In The BIg Book of Cidermaking we explore the idea that cider, or hard cider, is healthy. The idea for this poster came about when we were brainstorming how to help cider become the next sourdough. It is after all, another way to watch the magic of microbes transform simple ingredients into delicious foods or drinks—at home! Let us know if you think cider is the new sourdough?
Is Cider Healthy?
Most of us have heard the stories about people in the past that regularly drank local hard cider because it was safe to drink, unlike the water. Thankfully most of us have access to clean water these days, but we have plenty of other risks to our health that cider can address in a small way. As we talked to cidermakers from around the world, we kept hearing the same thing: “real cider is food.”
The vitamins in the fruits used to make cider don’t degrade in the fermentation, and in some cases are enhanced by fermentation. So we get the benefits of the apple’s high antioxidants and polyphenols, both of which can help prevent several non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Homemade ciders, especially those that are wild-fermented, often have lower alcohol levels.
Phytochemicals. These are a group of chemicals found in plants that benefit our health, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic acid. One of the most important benefits of phytochemicals for us are their antioxidative characteristics.
Probiotics. A single apple has over 100,000 different microbes 90% of those are in the core of the apple which usually goes uneaten but is definitely part of the cider. Included in these microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria which are present from apple to finished cider — as long as they aren’t killed by the cidermaker. (If you want a probiotic cider, you can’t apply sulfur dioxide (SO2) and you can’t pasteurize your finished cider, which is probably why it’s so rare to see a cider advertising its probiotic content.) When you make your own cider, you can control all these aspects and can produce a probiotic-rich cider.
Learn how to make your own preorder your cidermaking book from ANYWHERE you buy books. Time is running out to win. Your order will enter you in a drawing for a cidermaking starter kit (US only).
