this drink.

It is important to remember that everything that can come into contact with juice, wort and cider must be perfectly clean. To achieve this, disinfect everything with alcohol or vodka.

Simple recipe with dried fruits

This drink has an original taste and a pleasant aroma of spicy dried fruits.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of dried fruits;
• 3 kg sugar;
• 10 liters of water;
• 150 g yeast.

Preparation:

1. Dry apples are filled with five liters of water heated to a temperature of 90 degrees. The wort obtained from soaked and expanded apples is allowed to stand for an hour.
2. Sugar syrup is prepared in a separate container by thoroughly mixing the sugar in the remaining water. The syrup and wort are combined in a large saucepan.
3. Yeast must be introduced into the resulting mixture, cooled to a temperature of 37 degrees.
4. Cider should ferment at room temperature in a container covered with a cloth for a month or until the foam stops releasing.
5. The liquid must be drained and filtered through a paper or gauze filter. After this, the cider is left in a cool room for another month.
6. The drink, which has finally stopped fermentation, can be poured into tightly screwed containers and stored in a cellar or refrigerator for up to two years.

Advice! If the liquid infused with dried fruits does not begin to ferment, you can add a handful of raisins to it, which will speed up this process and give the drink an interesting grape flavor.

Homemade apple cider recipe

The first method of making cider from apples.

1. Picking apples. Take a dry cloth and wipe each fruit. Just don’t wash them, as you can harm the wild yeast that lives on the skin of the apples, and without them there will be no fermentation. Place the apples in a warm place and leave for up to three days.
2. After the allotted time, remove the leaves and stems from the apples, leaving the peel and seeds behind. Then we grind the prepared fruits using a blender or meat grinder. You should get a homogeneous puree.
3. Take hot water, rinse the container in which fermentation is supposed to take place, and wipe thoroughly with a dry cloth. We put the ground apples in it so that the third part of the jar remains empty - foam and carbon dioxide will subsequently be there.
4. Add sugar at the rate of 120 - 150 grams per 1 kg of apples and mix well.
5. Close the neck of the jar and leave the container in a dark, warm place for several days (3 – 4). Stir the product daily, breaking up the layer that has compacted on top. When the container foams, hisses and smells of fermentation, you can begin the next stage.
6. Squeeze out the fermented juice and pour it into another container, which also needs to be washed and wiped dry. After this, we attach a water seal to it.
7. The main thing is to do everything in the correct sequence. Be sure to put the apple cider in a dark place and keep it for 1.5 – 2 months at a temperature of 18 to 27C. Next, you need to expect sediment to appear on the bottom, the glove to fall off, and the color of the drink itself to become lighter.
8. Now the cider needs to be filtered. Using a straw, drain the liquid from the sediment, and then strain it through cheesecloth folded in four.
9. Pour pure cider into bottles and seal tightly. You can use sealing lids for jars.
10. Place the filled containers in a cool place for about three months - let the cider ripen.

In these cases, remove and discard the damaged parts. The apple pieces go through a centrifuge. As you can see from the photo above, the result of centrifuging our apples has an aspect that is closer to a liquid compote than the clear and amber apple juice. We prepare our skimmer by placing it over a container designed to reconstitute filtered apple juice. We cover this skimmer with our piece of used and clean cloth.

The resulting drink has a beautiful honey color, pleasant sweetness and 7-degree strength. This drink is drunk with amazing ease, without causing a hangover in the future. As mentioned above, apple cider at home is a simple recipe, so you can experiment: mix equal proportions of pears and apples and you will get an equally tasty assortment of cider. You can just make a pear drink. Everyone has the same cooking technology.

Then we pour out the juice from the centrifugation of our apples. The centrifuge must be regularly cleaned of centrifugal waste

Carefully clean the centrifuge screen. It clogs up pretty quickly

Centrifugal waste can enter the compost. Pour the centrifuged apple juice gradually into the sheet covering the skimmer. Clear apple juice flows into the container underneath. If the flow becomes too slow, transfer the contents of the cloth to an adjacent container, rinse the cloth thoroughly, and then replace it in the skimmer.

How to make cider with sugar

Many compatriots prefer sweeter cider, so sugar is often used to produce this drink. Let's look at how to make cider at home with added sugar.

To make sweet homemade cider you will need 10 kilograms of apples and 1.5 kilograms of sugar. In some cases, you will have to resort to adding a small amount of water (up to 1 liter). The simplest recipe looks like this:

1. We collect apples. Ideally, apples for cooking should be picked after they have fallen. On their peel live very useful inhabitants - wild yeast, which makes the fermentation process possible. That is why the collected apples should not be washed under any circumstances; the maximum that can be done is to wipe the fruits with a dry rag.
2. Now we need to get applesauce. This can be done using a meat grinder, food processor, or even a regular blender, after removing the leaves and stalks.
3. Next, you should pour the applesauce into thoroughly washed (and equally well dried) containers in which fermentation will take place. At the same time, a third of the volume should be left free - this space is necessary for foam and carbon dioxide.
4. Add sugar. For every kilogram of puree you will need 100-150 grams, the exact amount is determined by taste - the puree should not become cloying.
5. Wrap the neck with gauze and place the container in a dark place. For three to four days, our future cider should be kept in a dark place at room temperature. Every day you need to stir the wort and be sure to submerge the foam in the apple juice.
6. We squeeze out the juice, pour it into a perfectly clean, dry container, in which the fermentation process will take place for 1-2 months. If you have one, install it on the container; if not, a medical glove with a pierced finger will do.
7. Drain the resulting liquid from the residue and filter it through several layers of gauze. Then we bottle it and send it to a cool room for three months.
8. Enjoy the resulting wonderful real cider!

Remember that the recipe for homemade cider can be modified by you personally, feel free to experiment!

Forest apple cider

1. Sort forest apples collected in August, remove spoiled and damaged fruits and allow them to age well.
2. Place some dried apples on the bottom of a prepared barrel with a hole for a sleeve with a diameter of 10-14 cm and fill 3/4 of the volume with fresh ones.
3. Pour cold boiled water over the apples, seal the barrel and place in the cellar for 4-5 weeks to ferment.
4. After draining the finished cider, pour boiled water over the pulp again and repeat throughout the winter, spring and even summer until the apples are soaked.
5. The drained apple cider is stored in the cellar. This cider is stable, but it can be very sour, so before drinking you can add sugar or juice and a little baking soda to it, you get a delicious fizzy drink.

Apple cider recipe with CHKD

A more stable and interesting option is obtained using PYC (pure yeast cultures), which are sold in wine or beer stores. Almost every store has special yeast for cider. Almost all champagne yeasts, white wine yeasts, and light style brewer's yeasts also work well. So, to prepare approximately 27-30 liters of delicious cider we will need:

• 75-100 kg apples
• yeast cultures per 25 liters of wort
• any yeast feed (optional)
• 500 g sugar (optional)

How to make apple cider with CHKD:

1. Wash the apples well, trim off any wormholes and rotten areas. Squeeze out the juice using a juicer or any other device. For such quantities it is better to have a grape press. We need to get about 35 liters of juice, so the number of apples may vary.
2. Pour the juice into the fermentation container, filling it no more than 4/5 of the volume. Dilute the yeast in warm water or apple juice with 2 teaspoons of sugar and leave for 15-20 minutes in a warm place until activated (or according to the instructions on the packet). Add prepared yeast to juice. If desired and possible, add yeast feed from the liquor store to the juice.
3. Install a water seal on the fermentation tank and send it to a dark place at a temperature of 20-27 oC for 5-7 days. At this stage, vigorous fermentation takes place, and apple pulp should collect at the top.
4. Using a hose, drain the wort from the bottom of the container, getting rid of the cake from the top. Rinse the fermentation tank with clean water and return the juice by installing a water seal. Active fermentation with CKD will continue for another 7-10 days (much faster than with wild ones). Don't forget to maintain the optimal temperature for fermentation.
5. When the signs of fermentation disappear, drain the cider from the sediment into a clean, dry container and send it to mature in a cool place for 1-3 months. It is advisable to install a water seal. Once a month you can drain the sediment.

Soft drink for children

Apple drink is liked not only by adults; children will also appreciate it. But with the usual method of preparation, the cider turns out to be alcoholic. In this recipe we will tell you about non-alcoholic cider for children:

• apple juice 3 l;
• orange 1 pc.;
• we use unground spices: star anise (5 pcs.), cinnamon (2 sticks), pepper (10 pcs.), cardamom (5-6 broken boxes), fennel (2 tsp.), cloves (10 pcs.);
• flower honey.

Pour the juice into a saucepan. Cut the orange into small rings, then into quarters and add to the juice. Immediately add the spices.

Place the pan on the fire and cook until it boils. When it boils, let it cook for 10 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for a while (40 minutes). Afterwards, we catch all the fruits and spices, add honey to taste, stir thoroughly until it is completely dissolved and pour into cups.

On a note. Homemade juice makes cider taste better than store-bought cider.

How to drink homemade apple cider

Homemade cider should be drunk at a temperature of 12-14 degrees, without sniffing, savoring for hours, assessing color and other nuances. In general, leave all the ceremony - just enjoy. Cider is also often used as an ingredient in cocktails, especially. Cider is often substituted for champagne in cocktails. If you drink the drink in moderation, you can forget about a hangover. At the same time, if you knocked back a couple of mugs of cider in the pub yesterday, and in the morning you have all the syndromes of illness, then it makes sense to ask the question: what did I really drink?

Finally, a little educational...

Calvados is not the only drink made from cider. In the USA they prepare the so-called “applejack”. This is a traditional American drink, the technology of which comes down to the concentration of cider. At the same time, cider is not only distilled. The traditional technology for making Applejack is called freeze distillation: barrels of cider are left outside throughout the winter, where the water turns into ice and the stronger cider is carefully drained. The process is repeated until the drink reaches 20-30% strength.

In Normandy, fermenting cider is mixed with young Calvados, and in England with labig, an apple distillate (2 parts must and 1 part Calvados, labig), and then aged in oak barrels. This drink is called pommeau de normandie or pommeau bretagne and should be drunk as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to melon and blue cheeses. Pommo strength is about 16-18%.

In most cases, cider is made by fermenting apple juice with wild yeast. But any other juice will do, for example pear juice; the technology does not change. I will tell you how to make cider at home using two proven recipes: from apples and pure juice. Separately, we will consider a natural method of saturating a drink with carbon dioxide.

Cider is regular (“still”) or carbonated apple wine with just a different name, which came to us from France, where it is called “Cidre.” The method for preparing the two drinks is identical.

If the apples are very sour: they literally tighten your cheekbones and sting your tongue, it is advisable to reduce the acidity by diluting the juice with water (up to 100 ml per 1 liter). It should be remembered that adding sugar also reduces the acid content. If the acidity is normal, water is not needed; it worsens the taste of the drink, making it “watery.”

Homemade apple cider

Apples of different varieties can be combined. The ideal ratio is one in which one part of sour apples is mixed with two parts of sweet ones. Pear cider is made using the same technology. If possible, I advise you to prepare an assortment - mix pears and apples in equal proportions.

Ingredients:

• apples – 10 kg;
• sugar – 1.5 kg;
• water (in rare cases) – up to 1 liter.

Recipe

1. Wipe the collected apples with a dry cloth (do not wash them) and place them in a warm room for 2-3 days. Wild yeast lives on the surface of the fruit, which is needed for fermentation; it is important not to wash it off.

2. Remove leaves and tails. Grind the apples, peel and seeds, with a blender or meat grinder until smooth.

3. Rinse the fermentation container with hot water and wipe dry. Fill with crushed apples to a maximum of 2/3 of the volume. For example, if three-liter jars are used, then up to 2.5 kg of apple juice can be placed in each jar. Free space is needed for foam and carbon dioxide.

4. For every kilogram of apples, add 100-150 grams of sugar, depending on the initial sweetness. The wort should be sweet, but not cloying. Mix.

5. Tie the neck of the container with gauze and place it in a dark place at room temperature for 3-4 days. Stir the contents of the jars every day, knocking down the dense top layer and drowning it in the juice. After 8-16 hours, a characteristic smell of fermentation, foam and hissing appears.

6. Squeeze the juice out of the apple juice, which is then poured into a clean, dry container for fermentation. Next, install a water seal on the jar (barrel) or attach a medical glove with a hole in one of the fingers (pierce it with a needle).

Cider under a homemade water seal

Glove instead of water seal

7. Homemade apple cider should ferment in a dark place at a temperature of 18-27°C for approximately 30-65 days. Then sediment will appear at the bottom, the water seal will not release bubbles (the glove will fall off) and the drink will noticeably lighten, which means that fermentation has ended.

If fermentation does not stop after 50 days from the moment the water seal is installed, to avoid bitterness, you need to drain the cider through a straw into another container and leave it to ferment under the same conditions.

8. Drain the fermented cider from the sediment, then pass through 3-4 layers of gauze.

9. Pour the filtered drink into bottles (if you do not plan to saturate with gas, fill to the neck) and close tightly with stoppers. Homemade cider can also be stored in jars with lids.

10. The drink should mature for three months in a cool room (6-12°C). Then you can move on to tasting.

The result is honey-colored cider with a pleasant sweet taste and a strength of 7-12% (depending on the initial sugar content of the apples). It is easy to drink and does not cause a hangover in moderation.

Apple cider made from juice without sugar

A classic recipe used in England and France. It will please lovers of natural drinks, as it is made without sugar.

Cooking technology

1. Leave the squeezed juice for a day in a dark place at room temperature.

2. Remove the juice from the sediment, pour into a fermentation container and install a water seal (medical glove).

3. Place the container for 3-5 weeks in a dark place with a temperature of 20-27°C.

4. After fermentation is complete (the signs are described in step 7 of the previous recipe), pour the cider through a straw into another container, being careful not to touch the sediment at the bottom.

5. If you do not plan to saturate with carbon dioxide, close the container tightly, then keep for 3-4 months in a dark room with a temperature of +6-12°C.

6. Filter again, pour into bottles, and seal tightly. If stored in the refrigerator or basement, the shelf life is up to 3 years. Depending on the sugar content of apples, the strength is 6-10%.

How to make cider carbonated

Preparing cider according to the two above recipes involves obtaining a so-called “still” drink without gas, in fact, ordinary apple wine. To saturate the cider with gas, you need to do the following:

1. After fermentation is complete, remove the homemade cider from the sediment.

2. Prepare bottles (plastic or glass): wash and wipe dry.

3. Add sugar to the bottom of each bottle (10 grams per 1 liter of volume). The sugar will cause a slight re-fermentation, which will release carbon dioxide.

4. Fill the bottles with cider, leaving 5-6 cm of free space from the neck. Seal tightly with stoppers or lids.

5. Transfer the containers to a dark room at room temperature for 10-14 days. Check the gas pressure once a day.

Attention! If the pressure is too high, bottles can burst, so it is very important to vent (release) excess gas in a timely manner if it accumulates.

6. Transfer the sparkling cider to the refrigerator or basement. Before use, refrigerate for 3-4 days.

Apple wine or cider is very common among residents of Great Britain, France, Germany and Normandy. It is prepared both independently and in factories. In Russia, this drink has not gained much popularity, although apple cider has a very simple recipe for making at home. The fruit on which this wine is fermented is very accessible, as it grows in everyone’s garden or vegetable garden.

Cider at home turns out to be very soft, easy to drink and with pleasure. Its strength varies in different countries. It depends on the method of preparation and aging of the base. But in any case, it doesn’t take a lot of money or effort to make apple cider.

The popularity of cider lies in its simple preparation. Apple cider is a low-strength drink made from the natural fermentation of apples, pears or their juice. Most often, sugar is not added to the drink. It is champagne and has a golden honey color, sometimes with a greenish tint. It has a light nectar taste, without a strong hint of alcohol. The drink may not contain alcohol.

Different countries have different percentages of fruit juice in the drink. It cannot be less than 35%, but generally contains from 50 to 90%. Homemade apple cider is made from various types of apples, with the occasional addition of water and sugar to taste. A home-made drink may have a cloudy tint, but the taste does not deteriorate in any way.

The nutritional value

Apple wine is very safe and even beneficial when consumed in moderation. Due to the fact that apples are the main ingredient, cider contains large amounts of vitamin C. This is 4% of the total norm required by an adult body. It contains the most carbohydrates compared to proteins and fats. In addition, cider contains many microelements that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive tract. The calorie content of wine is not high - about 50 kcal per 100 ml.

Despite its beneficial properties, do not forget that cider is an alcoholic drink. In order not to harm health, it is allowed to be consumed only in small quantities. The best option is 1-2 glasses.

How to make homemade cider?

Homemade apple cider begins with the selection and preparation of raw materials. It is important to select good, not rotten fruits. We make good cider only from quality apples. Unripe fruits should not be used. They will make the drink very sour and astringent. Overripe fruits lose their juiciness and are also not suitable for production. To give it a piquant and multifaceted taste, cider is made from several varieties of apples.

Preparing this drink with your own hands is a rather long process. The raw materials are crushed and infused in a closed container for several months. This is the only way the taste will be rich and fully revealed. You can brew cider with or without sugar. In any case, you will have to be patient to wait for complete readiness.

Ingredients

It's not hard to guess what apple cider is made from. It includes:

1. Apples are the main ingredient. To produce a large volume you will need from 5 to 10 kilograms of ranetki or antonovka.
2. Sugar is added in a ratio of 150 grams of sand per 1 kg of fruit. Sweetening the drink is not always necessary. The sweeter the apple variety, the less sugar you will need.
3. Water is added to dilute the apple juice. It is added to taste.
4. Yeast. Most often, recipes do without them, since on the surface of the apple peel there are elements that cause the fermentation process naturally. But sometimes it may be necessary to add yeast to enhance the process.

An integral part of any recipe is only fruit. The remaining ingredients are added in exceptional cases and to taste.

Crushing of raw materials

The fruits used are crushed before preparing the drink to an almost homogeneous mass. For this purpose, a meat grinder or food processor is usually used. With the widespread advent of household appliances, it has become more convenient to use a blender for crushing apples. Regardless of the grinding method, the apples are brought to a homogeneous pulp along with the seeds and peel. From this mass you can make cider.

Cooking process

We make apple cider at home in several stages. First, clean dishes need to be doused with boiling water and dried for sterilization. After that, they are filled with crushed raw materials to 2/3 of the total volume. This space is left for foam and carbon dioxide to form during the fermentation process. It is best to use containers that can be tightly closed after filling with gauze or cloth.

The next step is preparing the wort. The bottles are left for 4 days in a warm, dark place. After this period, foam and characteristic hissing will appear due to gas formation. After infusion, you need to filter the mass through gauze or a sieve to get rid of sediment and pour the juice into a fermentation container. The cider will be infused in this container until it is completely ready. Place a water seal on the fermentation container or wear a medical glove. A small hole is pierced in one of the fingers with a needle. It removes carbon dioxide and prevents oxygen from entering.

The jar, trying not to mix the sediment, is placed in a dark, warm room with a temperature of approximately 20-27 degrees. The mixture will infuse for about 2 months. Readiness is determined by the glove falling off and the color of the liquid changing to a lighter color.

After this, the liquid must be poured into a smaller container. It is best to use half-liter bottles that can be capped. They need to be filled to the very neck and sealed tightly. Leave to ripen for 8-10 weeks. During this time, the taste of the drink will fully develop.

How to make cider carbonated

Still cider is very similar to apple juice or wine. To create gas, you need to keep the cider in a plastic container after fermentation. There should be an empty space a few centimeters high in the bottles. Thanks to this cavity, the gas formed in the drink will be preserved.

Making cider requires creativity. It has its own subtleties and nuances, depending on which each time the drink tastes different. The following tips will help you prepare it:

• After picking, the fruits must lie in a dark place for a while to ripen sufficiently.
• Apples do not need to be thoroughly washed with water before cooking. This way you can remove natural yeast from the skin of the fruit. It is enough to wipe them with a dry cloth.
• To achieve a pleasant taste, it is better to combine sour and sweet varieties of apples. The ideal ratio is 1:2.
• When infusing, you need to ensure that the optimum temperature is maintained.
• It is better to use dark plastic or glass bottles for storage. Darkening the walls of the vessel protects against exposure to ultraviolet rays, which change the taste and quality of the cider.

Popular recipes

There are many ways to make cider at home. The most popular recipe is apple cider. In addition, wine can be made from apple juice or pears. The recipes do not change fundamentally. The drink is produced by fermentation. Any cider can be made at home if you know the step-by-step method for quick preparation.

A simple apple cider recipe

The apple cider recipe does not require additional ingredients or special skills. For 5 liters of drink you will need:

• 10 kilograms of apples,
• 1.5 kilograms of sugar.

Grind the clean fruits. Place the resulting mixture into three-liter jars washed and scalded with boiling water to cover three-quarters of the total volume of the container. Pour about 400 grams of sugar into the container. This takes into account the sweetness of the apple variety. The puree should be quite sweet, not cloying, but not sour. Cover the necks of the jars with a cloth and leave for 4 days, stirring daily.

After this, strain the juice into another container, squeeze out the pulp and seal the liquid with a water seal. In this state, the fermentation process should continue for another 1.5 months. When the drink becomes lighter, filter it and bottle it. Infuse them for another 3 months until they are completely ready.

This is the simplest way to make apple cider at home. This simple recipe is accessible to everyone and results in a very tasty, refreshing drink.

Sugar-free apple juice cider

The process of making cider from apple juice is slightly different from the classic one. It only requires fruit fruits.

You need to squeeze out the fresh juice and let it sit without cooling. Then filter it into a jar and close it with a water seal. In this way it is infused for about 1.5 months. After fermentation, pour the juice into bottles. This must be done carefully so that sediment does not get into the juice. Infuse the mixture until completely ready for about 4 months.

Cider made from sugar-free apple juice will be more sour and fresh than a drink made from sweetened fruits.

Pear cider

This cider has a different taste from apple cider. It is more viscous, with honey and pear notes. To prepare it you need pears and a little sugar.

The fruits are crushed and processed into juice. It is poured into a container and infused, covered with a cloth, for 3 days. After the formation of foam and characteristic hissing, sugar is added to the liquid. The juice is mixed, sealed with a water seal and infused for 20 days.

The last step is pouring the juice into separate bottles. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to each and leave 5 cm of liquid-free space. The bottles are tightly closed, and the cider is infused until the process is complete for about two more weeks.

Non-alcoholic cider

Apple lovers who don't support drinking alcohol can also enjoy this drink. This cider will have a sweet taste with fruity notes and a quick recipe due to the absence of a fermentation process.

For preparation you will need:

• 1 liter of apple juice,
• orange,
• cinnamon sticks,
• small ginger root,
• 2 liters of sparkling water without additives.

Peeled and sliced ​​oranges are placed in a saucepan along with ginger and cinnamon. Pour juice over all ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Filter the resulting liquid and cool. To serve, mix half-and-half boiled juice and sparkling water in a glass.

This drink can be consumed in large quantities. Due to the absence of alcohol, it will not harm your health.

How to drink cider correctly

Cider is poured into wine or any tall glasses. Before serving, it is recommended to cool it for two days in the refrigerator or a special cellar. Drink apple wine slowly, enjoying every sip. Snacks for cider are the same as for champagne: cheeses, seafood, light desserts and fruits. To feel all the notes of taste, it is better not to snack on cider.

Beneficial properties and harm of apple cider

Each drink has positive and negative effects. Cider is almost 100% fruit. They contain many vitamins and other substances that have a beneficial effect on immunity and digestion. Since apples are not thermally processed, all their beneficial properties are transferred to the drink. The main thing to remember is that traditional cider contains alcohol. Abuse not only cancels all the positive properties, but can also worsen your health.

Having all the ingredients at home, it is best to prepare this aromatic drink yourself rather than buying bottles with unknown contents at the store. Factory-made cider cannot be compared with home-made cider made on your own.

From apples you can not only make jam, marmalade, compotes, jelly and marmalade, but also prepare aromatic apple wine, which the French call cider. In fact, the best ciders are produced in France - greenish-golden, with the aroma of apples, strength up to 8 degrees, with varying degrees of sweetness. is a low-alcohol and slightly carbonated apple juice, unusually fragrant and tasty, ideal for the holiday table. Interestingly, in America, cider is a type of apple juice. Make apple cider at home and invite friends over for a tasting! Everyone loves the refined and delicate taste of homemade apple wine, in which you can feel honey notes, and playing bubbles in a glass with ice cubes create a good mood and a cozy atmosphere. If you are preparing wine for the first time, choose the simplest recipe and only then master more complex cooking methods. So let's get started!

Choosing apples for cider

The classic recipe recommends using any of 50 varieties of apples that are ideal for cider, including varieties such as Antonovka, Melba, Foxville, Steyr, and Yantarka Altai. Typically, these varieties contain a high concentration of tannins, which give the drink a unique flavor. To make apple wine at home, take any varieties available in your area, the main thing is that they taste good.

Never use underripe or overripe apples - green fruits are too sour, and very ripe apples have lost their juiciness and contain too much pectin. Late and winter varieties of apples, which contain a lot of tannins and sugars, are excellent for cider. In this case, apple wine will turn out to be very aromatic, healthy and tasty.

Initial preparation of apples

Carefully inspect the apples, set aside rotten and damaged fruits. Apples should be very juicy, moderately soft and ripe. Use apples of several varieties (sweet, sour, tart, bitter) for piquancy and versatility of taste. If you take fruits of one variety, it will lose its flavor.

It is not recommended to wash apples before preparing the drink - just wipe them with a dry cloth. The fact is that it is on the surface of the peel that wild yeast lives, which is necessary for the natural fermentation of cider. Keep the apples for three days in a dry and dark place to allow them to mature, and then remove the leaves and stems. The fruits are ready for further heat treatment!

A simple recipe for apple cider at home

Try preparing apple wine according to our recommendations, and after a while you will enjoy a delicious drink, moderately sweet and moderately strong.

1. Grind the apples in a meat grinder or in a blender to a homogeneous pulp along with the peel and seeds, pour boiling water over the jars, dry and fill with applesauce to ⅔ of the volume - after all, you need to leave room for carbon dioxide and foam. Add sugar to the mass (150 g of sand per 1 kg of fruit) and start preparing the wort.

2. Wrap the necks of the jars with cotton cloth or gauze, folded several times, and leave to ferment for four days in a warm place, remembering to stir the apple mass once a day. By the end of the fourth day, the apples will ferment - a characteristic smell of yeast, abundant foam and a promising hiss will appear.

3. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and pour the resulting juice into a separate dry jar, put a water seal or medical glove on top and leave the jar alone for 45-70 days in a dark place. The water seal removes carbon dioxide and prevents oxygen from entering the jar, which often leads to spoilage of the wort. As soon as the liquid becomes lighter, air bubbles will no longer form in the jar, and you will see sediment at the bottom, the cider is almost ready.

4. All you have to do is strain the drink, pour it into bottles, seal it tightly, and then put it in a dark place to ripen. It is advisable to fill the container to the very neck, as oxygen can turn the cider into vinegar. At the same time, the temperature in the room where the cider is located should not be higher than 10-12°C, and the settling period should be about three months - this is exactly the time required for the formation of taste. Properly made cider can last two to three years in the refrigerator.

You can make cider not from apples, but from fresh apple juice. The selection and preparation of fruits are carried out using standard technology, and then the liquid is placed in jars under a water seal for 3-4 weeks. After filtration, the cider is poured into jars, tightly closed and infused for another 4 months. And as a finishing touch, pour the cider into bottles and move it to the refrigerator, basement or cellar.

What you didn't know about cider

Now you know how to make cider - a light golden drink with an apple and honey taste that does not cause a hangover. It is sometimes prepared without sugar, and apples are mixed with pears, quinces, cherries, lingonberries, currants, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and other fruits. You can flavor the drink with spices - cinnamon and cloves; do not use yeast, but cook apple juice with honey, citrus fruits, and ginger. Then you will get not a strong cider, but a sweet one, the preparation process of which does not involve fermentation.

How to drink cider correctly

Apple wine should be drunk cool, enjoying every sip. However, you should fill the glass with the drink correctly - gourmets advise pouring the cider so that its stream breaks against the walls of the glass. While the stream flies in the air, the wine is saturated with oxygen and the drink begins to foam, which contributes to the maximum development of the flavor bouquet. Since the foam does not last long, drink the cider as soon as possible to experience its unique taste with fresh apple notes and the aroma of summer...

If you learn how to prepare cider according to different recipes, you will not have problems with drinks, since apple wine perfectly replaces champagne at family parties and, in its non-alcoholic version, is served at the children's table. Enjoy the juiciness of fruit in your glass all year round!

Non-alcoholic cider: recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of natural apple juice
• 1 orange, peeled
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• 1 finger-length ginger root, chopped
• 2 liters sparkling or soda water
• ice cubes

Preparation:

1. Combine apple juice with orange slices, cinnamon and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Pass through a strainer to remove excess spices.
5. Fill a tall glass with ice, add half a glass of sparkling water and add a quarter of the cooled mixture.
6. Garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.

Color: Golden.
Aroma: Apple, floral and fruity.
Taste: Fresh, light, invigorating, sweet and sour. Apple, fruity.
Aftertaste: Long lasting, refreshing.

Apple Sin Alco is a non-alcoholic cider from the Spanish cidery Envasados ​​Eva, founded almost a century ago. The mission of the cidery is to create only natural drinks from local fruits with traditional taste and aroma. The juicy apples for Apple Sin Alco ripen under the hot southern sun of Navarre, they are lovingly selected and transformed into one of Spain's favorite drinks.

• Country of Origin	SPAIN
  Manufacturer	ENVASADOS EVA S.A.
  Style	Cider
  Brand	The Good Cider of San Sebastian
  Amount in a package	24
  Variety	Sweet carbonated
  Compound	Cider, apple juice
  Fortress	0.001
  Volume	0.33

• The Good Cider, cidery

  The Good Cider cidery is located in a region with rich traditions and history - in the Basque Country, on the shores of the Bay of Biscay, in the city of San Sebastian, which in Basque sounds “Donostia”. The first documentary mentions of cider in these places date back to the 11th century, when fishermen took cider with them instead of water when fishing.

  The Good Cider is a hundred-year-old enterprise that has been run by the Soroa family for several generations. This is not a figure of speech, because in 2018 the cidery turns exactly 100 years old.

  The fruits of specially selected local varieties are grown in our own gardens. Apple juice is used exclusively natural, without any preservatives or other chemical additives. Also, juice reconstituted from concentrates is not used.

  The cidery can be proud of its achievements; the drinks created here are in demand in many countries around the world.

• Cider

  Cider is a fruity, low-alcohol drink made primarily from apples or, less commonly, pears. There are a large number of all kinds of legends and ancient tales about cider in the world, but there is still no exact information about its deposits. It is known that cider is an ancient drink; it was mentioned by the ancient Roman writer Guy Pliny. One thing is certain: cider is truly a national drink, loved and appreciated on all continents.

  Depending on the varieties of fruit used, ciders are divided into traditional, semi-dry, dry, semi-sweet and sweet. The manufacturing process uses natural fermentation, but yeast can be added. Strength from 1 to 8%.

  Color ranges from light golden to rich honey, as well as greenish and dark amber. The aroma comes from the fruits used. The taste is subtle, delicate, light, fresh, invigorating, maybe a little tart, with sourness. It is recommended to drink cider chilled. Natural sediment is allowed at the bottom of the bottle. Sometimes cider is additionally carbonated for sparkling effect. High-quality cider should not contain dyes, artificial additives or flavors.