Apricot cider at home. Preparation of fruit and berry low-alcohol carbonated drinks

Basically, the process of making cider involves the fermentation of juice from apples. Yeast is not added. Apples can be replaced with other fruits, for example, pears - the taste will not deteriorate. Now we will look at how apple cider is made at home. The recipes are simple, affordable and proven many times. Of the ingredients we need only ripe apples and a little sugar (you can without it).

Read also: how to make apple wine

So, cider - what kind of drink is it? This is apple wine that came to us from the French. The only difference is in the name, but technological features both drinks are similar. You know about the method of making cider from ready-made juice from the last article, now we will prepare cider from apples. The process is easier and the quality level is still high.

Apple cider at home easy recipe

To prepare apple cider at home, you need to stock up:
- 10 kilograms of apples;
- 1.5 kilograms of sugar;
- capacity in which fermentation will be carried out (3 - x - liter jar fit);
- a water seal, for example, a medical glove.

Cider makers use special apple varieties that contain high level tannin. For us, varieties collected from their plots are suitable. They can be combined with each other. The most ideal combination is sour apples(1 part) and sweet (2 parts). The recipe for apple cider at home will be to the taste of every lover of this wonderful drink.

homemade apple cider recipe

The first way to make cider from apples.

1. We collect apples. We take a dry rag and wipe each fruit. Just do not wash them, as you can harm wild yeast living on the skin of apples, and without them there will be no fermentation. We put the apples in a warm place and leave for up to three days.
2. Through due time We free the apples from leaves and ponytails, and leave the peel and bones. Then we grind the prepared fruits with a blender or meat grinder. You should get a smooth puree.
3. We take hot water, rinse the container in which fermentation is supposed to be, and wipe thoroughly with a dry cloth. We put the ground apples into it so that the third part of the jar remains unfilled - there will subsequently be foam and carbon dioxide.
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). We mix the product daily, breaking the layer that has compacted from above. When it foams in the container, hisses and smells of fermentation, you can begin the next stage.
6. Squeeze out the fermented juice and pour it into another bowl, which also needs to be washed and wiped dry. After that, we attach a water seal to it.
7. The main thing is to do everything in 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 the appearance of sediment on the bottom, the fall of the glove and more. light color the drink itself.
8. Now the cider needs to be filtered. Using a straw, drain the liquid from the sediment, and then strain it through cheesecloth, folded four times.
9. Bottle clean cider and seal tightly. For jars, you can use seaming lids.
10. Put the filled containers in a cool place for about three months - let the cider ripen.

The resulting drink has a beautiful honey color, pleasant sweetness and a 7-degree fortress. This drink is drunk with surprising ease, without causing further hangover syndrome. As mentioned above, homemade apple cider is an easy recipe, so you can experiment: mix equal proportions pears and apples and get at least delicious platter- cider. You can make just a pear drink. Everyone has the same cooking technology.


Making cider from apple juice without sugar

This recipe is used by the British and French. Those who love natural drinks, rejoice classic recipe, since there is no sugar, much less yeast, here.

Cooking process:
1. Squeeze out Apple juice and put it in a dark place for a day. Temperature - room temperature.
2. Remove the sedimentary juice, pour it into a bottle with a medical glove.
3. Let it stand for about a month in the dark at an air temperature of up to 270C.
4. Carefully, without touching the bottom sediment, pour the cider into another bottle using a straw.
5. Close well and cool the room. Let stand up to four months.
6. Then strain again, bottle and close with tight lids. Store from six months to nine months. Storage space can be both a refrigerator and a cellar. The sweeter the apples, the stronger the cider will be - from three to eight degrees.

Making apple cider at home is so simple that even a novice amateur can handle it. All recipes are proven, so you can safely proceed to own production unique drink.

Cider is refreshing weakly alcoholic drink which can be easily prepared at home. Most often it is made from apples, but sometimes pears, quinces or other fresh fruits are used.

Origin of the drink

For many centuries, the British, French and Spaniards have been arguing about which of them guessed to be the first to cook. delicious drink. There are many legends associated with the origin of cider. So, someone believes that he appeared thanks to Charlemagne, who once sat down on a bag of rotten apples. Others claim that the drink was discovered by sailors who noticed that fermented fruit juice brings a lot of joy and fun.

But the first mention of a drink made from fermented apple juice is found in the ancient Roman writer Pliny. The heyday of cider popularity came in the 8th-9th centuries, when Europeans became interested in creating apple orchards. It was during this period that the classical production scheme appeared, which has survived to this day almost unchanged.

Traditional cider is a drink that is made from a special variety of apples without the addition of yeast or pasteurization. To taste, it resembles fermented apple juice, and it also does not have an unnatural sweetness due to the absence of sugar in the composition.

Apple cider. Recipe at home

Unfortunately, in our country it is almost impossible to find apples that are used to make classic cider. Therefore, experts recommend using the most acidic and tasteless fruits. They do not need to be bought in a store or collected in own garden. It will be better if you use ripe apples growing in the park or in the forest. It is believed that the worse the taste of the fruit, the tastier the future drink will turn out. Next, we will offer you a simple cider recipe that you can easily implement at home.

So, using a juicer, prepare apple juice and pour it into a jar. Install a water seal or use a medical glove (do not forget to make a hole on one of the fingers). After that, you need to send the dishes to a dark and cool place. The room temperature should be around 20 degrees.

After a month, use a hose to drain the resulting liquid without touching the sediment. Close the jar with a lid and send it to storage. This time the ambient temperature should not be higher than 10 degrees. When three or four months have passed, the cider can be bottled, the container sealed and placed in the refrigerator. Here the drink can be safely stored for three whole years.

Homemade apple cider

With this recipe, you can prepare a delicious alcoholic drink much faster. For him, you will need ripe apples of green, red and yellow. Usually fruits are not recommended to be washed, but if they are very dirty, be sure to rinse them under running water.

Cut the fruit into quarters, remove the core and grind the pulp in a food processor. Transfer the resulting pieces to three-liter jars(dishes should be one-third full). If desired, you can add a little sugar (up to 100 grams) and a handful of raisins at this point. If you come across hard apples, then pour one liter of spring or any other natural water into each jar.

Put rubber gloves on the necks, which will later serve as an indicator of fermentation. Don't forget to make small holes in them to allow carbon dioxide to escape.

The blanks must be put in heat (from 22 to 30 degrees) for five or seven days. You can use a heater if you wish, but be sure to monitor the temperature with a thermometer.

When the glove is inflated, strain the contents of the jars with cheesecloth. Chopped apples should be squeezed and discarded. Pour the liquid into clean jars and send the blanks to the refrigerator for three or four days. During this period, sediment should collect at the bottom. Using a hose, pour the cider into bottles, being careful not to touch the sediment. Be sure to fill new dishes to the very neck, otherwise the drink will oxidize and spoil.

Apple cider keeps well in the refrigerator for a whole year. Serve it chilled. The drink goes well with meat, seafood and cheeses.

How to drink cider

It is not customary to savor an apple drink or inhale its aroma in a special way. But if you have prepared cider according to the classic recipe, then try to use it according to all the rules.

First, take the bottle in your hand and raise it above your head. Pour the liquid into the glass so that it breaks against the walls and flies in different directions. So you can release the accumulated carbon dioxide and reveal the taste of the drink to the fullest.

Second, drink the cider quickly while it froths. It will be better if you fill a third or a quarter of the glass at a time. Thirdly, serve the drink chilled to 12-14 degrees. This temperature allows you to show all the advantages of cider and emphasize its aromatic qualities.

An interesting tradition is preserved in some regions of France and Spain. It is customary to pour cider into six glasses at once. If you are planning to taste a drink in the company of friends, then you can easily follow this rule.

Cider with rum and spices

This light drink with a pleasant aroma is not prepared according to the classic recipe. However, the excellent taste of this cider deserves attention.

Ingredients:

  • apple juice - one liter;
  • ground nutmeg- half a teaspoon;
  • rum - 60 ml;
  • cinnamon - 20 grams.

How to make delicious cider at home? We will describe a simple recipe for an apple drink in detail below.

Pour the juice into a saucepan and place it over medium heat. When the liquid boils, pour in the grated nutmeg, pour in the rum and put the cinnamon. Turn down the heat and simmer the drink for ten minutes. Serve it hot.

Pear and apple cider

A wonderful carbonated drink with a pleasant fruity-honey taste. For it you will need the following products:

  • sweet pears - ten kilograms;
  • sweet and sour apples - ten kilograms;
  • sugar - 500 grams (you can do without it);
  • wine yeast(if you use washed apples) - two teaspoons.

We will prepare apple-pear cider like this.

Peel the fruits from seeds, scroll the pulp through a meat grinder and squeeze the juice from the resulting puree. Pour liquid into glass jar, cover it with gauze and leave it alone for a day. If you are using processed fruit, add yeast or some unwashed grapes to it.

When fermentation begins (bubbles appear on the surface), remove the cloth and install a water seal. Leave the workpiece at room temperature for one or two weeks. If desired, you can add sugar and leave the juice to ferment for a few more days.

Without disturbing the sediment, pour the cider into bottles. Do not forget to pour sugar into the dishes in advance. For one liter you will need a tablespoon of the product. Leave the drink at room temperature for another two weeks. During this time, it will be saturated with carbon dioxide and become carbonated. After that, the cider can be sent to storage in the pantry or cellar.

Soft drink

Cider is a light carbonated wine pleasant taste. But if for some reason you do not drink alcohol, you can prepare a drink according to our recipe. This time you will need the following products:

  • one liter of natural apple juice;
  • one peeled orange;
  • five cinnamon sticks;
  • finely chopped piece of ginger root;
  • two liters of sparkling water.

To make non-alcoholic apple cider, read the following recipe.

Pour juice into a saucepan, put orange slices, add spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer it over low heat for half an hour. Strain fragrant juice through a strainer and remove the spices. Fill the bottom of tall glasses with ice, then pour mineral water(fill half the volume) and the cooled mixture. Garnish the cocktail with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.

cider drink

cold winter evenings It is customary to warm up with hot mulled wine. But we invite you to change traditions and try the original hot cocktail.

Dice a quarter of a peeled orange and two apple slices. Clean the ginger slice and cut into slices. Pour the mixture into a tall beer glass and season with black pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Pour in the apple cider and then microwave the drink. Warm it up for five or seven minutes. Ideally, the liquid should heat up to 80 degrees.

Drink cider slowly, in small sips. As an appetizer, you can serve toast or sandwiches with your favorite toppings.

Conclusion

Cider is a very easy drink to make. Be sure to try our recipes. You make sure that Home wine has excellent taste and pleasant aroma. When you master traditional way cooking, try changing the recipe. Experiment with ingredients and spices. Use honey, citrus and ginger. As a result, every time you will delight friends and acquaintances with new original tastes.

Manufacturing technology low alcohol drink from apples has been known for several centuries. Real cider is made without the addition of yeast and without pasteurization of the finished product.

Preparatory stage

If you are seriously interested in how to make cider, then you need to decide what you will need in the process of making it. First you need to choose apples. For these purposes, sweet and sour varieties of these fruits are best suited. Also, to prepare the drink, you will need sugar, water and a container for fermentation. The composition of additional products depends on the recipe that you choose to cook. In addition to the above, you will need a regular medical rubber glove or special cover.

Before you figure out how to make cider at home, you need to prepare the apples. Rinse them with water, remove the core with seeds and grind on a grater, in a food processor or with a knife. Apples do not need to be peeled, nor should they be doused with boiling water or used to peel them. detergents. The peel of these fruits contains yeast that promotes fermentation.

Preparing a drink in a standard way

One of the most common apple cider recipes is the following. It is necessary to prepare the fruit in the manner described above and fill the washed and sterilized glass container with them approximately 1/3. Also, sugar must be added there at the rate of 100 grams per liter of apple mass or, as it is also called, pulp. You can also add some raisins to the bowl.

If it seems to you that the apples are not juicy, then water should be added to the pulp container at a ratio of 1: 1. Now a regular medical rubber glove is put on the neck of the jar. From it you can judge how the fermentation process is going. In addition, it is needed to block the access of oxygen, otherwise the pulp may simply turn sour. Now the container must be placed in a dark place where the round-the-clock temperature is maintained at 21-30 degrees Celsius. She should stay there for about a week. We can assume that the production of cider at home was successful if after the specified time you see an inflated glove on the can. It's time to remove it and strain the resulting drink into a jar.

But that is not all. Now the filtered liquid must be put in the refrigerator and wait for the formation of a precipitate. After that, it remains only to drain clean cider without grounds with a hose, bottle it and cork it tightly.

Correct Method

Those who want to learn how to make classic cider will have to find ripe wild apples. From them it will be necessary to squeeze pure juice. It is the basis for the preparation of a classic low-alcohol drink. Juice is poured into a glass container so that it fills it 2/3. The used jar is closed with a special lid - a water seal. When it is used, air does not enter the container, but carbon dioxide can escape from it.

The jar must be placed for at least three weeks in a dark place where the temperature will be at the level of 22 degrees. After that, it is necessary to drain the clean liquid through the hose so that the sediment remains in the container. This fermented juice must be poured into jars, covered with a lid and stored for 3-4 months at a temperature of 10 degrees. Only after all these steps have been completed, the cider from the juice will be ready, it can be bottled, tightly closed and stored in the refrigerator for up to three years.

Note that it does not use sugar, raisins or yeast. Such a product is considered natural.

old recipe

But this is not all the ways to make cider. To make a drink according to the old method, you will need a canvas bag and wooden barrel. If necessary, the barrel can be replaced with a large enamel saucepan. Washed and peeled apples are poured into a bag, which is placed in a prepared container. After that, you can start preparing the syrup. It is made from 6 liters of water and 1.6 kg of sugar (if desired, honey can be used instead), this amount is needed for 8 kg of fruit. From above, apples are covered with a lid - it can be either solid wood or mesh. Oppression is set on it - so that the apples cannot float up.

After completing these steps, the container is placed in a dark place for fermentation.

When the process is over, the liquid is drained into a clean container using a flexible hose. With the same apple pulp, these steps can be repeated several times. That is, you again need to prepare the syrup and pour the fruit over it, and after a month drain the clean liquid. The drinks obtained from several approaches are mixed and settled in a cold place for at least six months. Only after this low-alcohol wine cider is considered ready.

Recipe with yeast

Many believe that the use of additional components will help speed up the process of making a drink. But it is not always the case. It will take more than six months to make cider with yeast. It is done in the following way.

Apples are finely cut, put in a jar and filled with water so that they are completely covered. This container is placed in a warm place for fermentation for about two weeks, during the process the liquid must be stirred regularly. After a specified period, the resulting juice is filtered and slightly heated.

Now you need to add sugar and yeast. The main thing is to keep the proportions. So, 25 grams of yeast and 5 cups of sugar are mixed with 4.5 liters of fermented juice. Now you need to put it in a container and cover with a lid. As soon as the liquid begins to ferment, it must be poured into a barrel, after the end of the process it is clogged and stays that way for about six months. Only after 6 months homemade apple cider will be ready, it can be bottled.

Quick Recipe

Another option for making a low-alcohol champagne drink is the following.

For it, you will need 8 kg of apples, 2 kg of sugar, 10 liters of water and the zest of two lemons. Note that with these ingredients you can make cider in just a week.

homemade recipe with accelerated technology looks like this. Small apples are selected, they are peeled and cut in half. The fruits prepared in this way are put into a container, covered with sugar and poured with water with the addition of lemon zest. The container is covered with gauze, previously folded in several layers, and placed in a warm place. After a week, the drink can be filtered and bottled, this will already be cider. Home fast track preparation, of course, does not coincide with the technology for making this drink established by specialists without the addition of sugar and other components, but you can drink it in a week.

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

For its preparation, it is necessary to add 100 grams of sugar, wine yeast or a special sourdough 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 into half a glass. warm water and sprinkle with a spoonful of sugar. The container is closed and placed in a warm place for three days. In addition, every day it must be shaken.

Juice mixed with sourdough 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 is over, but this is not yet cider. The homemade recipe for making this drink requires that the liquid be carefully drained without sediment. After that, you need to wash the container, pour the base of the future wine into it again and put it in a cold place for three months. After this period, the cider can already be poured.

Dried fruit drink

If you are on fire with the preparation of this drink in the midst of winter, then you should not be upset and wait for a new harvest of apples. For a drink, you can buy inexpensive fresh apples that are on sale all year round, and dried fruits. Cider is made from these components as follows. A layer is placed in a jar or barrel dried apples, and on top of them - prepared, chopped large pieces fresh. The fruit should fill about half of the container you are planning to make the cider in. A homemade recipe for making a drink from these components is that they must be poured with boiled cooled water and corked for about three weeks, leaving in a dark place for successful fermentation. After the specified period, the cider can already be drained. The basis for this drink can be filled with water and infused at least three more times. But be warned, you'll get enough sour drink. It can be sweetened before use.

drinking culture

Having figured out how cider is made, it would be nice to also figure out how it should be consumed. It is believed that a dry drink is ideal for various seafood, such as shrimp, oysters. It can also be successfully combined with various cheeses, low-fat kebabs and vegetables. But sweet varieties are better to drink with desserts. This cider is suitable for pastries, yogurt cakes, sweets, chocolate, mascarpone.

This drink has many benefits. It does not contain any chemical additives, in addition, it is not only a source of vitamins B 6, B 1, C, but also iron, calcium, potassium, pectin. It is also said that cider is able to normalize blood pressure and positively affect the functioning of the stomach and intestines. But do not forget that in the process of fermentation an alcoholic drink is obtained, so you should not abuse it.

The technology for making a low-alcohol drink from apples has been known for several centuries. Real cider is made without the addition of yeast and without pasteurization of the finished product.

Preparatory stage

If you are seriously interested in how to make cider, then you need to decide what you will need in the process of making it. First you need to choose apples. For these purposes, sweet and sour varieties of these fruits are best suited. Also, to prepare the drink, you will need sugar, water and a container for fermentation. The composition of additional products depends on the recipe that you choose to cook. In addition to the above, you will need a regular medical rubber glove or a special cover.

Before you figure out how to make cider at home, you need to prepare the apples. Rinse them with water, remove the core with seeds and grind on a grater, in a food processor or with a knife. Apples do not need to be peeled, and do not pour boiling water over them or use detergents to clean them. The peel of these fruits contains yeast that promotes fermentation.

Preparing a drink in a standard way

One of the most common apple cider recipes is the following. It is necessary to prepare the fruit in the manner described above and fill the washed and sterilized glass container with them approximately 1/3. Also, sugar must be added there at the rate of 100 grams per liter of apple mass or, as it is also called, pulp. You can also add some raisins to the bowl.

If it seems to you that the apples are not juicy, then water should be added to the pulp container at a ratio of 1: 1. Now a regular medical rubber glove is put on the neck of the jar. From it you can judge how the fermentation process is going. In addition, it is needed to block the access of oxygen, otherwise the pulp may simply turn sour. Now the container must be placed in a dark place where the round-the-clock temperature is maintained at 21-30 degrees Celsius. She should stay there for about a week. We can assume that the production of cider at home was successful if after the specified time you see an inflated glove on the can. It's time to remove it and strain the resulting drink into a jar.

But that is not all. Now the filtered liquid must be put in the refrigerator and wait for the formation of a precipitate. After that, it remains only to drain clean cider without grounds with a hose, bottle it and cork it tightly.

Correct Method

Those who want to learn how to make classic cider will have to find ripe wild apples. From them it will be necessary to squeeze pure juice. It is the basis for the preparation of a classic low-alcohol drink. Juice is poured into a glass container so that it fills it 2/3. The used jar is closed with a special lid - a water seal. When it is used, air does not enter the container, but carbon dioxide can escape from it.

The jar must be placed for at least three weeks in a dark place where the temperature will be at the level of 22 degrees. After that, it is necessary to drain the clean liquid through the hose so that the sediment remains in the container. This fermented juice must be poured into jars, covered with a lid and stored for 3-4 months at a temperature of 10 degrees. Only after all these steps have been completed, the cider from the juice will be ready, it can be bottled, tightly closed and stored in the refrigerator for up to three years.

Note that it does not use sugar, raisins or yeast. Such a product is considered natural.

old recipe

But this is not all the ways to make cider. To make a drink according to the old method, you will need a canvas bag and a wooden barrel. If necessary, the barrel can be replaced with a large enamel pan. Washed and peeled apples are poured into a bag, which is placed in a prepared container. After that, you can start preparing the syrup. It is made from 6 liters of water and 1.6 kg of sugar (if desired, honey can be used instead), this amount is needed for 8 kg of fruit. From above, apples are covered with a lid - it can be either solid wood or mesh. Oppression is set on it - so that the apples cannot float up.

After completing these steps, the container is placed in a dark place for fermentation.

When the process is over, the liquid is drained into a clean container using a flexible hose. With the same apple pulp, these steps can be repeated several times. That is, you again need to prepare the syrup and pour the fruit over it, and after a month drain the clean liquid. The drinks obtained from several approaches are mixed and settled in a cold place for at least six months. Only after this low-alcohol wine cider is considered ready.

Recipe with yeast

Many believe that the use of additional components will help speed up the process of making a drink. But it is not always the case. It will take more than six months to make cider with yeast. It is done in the following way.

Apples are finely cut, put in a jar and filled with water so that they are completely covered. This container is placed in a warm place for fermentation for about two weeks, during the process the liquid must be stirred regularly. After a specified period, the resulting juice is filtered and slightly heated.

Now you need to add sugar and yeast. The main thing is to keep the proportions. So, 25 grams of yeast and 5 cups of sugar are mixed with 4.5 liters of fermented juice. Now you need to put it in a container and cover with a lid. As soon as the liquid begins to ferment, it must be poured into a barrel, after the end of the process it is clogged and stays that way for about six months. Only after 6 months homemade apple cider will be ready, it can be bottled.

Quick Recipe

Another option for making a low-alcohol champagne drink is the following.

For it, you will need 8 kg of apples, 2 kg of sugar, 10 liters of water and the zest of two lemons. Note that with these ingredients you can make cider in just a week.

A homemade recipe with accelerated technology looks like this. Small apples are selected, they are peeled and cut in half. The fruits prepared in this way are put into a container, covered with sugar and poured with water with the addition of lemon zest. The container is covered with gauze, previously folded in several layers, and placed in a warm place. After a week, the drink can be filtered and bottled, this will already be cider. The home accelerated method of preparation, of course, does not coincide with the technology for making this drink without the addition of sugar and other components, established by specialists, but you can drink it in a week.

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

For its preparation, it is necessary to add 100 grams of sugar, wine yeast or a special sourdough 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 spoonful of sugar. The container is closed and placed in a warm place for three days. In addition, every day it must be shaken.

Juice mixed with sourdough 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 is over, but this is not yet cider. The homemade recipe for making this drink requires that the liquid be carefully drained without sediment. After that, you need to wash the container, pour the base of the future wine into it again and put it in a cold place for three months. After this period, the cider can already be poured.

Dried fruit drink

If you are on fire with the preparation of this drink in the midst of winter, then you should not be upset and wait for a new harvest of apples. For a 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 - prepared fresh ones cut into large pieces. The fruit should fill about half of the container you are planning to make the cider in. A homemade recipe for making a drink from these components is that they must be poured with boiled cooled water and corked for about three weeks, leaving in a dark place for successful fermentation. After the specified period, the cider can already be drained. The basis for this drink can be filled with water and infused at least three more times. But be warned, you'll end up with a fairly sour drink. It can be sweetened before use.

drinking culture

Having figured out how cider is made, it would be nice to also figure out how it should be consumed. It is believed that a dry drink is ideal for various seafood, such as shrimp, oysters. It can also be successfully combined with various cheeses, low-fat kebabs and vegetables. But sweet varieties are better to drink with desserts. This cider is suitable for pastries, yogurt cakes, sweets, chocolate, mascarpone.

This drink has many benefits. It does not contain any chemical additives, in addition, it is not only a source of vitamins B 6, B 1, C, but also iron, calcium, potassium, pectin. It is also said that cider is able to normalize blood pressure and positively affect the functioning of the stomach and intestines. But do not forget that in the process of fermentation an alcoholic drink is obtained, so you should not abuse it.

For many in our country, cider is associated with the Wolf - a hooligan from the favorite Soviet cartoon "Just you wait." It is not known why the animators decided to use this particular noble drink, but the difficult to open bottle and the carbonation of its contents were remembered by both children and adults. In fact, cider dates back to the time of the Roman Empire and has always been exclusively a festive table drink.

In medieval France, cider was more popular than wine, and in the northern provinces of Brittany and Normandy continues to maintain its position to this day. The drink is valued and respected in Germany, Spain, England. Nothing prevents us from joining the European culture and making apple cider at home. The harm from such a product is minimal, but the benefits far exceed industrial designs.

General technological principles

Cider is usually understood as an alcoholic drink made from apples, carbonated and sweetish in taste. This traditional recipe cider, 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 non-carbonated (quiet) cider and even non-alcoholic. Here are the main stages of home winemaking using apple cider as an example.

Fruit preparation

To understand how to make apple cider really tasty, let's deal with the composition. industrial production cider uses specially bred "cider" varieties of apples, for example, Yarlington Mill, Black Kingston, Bitter Tremlet. They contain a sufficient amount of tannins and acids, creating a rich natural taste of natural cider.

To achieve the same effect from orchard apples, different varieties are mixed. 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 poured with juice must be carefully sorted out from leaves and cuttings. To keep natural yeast on the surface of the peel, it is not necessary to wash the apples. Unless they are store bought. Particularly soiled can be wiped with a cloth. The benefits of using a natural yeast culture far outweigh possible harm from the remaining dirt.

Now the apples need to be chopped. At home, this is done using a food processor, blender, meat grinder, chaff, crusher and any other handy 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. cider from shop juice cooking is not recommended. Pasteurization used in factories does not leave strains of microorganisms necessary for fermentation. Baker's, dry and even wine yeast are not able to become a full-fledged replacement. They give a specific beer smell that hides the fruity aroma.

Compilation of must. Universal Recipe

Three ingredients are commonly used to make must: apple juice, water, and sugar. Water is needed to neutralize the excess acidity of 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 apples.

For 10 liters of wort you will need:

Active and silent 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 among the people: 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 with their manufacture.

The behavior of the water seal is one of the readiness indicators 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 mash from sweet became bitter.
  • The characteristic sour smell is gone.
  • Gas evolution and foaming have stopped: the water seal hose does not let bubbles into the water, and the glove has deflated and fallen off.

simple recipe

This apple cider recipe is suitable for making a rich fragrant drink strength of at least 12 degrees. Here, fermentation of juice with pomace, characteristic of wine production, is used. This allows you to increase the secretion of juice.

Cooking method:

  1. We put the crushed apples together with juice, oilcake and pulp in a container suitable for fermentation. We fill no more than 3/4, leaving room for bubbling and foaming.
  2. We cover the container with a dense breathable cloth or multilayer gauze and put it in a warm place away from direct sunlight.
  3. Within 3-4 days, periodically shake the container and knock down the hat that appears on the surface. About the beginning of active fermentation, we will be informed by a characteristic sour smell, the formation of gas and the appearance of foam.
  4. The fermented cake is carefully squeezed through a sieve, cheesecloth or press. The resulting apple juice is poured into a clean bottle for long fermentation.
  5. Wort may require water and sugar to make. We add them to taste or look at how many are shown in the pivot table from the previous paragraph. Sugar dissolves in a small amount warm water or apple juice.
  6. Now you can put a water seal on the bottle and clean it in a dark room with a constant temperature of 22–27 ° C.
  7. The duration of fermentation can be 1-2 months. It depends on the amount and activity of natural yeast remaining on the peel of apples. Compliance is important temperature regime.
  8. We drain the mash that has won back from the sediment into a clean container. This dry, unsweetened drink is not a cider, but not yet. To lighten it, put it again in a dark, cool place under a water seal for 3-4 months.
  9. During this time, periodically drain the drink from the precipitate. After the first filtration, add sugar. It won't go away anymore, so sweeten it to your taste. The absence of sediment in the cider and its transparency indicate the readiness of the drink.
  10. It remains to bottle everything, be sure to sign the year of harvest, after which, hide in the refrigerator.

We safely store tightly corked bottles for up to three years. Improper storage can be harmful to human health.

sugar free juice recipe

This method of making cider from apples has been practiced in wineries for centuries. By tradition, cider should have a low strength and consist only of apple juice. Although the legislation of European countries establishes different norms. Content natural juice, and at the same time the usefulness of the entire product, varies from 35% in England to 100% in France.

Cooking method:

  1. Squeeze apple juice. It is best to use a professional juicer. Unlike the previous case, we get rid of the cake.
  2. We cover the strained juice with gauze for 2-3 days to activate natural fermentation. To make the process go faster, do not forget about observing the temperature regime: 22–27 ° C.
  3. We filter the fermented juice and pour it into a clean container. We install a water seal and return the wort to its former warm, darkened place. We monitor the activity of the release of gases from the shutter.
  4. About a month after the removal of gases, we drain the mash from the sediment using a tube. As in the previous recipe for apple cider, the active fermentation phase is replaced by a quiet one.
  5. The mash drained from the sediment is again put under the shutter. Let the drink brew and lighten up. Drain and strain as soon as a precipitate forms.

The finished cider from the juice is characterized by a soft transparency and a warm matte color. It's time to bottle and put in the fridge.

How to make a drink carbonated?

Non-carbonated homemade cider is very similar to apple wine. But most are used to seeing it sparkling and playing like champagne. To add insidious and heady bubbles to a drink, all you need is sugar.

It is enough to simply carbonate apple cider at home. After the stage of quiet fermentation, pour sugar into the bottles prepared for bottling. Required amount: 10 grams per 1 liter - for strong gassing, 5 grams per 1 liter - for weak.

Pour filtered on top apple drink, leaving 5-7 cm to the cork of free space. We cork the bottles tightly and put them away for 3-5 days in a warm, dark place. This is necessary to restart the fermentation that sugar will cause.

It is very important to control the process and prevent excess gases. To do this, pour the entire batch or a small part into plastic container and monitor its growth. To reduce the concentration of gases, you can slightly open the cork and bleed off the excess. Stopping fermentation and at the same time further carbonation is simple: put the cider in the refrigerator.

  • To prepare apple cider without sugar, but not to lose in strength, it is recommended to use natural flower honey.
  • You can brew non-alcoholic cider. It will not cause harm and vitamins will be better preserved. You will need apple juice, orange pulp, spices and soda. The cooking method is similar to sbiten.
  • If there is no time to wait, we will teach you how to make apple cider in a week. In the first recipe, after 4-5 days of fermentation of juice on cake under a glove, the wort after filtering must be bottled and refrigerated. After 3-4 days of exposure, the drink can be filtered and consumed. It will not be possible to achieve a high fortress, but bright apple flavor will appear.
  • The cake left over from the juice squeeze in the second recipe can be used to make apple moonshine.

Top tip: stay sensible while tasting. Cider is a drinkable, invigorating and refreshing drink. When used in moderation, it causes little harm, acceptable for an alcoholic product, and does not cause a morning hangover.

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