Hard cider, or fermented apple juice, is made from cider apples and contains 2-8.5% alcohol. The process involves picking and aging apples, crushing them for juice, fermenting in wooden barrels, and adding ingredients for flavor. Pasteurization and freezing can protect the final product.
Fermented apple juice is a fruit-based alcohol otherwise known as hard cider in the US or cyder in the UK and is made from certain apple strains known as cider apples. It usually contains 2% to 8.5% alcohol, unlike beer varieties which contain about 5% alcohol. While cider is a common name for fermented apple juice, another type of cider that contains no alcohol is known as sweet cider. Making fermented apple juice can also involve freezing apple cider or distilling it further to produce variations such as applejack and a form of brandy liqueur known as apple brandy.
Fermented products such as beer, hard cider, and bread have been made by mankind since at least the time of the ancient Egyptians several thousand years ago. Hard cider was first made in Europe around 55 BC when invading Romans found the natives in England drinking a version of it, and as of 2011, the brewing process has diversified to include the production of products such as antibiotics and vitamins. Fermenting cider itself is a relatively simple procedure that involves picking and aging cider apples for a week and then crushing them to obtain the juice they contain. This apple juice contains sugars and natural yeasts to start the fermentation process and produce alcohol.
Once the apple juice has started fermenting, it is stored in wooden barrels for several weeks and fresh juice is added to the barrel to keep it continuously full, as gas is released during aging by the yeast and reduces the volume of a degree. While fermentation is a natural type of aging or decay, apples with spots or mold must be removed before making hard cider, as they speed up the fermentation process and mar the final product. Once the fermented apple juice has reached its maximum alcohol level, the barrels are sealed for about six months longer, as the volume will remain relatively level.
Cider juice can be cloudy due to residual yeast and other impurities in it, and will taste relatively flat and unsweetened if green or unripe apples are used. Making fermented apple juice, therefore, sometimes involves adding ingredients after fermentation to enhance the flavor. Often the carbonation will be added to give it a soda-like flavor or, in places like France, it is often further refined into various types of apple-flavored wine.
One of the benefits of fermentation is that it protects the final product from one type of spoilage. This is because cider is usually pasteurized before it is fermented, by heating it to 160° Fahrenheit (71° Celsius), which kills harmful bacteria such as E. Coli or Salmonella. Fermented apple juice can also be frozen for an extended period of time without losing its quality.
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