First off, we should get straight on what we mean by apple cider because that term means different things to different people, depending upon where you live in the world.
For most of the world fresh apple cider or apple cider juice means the juice of the apple, although apple juice can be extracted in a number of ways where as cider is usually reserved for grinding it up and pressing this mash under pressure to capture the fresh juice.
What we are talking about in this post is the fermented version of that, and be honest, wouldn’t you expect us to be talking about the fermented version? We consistently make over 80 gallons of cider on the farm every year. That might seem, excessive to some, but we have a lot of friends that include a trip through the cider cave as a critical part of the visit. Also, we are now turning a lot, maybe even the majority, of this cider into another product, vinegar! You can also read about how vinegar is good for you here.
Our cider cave at its prime before photo shoot for The Big Book of Cidermaking
Most of us have heard the stories about our colonial forefathers in America who 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 anti-oxidative characteristics.
Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash
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.
Taking it to the next fermentation level
You can make a great tasting, healthy fermented cider beverage for very little to no money. The next natural stop for that fermented cider is to continue its fermentation by passing off the baton to acetic acid producing bacteria, which consume the alcohol produced by the yeasts and turn that into acetic acid, the sour punch of vinegar.
Its actually pretty beautiful isn’t it? If you enjoy imbibing now and then you can create a fermented cider at the alcohol level you want, with or without carbonation, with or without sweetness. Don’t like the alcohol, no problem, just open that wonderful cider up to the air and acetobactors and you will soon have some very tasty and healthy homemade vinegar.
Learn how to make your own cider you can pick up a copy of our cidermaking book The Big Book of Cidermaking from ANYWHERE you buy books. Or, signed directly from us. If you want to take it to its natural fermented finale, order a copy of Kirsten’s upcoming Homebrewed Vinegar: How to Ferment 60 Delicious Varieties or order a copy from us and have it signed!
If you prefer learning by watching and making along we have just released a complete class on how to make vinegar, that includes extensive lessons on how to make apple cider vinegar.
