Apple cider tastes like champagne. But unlike champagne, it is much easier to prepare. This does not require any special technologies, knowledge or conditions. Everything is very easy and accessible. In the article wine from apples, where we talked about different methods of preparing an alcoholic drink, there are similar methods of fermenting the material. But you will learn about all the subtleties only from this collection of cider recipes.
If you have experience in making cider, share your favorite proven recipes in the comments. And be sure to tell us about how you tried this or that recipe from this collection. If you want to learn as much as possible about what else can be made from fruits, subscribe and you will always have fresh, interesting recipes for various dishes. Already on the website you can find apple compote and marshmallows. These collections contain only working methods of preparing simple dishes in different ways.
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!
Cider at home on the way to the desired drink
To make cider at home successful, you need to be patient. The process of producing apple drink is not particularly complicated, but requires compliance with specific technological steps.
Crushing of raw materials
To avoid the development of a bitter taste, the apples obtained as a result of careful selection must be cored and pitted, after which the raw material is sent for grinding. According to some recipes, apple cider is prepared at home without removing the core and seeds. Depending on the available means, grinding can be carried out using:
- household juicer;
- meat grinders with the finest sieve;
- graters
The result is a mixture of juice and pulp (pulp), the presence of which has a beneficial effect on the fermentation process.
The sea is agitated once - the first stage of fermentation
The initial stage of fermentation of juice and pulp takes place in a glass or steel container with a wide neck in a room at a constant temperature. The wort poured into containers is covered with several layers of gauze and left indoors for several days (3-4 days). Under the influence of the fermentation process, the pulp will begin to rise, separating from the apple juice. To avoid souring of the pulp, the wort must be stirred. After a few days, remove the pulp using a colander and strain the juice through cheesecloth. If desired, add sugar and water to the apple cider.
The sea is worried two ways – the second stage of fermentation and the water seal
The juice resulting from the separation of the pulp is poured into a sterilized, clean, dry jar, on top of which a water seal is placed. This element is necessary to remove carbon dioxide formed during fermentation to the outside and prevent oxygen from entering the container, which has a detrimental effect on the wort. If you're concerned about making the best cider possible, don't use a rubber glove as a water seal.
The simplest water seal is made using a hose, one end of which is inserted into a previously made hole in the lid of the jar, and the other into a container of water. The first week after the “divorce with the pulp” the juice will ferment very actively. Over time, the rampage of fermentation will end, the future apple cider will begin to behave more restrained, and a thick layer of sediment will appear at the bottom of the vessel.
When gas bubbles cease to form in the jar of water in the water seal, fermentation is over. A little patience - and in 30-45 days you will get aromatic apple cider at home. The drink loves the absence of light and constant temperature.
Good night kids, or give the cider a rest
The fermented wort must be carefully poured into pre-prepared sterilized bottles or bottles, separated from the resulting sediment using PVC tubes. Containers must be filled to the top and sealed tightly, otherwise the remaining oxygen will turn promising apple cider into unpleasant vinegar. After transfusion, the drink is again sent to rest in a dark, cool place, where it infuses and ripens at a temperature of +10-12°C. Cider at home sits for 60 to 120 days.
Cherry cider
- 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.
- Fill the resulting mass with water. Cover the container with gauze and leave it warm for a couple of days. Stir its contents periodically.
- After a couple of days, strain the resulting juice into a clean container.
- 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.
- Take a large bottle and pour all the juice into it for further fermentation. Fill the bottle no more than ¾ of its volume.
- Cover the neck of the vessel with a piece of gauze and wait about five days for the fermentation process to begin.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once the cider has lightened, begin tasting.
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 mixture (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.
Cider made from concentrated apple juice
Apple juice concentrate is sold in specialized stores. It can also be found on the shelves of ordinary supermarkets. This is a very convenient option for making cider.
Cooking steps:
1. To make cider from juice concentrate you will need yeast. You can take a wide range of wines, or special ones for cider. Dissolve a spoonful of sugar and yeast in a small amount of warm water based on your volume of juice, according to the instructions.
2. Restore the concentrate to normal juice according to the proportion specified in the instructions. If the juice is not sweet, add sugar, up to 50 g per 1 liter of reconstituted juice (to taste).
3. Pour the yeast mixture into the reconstituted, sweetened juice and place a water seal. In this form, the future cider should stand for 2-3 weeks until the active fermentation phase ends. This can be understood by the water seal: the amount of gas released will decrease.
4. Afterwards, the liquid will need to be removed from the sediment (in the reconstituted juice it will be very small) and poured into bottles, adding 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to each.
5. Bottles must be screwed and put away, for example, in a cellar. After 1-2 weeks, when the added sugar has fermented, the drink will be ready.
You must open bottles of drinks carefully, because... there will be quite a lot of gas in them.
Homemade cider – aromatic low-alcohol homemade freshness
Find the most perfect, reliable homemade cider recipes on the exciting food website 1000.menu. Try the drink options not only from apples, but also from pears, cherries and other fruits. Learn to make sodas and classic wines. Create pleasure with your own hands!
Cider is a drink originally from France. Classic cider is made by fermenting apple juice with wild yeast. However, it can also be created from other fruits and a variety of fruit combinations. The ideal ratio in a classic cider recipe is one part sour fruit (for example, apples) to two parts sweet. An interesting nuance is that the fruits should never be washed before preparing cider! This technique is used to preserve so-called natural “wild” yeast on the surface, which will help ferment the juice.
The five most commonly used ingredients in homemade cider recipes are:
Product | Calories kcal per 100g | Proteins g per 100g | Fats g per 100g | Carbohydrates g per 100g |
Sugar | 398 | 99.7 | ||
Apples | 47 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 9.8 |
Raisin | 280 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 66 |
Pears | 42 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 10.9 |
Apple juice | 42 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 9.8 |
Interesting recipe: 1. Carefully wash and dry the vessels in which the drink will be prepared.2. Remove leaves and stems from apples, wipe, chop until smooth, including peel and seeds.3. Fill the containers 2/3 full. Add sugar. Stir.4. Cover the necks with a cloth (or gauze). Place in a warm, draft-free place for natural fermentation for 3-4 days.5. Be sure to stir the fruit puree once a day.6. When a characteristic yeast smell, foam and hissing appear, strain the mixture.7. Pour the fermented juice into a clean container. Leave under a water seal for 45-70 days in a dark place.8. When the liquid becomes lighter, gas bubbles will no longer be released and sediment will appear at the bottom, strain the cider.9. Bottle.10. Seal tightly.11. Leave in a cool (10-12°) dark place to ripen for 11-12 weeks.
Express cider recipe
In accordance with the technology presented below, cider can be made much faster: the drink will be ready in a week and will not be inferior in taste to what is prepared in accordance with the classical canons.
Ingredients for an express cider recipe
- water – 10 liters;
- granulated sugar - two kilograms;
- selected medium-sized apples – 8 kilograms;
- ripe lemons - two citrus fruits.
Preparing an express cider recipe
Cut the fruits in half, remove the core and place in a suitable sized bowl. Fill the mixture with water and add finely grated lemon zest. We tie the top of the container with gauze folded in several layers and leave it for 7 days in a warm place. The contents need to be stirred a couple of times a day. Strain the infused cider several times, pour into bottles for storage and cool. Now you can drink the drink.
Cooking at home
As we mentioned earlier, there are a huge number of recipes for making tasty and healthy apple wine, but in this article we will look at only a few of them, paying special attention to the simplest and most accessible. . What you need for cooking.
What you need for cooking
The classic recipe for making cider provides for the possibility of using any of 50 varieties of apples, in particular, such known as “Melba”, “Antonovka”, “Stair”, “Yantarka Altai” and “Foxville”.
All of them are usually characterized by a high concentration of tannins, which give the finished drink a unique taste. Simply put, you can choose any variety of apples common in your region, as long as they are tasty.
Important! Never use overripe or underripe apples, since such fruits will simply fall apart during processing or turn out to be too sour, which cannot but affect the final taste characteristics of the wine product being made.
Winter and late varieties of apples, which contain a large amount of tannins and sugars, are excellent for preparing the drink. In this case, the cider comes out very aromatic, tasty and healthy. Other necessary ingredients include water and sugar, and for 10 kg of apples you need to take up to 1 liter of the first component and 1.5 kg of the second.
As for kitchen utensils, the main thing is to prepare a large saucepan, and everything else can be found in the kitchen.
The easiest apple cider recipe
This simple apple cider recipe is ideal for those who want a tasty drink but don't have a lot of time to prepare it. The secret here lies in the use of wine (“live” yeast), thanks to which it is possible to speed up the process of making cider.
A squeeze of apples, which is used to fill a three-liter jar exactly one-third full, is well suited to serve as the basis for a future drink. Next, you need to add a few white raisins, a glass of sugar and half a teaspoon of yeast, and then pour it all with cold water, filling the jar to the brim.
After completing these steps, all that remains is to put the container in a dark place and leave it there for 5-6 days. Once fermentation is complete, the finished cider is filtered and is considered ready for consumption.
When using this or any other apple drink recipe, you need to remember a few simple rules:
- Apples harvested for cider should not be washed. They are wiped with a dry cloth and left to rest for 2-3 days in a warm room (the fact is that wild “live” yeast lives on the surface of the fruit, and for the success of fermentation, especially if you do not use ready-made yeast compositions, they are very important).
- Be sure to remove the tails and leaves from the fruits, and cut the apples (along with the seeds and peels, it is better to grind them in a blender until smooth).
The fermentation container (in this case, a three-liter jar) should be rinsed well in hot water and wiped dry. For a container of this volume you will need about 2.5 kg of apple “porridge”, which will take up 2/3 of the space, and the rest will be filled with foam over time.
The neck of the jar cannot be covered with any lids; simply tie it with gauze folded in several layers. The contents of the jar must be mixed daily, whisking and submerging the top layer in the juice.
Important! The smell of fermentation, hissing and foam appear within 8-16 hours after adding applesauce.
- Apple cider, which is prepared at home, should ferment at a temperature of +18...+27 °C. But if, after 50 days from the moment it was placed for fermentation, the process does not stop, in order to avoid a bitter taste, it is necessary to drain the cider into another jar using a straw, leaving it to ferment under the same conditions for some more time.
Spiced Pear: How to Make Spiced Apple Pear Cider
What’s important is that the recipe does not include sugar. In order not to slow down fermentation, it is better to stick to sweet varieties of pears and sour varieties of apples.
Ingredients for Apple and Pear Cider
- sweet fully ripe pears – 5 kilograms;
- ripe apples – seven kilograms;
- coriander - at your discretion;
- dried elderberry flowers - optional.
According to the recipe for apple and pear cider, we prepare it like this:
We clean the fruits, cut the pulp into small slices and grind them in a meat grinder using a grid of the smallest diameter. Place the resulting puree in an enamel container of the appropriate volume, cover it with gauze folded in several layers and leave it in a warm room for two days.
The mass must be thoroughly mixed at intervals of 6 hours to ensure uniform fermentation. At the end of the period, place a wooden circle on top and press down with a weight.
Pour the resulting juice into a glass or ceramic container and determine its volume. Then add an equal amount of boiled water and leave the mixture for 7 days to ferment, having previously installed a water seal on the neck.
Place spices tied in a linen bag into the drink before fermentation is complete and leave there until it is finished. Then pour the cider into bottles for storage, close and leave in a cool place for another 30 days.
Beneficial properties and harm of apple cider
Any drink has its strengths and weaknesses, but, first of all, it is important to consider its effect on the human body. . As for apple cider, prepared at home according to one of the popular recipes, it contains simply a huge amount of vitamins, useful macro- and microelements. That is, all the components of the fruit are not lost during the preparation of the drink.
As for apple cider, prepared at home according to one of the popular recipes, it contains simply a huge amount of vitamins, useful macro- and microelements. That is, all the components of the fruit are not lost during the preparation of the drink.
Even in ancient times, cider was used by folk healers to treat blues (in modern terminology - “depressive conditions”), as well as diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases.
Plants such as viburnum, carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, beets, spinach, and Kalanchoe will also relieve stomach problems.
True, there was a time when the healing properties of the product were questioned due to the alcohol content in it, but scientists managed to calm the skeptics by proving the benefits of drinking apple wine in small quantities.
Thus, it activates the gastrointestinal tract, increases appetite, normalizes blood pressure and dilates blood vessels, accelerates the removal of toxins from the body, and also slows down the aging process by blocking free radicals.
Important! The degree of usefulness of apple juice cider depends on the variety and condition of the fruit. In addition, the cooking conditions also have an effect: the homemade version is much healthier than the industrial version.
However, in addition to the positive aspects of drinking such a drink, we should not forget about possible contraindications. The fact is that cider is a completely natural product and in some people it can provoke allergic reactions associated with individual intolerance to the constituent components of apples or other fruits used.
It is also worth remembering the strength of apple wine (depending on the recipe, it can range from 1 to 9%), drinking it in moderate doses. Besides this, the drink will not have any other harmful effects on your body.
Did you know? Some beauty salons offer clients an apple cider bath with full body immersion. After undergoing such a procedure, the skin becomes silky and soft, and it is possible to smooth out shallow wrinkles.
Homemade apple cider
As mentioned above, juicy apples are used to prepare a high-quality drink. The fruits should not be washed, since the natural yeast located on the apple skin can be destroyed. You can wipe the fruits with a damp cloth.
But try to perform the operation carefully. The fruits should be crushed with the peel on.
You can extract the liquid from the fruit cells, leaving the cake as a dry residue, using a home garden juicer. This is a rational solution that speeds up the production of cider at home. In cases where the unit is missing, a household meat grinder is used. The resulting pulp is placed in a special container. Before proceeding to the technical part, the harvested apples for processing are kept in a warm room for three days.
Homemade apple cider is made from pulp. Special containers are used: enamel-coated metal pans, glass bottles, previously cleaned with water and soda. Afterwards, pour boiling water over the container and wipe dry with a towel. The containers are filled so that 1/3 of the volume remains free in the container, intended for filling with fermentation gases.
Attention! Apples picked after heavy rain lose their natural yeast. You can make up for their deficiency with a handful of dried, unwashed grapes (raisins) thrown into containers.
The variable composition of apple cider
The initial composition of the drink is unique in its own way: apples, again apples and again apples. Of course, in processed and fermented form with strength levels from 1% to 9% and with varying sugar content. The classic cider recipe contains no other ingredients except apples. However, the mixing of different varieties of this fruit, the desire to increase the alcohol content, enhance fermentation and create more or less sweetness, has changed its composition. The cider recipe for making at home has been expanded and includes:
- Apples. Various varieties and taste characteristics (acidity, sugar content). Mixing sour, sweet, tart, and bitter varieties allows you to achieve a greater richness of taste.
- Water. It is used when the initial raw material is insufficiently juicy or when it is too sugary/acidic with an average ratio of one to ten.
- Sugar. The higher the acidity of the varieties used, the more justified is the addition of sugar. Apples with low acidity or high sugar content do not require sugar feeding, but it can be added to increase the strength of the drink. 1% sugar content brings 0.5% alcohol to apple cider, and its amount varies from 100 grams or more per liter of wort.
The easiest apple cider recipe
If you don’t have a lot of apples, but you want to try making a delicious aromatic drink, then you can use a simpler method of preparing it. The simplest apple cider recipe is to place the apple juice in a warm place and let it ferment.
Unfortunately, natural fermentation of juice is only possible if there is a special variety of apples and strict adherence to technology. Using regular apples, the cooking process can take several months, so it is advisable to add sugar and yeast.
Despite the fact that yeast is not used in the industrial production of cider, it will be quite acceptable for preparing a homemade drink.
A cheaper and more accessible option for owners of small gardens and personal plots is to preserve the natural juice for the winter, and make cider from the remaining pulp.
Fill clean three-liter jars with juice squeezes - about a third. Add a little white raisins or yeast to each jar, a glass of sugar and top up with cold, clean water.
Before preparing apple cider, prepare a water seal or rubber gloves - this is done to ensure that the containers with the drink are protected from oxygen.
Cover the jars and place in a warm place for 5-6 days until fermentation stops.
Using gauze, carefully strain and pour the resulting drink into glass jars or bottles. You need to pour the cider very slowly so that the sediment that falls to the bottom does not rise.
Fill the containers to the neck and seal tightly with lids.
Apple cider prepared according to this recipe can be drunk immediately. Store the drink in the refrigerator only in closed bottles, so it is advisable to use containers no larger than one liter.
Each winemaker has his own special recipe for homemade apple cider. Homemade cider can be dry and sweet, with little or no alcohol content. You can use fresh apples or homemade apple juice, or you can prepare a drink with the addition of yeast, raisins or other fruits. If desired, you can mix different varieties of apples in different proportions and each time get new tastes and aromas to suit every taste.
There is no special technology for preparing this drink, so you can become the author of a unique, exclusive drink that can compete even with the most famous varieties of cider produced in elite wineries around the world.
What is cider
Classic cider is usually called a drink that spread in Europe in the 13th-11th centuries. In its production, no yeast is used, and fermentation occurs thanks to lactic acid bacteria found on the skin of apples. Apple cider can be found in most European pubs, where it reigns alongside beer. The right to be called the birthplace of the drink is disputed by England, Spain and France - in these countries a sequence of actions was born, the output of which is a familiar golden drink.
Subtleties of cooking
Not all apples are suitable for cider, but only those that contain a high amount of tannins (tannins). These are 48 varieties, of which the best are “Fox Cub”, “Yarlington Mill”, “Black Kingston”, “Dabinette”, “Bitter Tremlett”, etc.
If you do not own apples of these varieties, do not worry. Cider can be made from ordinary apples, but it is advisable that you combine varieties in the process of selecting raw materials. Ideally, when mixing varieties, a third of all raw materials should be sour apples, and two thirds should be sweet. An alternative and not the worst option for raw materials would be “wild meat”.
- Before preparing the drink, the raw materials (apples, pears and other fruits) are not washed. This will ensure further fermentation of the juice due to the yeast that is contained on the surface of their skin. You can only wipe the most contaminated areas with a dry cloth.
- It is advisable to keep the raw materials in a warm room for 2-3 days. After this, sort it out, freeing it from leaves and stalks (tails).
- The volumes of raw materials in all recipes can be increased and decreased proportionally. For example, you should not increase one component and leave the second unchanged. This will skew the recipe and can ruin the whole cider-making endeavor.
- What is the best way to calculate sugar to get cider of varying sweetness? It’s very simple: take 400 grams of granulated sugar for every liter of applesauce to get a sweet dessert wine), and 200 grams to get a drier table wine.
- When we talk about a cool room for finishing cider and storing it, remember that the temperature in it should not be lower than 7 ° C. The minimum (as a last resort) is 5°C. Under other conditions (colder), the drink will not succeed.
What technological principles should be followed?
Due to the fact that apple juice cider is a fairly light alcoholic drink, it is very easy to prepare it at home. To do this, you just need to take a large container, some kind of device with a grinding function and a number of glass bottles equipped with a water seal. In order to carry out the filtration process, you must have gauze. After this, you can make apple cider at home, but you should adhere to some technological principles, which include:
- the correct process of harvesting, selecting and preparing ripe apple fruits so that cider production can be carried out;
- obtaining apple juice from a pre-prepared product;
- preparation of the wort and its further fermentation;
- the fermentation process of the finished wort itself;
- filtration of almost finished apple drink and removal of sediment that has settled at the bottom of the bottles;
- pouring the semi-finished drink and its further infusion.
Many people wonder how to make cider tasty.
In this case, special attention should be paid to the stage of collecting products. To create this drink with your own hands, you need to take only the ripest and ripest apples.
They must not show any signs of rot, as in the end the cider made from apple juice will simply be spoiled. It is not recommended to wash apples before using them directly. It will be enough to simply wipe them well with a towel. This is done so that the so-called wild yeast is not removed from the surface of the fruit.
To make cider at home, you can use absolutely any type of apple. If you combine completely different types of varieties with each other, you will eventually be able to get homemade apple cider that has a different taste and aroma. When considering the classic option for creating apple cider, they most often use two parts sour and one part sweet fruit.
In order to obtain apple juice, it is necessary to chop the still unpeeled fruits and leave them for a while so that they can release juice, which is then decanted. As soon as you can collect the squeezed juice, you need to add a small amount of sugar to it in order for the fermentation process to begin. Naturally, making cider does not necessarily require the use of sugar, since there are a large number of recipes that allow you to do this without sugar. Very often, the apple cider recipe, which is quite simple at home, is created using not only apples, but also other fruits and spices. Next, we'll look at how to make homemade cider made from apples.
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.
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.
Yummy for kids: recipe for children's non-alcoholic cider
This cool drink is ideal for a children's holiday table. We cook for the kids and delight them with the taste.
Ingredients for children's non-alcoholic cider
- honey – 2 tablespoons;
- orange - one large fruit;
- cinnamon – 2 sticks;
- cloves - five grains;
- apples (sweet and sour varieties) – 1.5 kilograms.
Making baby non-alcoholic cider
Wash the apples well and squeeze out the juice in any convenient way. Pour it into a saucepan, boil, cool slightly, add honey and stir well until it is completely dissolved.
Place the pan on the stove again, without bringing it to a boil, boil the drink for 10 minutes, remove from heat, cool and strain. The cider should be served chilled, and the glasses can be decorated with “frosty” patterns made of sugar and citrus slices.
Non-alcoholic
Real cider implies the presence of a hop element in the composition, in simple terms - a degree.
But what should those who really love this drink do, but do not want to drink alcohol? The answer is simple, make a non-alcoholic version of apple cider.
To do this you need:
- apple juice (natural) – one liter;
- orange - 1 piece;
- cinnamon sticks - 5 pieces;
- ginger root – 1 piece no more than eight centimeters long;
- sparkling or soda water - two liters.
Making non-alcoholic apple cider does not require fermentation.
Recipe:
- Peel the orange and cut into slices.
- Mix orange slices, juice, cinnamon and ginger and boil the mixture.
- Cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the liquid cool.
- Take the prepared glasses, fill them half with chilled soda and half with the resulting liquid (filtered).
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.
6. Transfer the sparkling cider to the refrigerator or basement. Before use, refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Cider with added wine yeast
To prepare, you will need undiluted apple juice and a 3% dilution of wine yeast.
Cooking method
- To prepare 100 g of wine yeast mixture, crush a glass of unwashed berries (raspberries, strawberries, rose hips), pour 1/2 cup of boiled warm water and add 1-1.5 tbsp. l. Sahara.
- Cover with a lid and place in a dark place for 3 days at a temperature of +20 degrees. Stir daily.
- Add yeast mixture to apple juice (sterile, boiled), poured into a well-sterilized container, close with a stopper with a water seal and leave for 3-4 days for fermentation.
- If desired, the cider can be clarified with milk. To do this, you need to take skim milk (skim milk): put the milk in the refrigerator for a day, skim off the resulting cream, and use the remaining milk to process the wine. For 1 liter of wine take 1 tsp. milk. Mix the wine and milk thoroughly. After this, keep the mixture for several days at a temperature not lower than +15 °C. During this time, the wine will become clearer; after 3-5 days it can be filtered.
- Cider doesn't last long, so you need to drink it quickly.
You can add a little cognac to the cider, which will give the wine strength and an unusual taste.
Traditional apple cider recipe
The simplest, classic cider recipe should not include any unnecessary ingredients other than apples and sugar.
You need to choose the variety at your own discretion; it is recommended to use a 2 to 1 ratio of sweet and sour fruits, respectively.
To make traditional cider you need:
- apples: 10 kilograms;
- sugar: from 1 to 1.5 kilograms, according to your own taste;
- water, if necessary.
Remove apples from stems, leaves and dirt. You can wipe, but do not wash the fruits with water, this may complicate fermentation.
Grind the apples in any way until the consistency of a homogeneous mass, along with the seeds and peel. Prepare a vessel for fermentation, scald with hot water and wipe.
Fill the container with apples, maximum ¾ of the way, leaving room for foam, juice and escaping carbon dioxide.
It is necessary to strictly follow the previous point, otherwise during fermentation the material may leak out of the container or make the final product unusable.
The wort (mixture in the jar) should be quite sweet, for this you should add sugar. There is no need to oversaturate the wort, otherwise it risks becoming cloying.
The sweeter the apples were, the less sugar needed.
Mix the substance thoroughly and for a long time (this is very important).
According to the classic recipe, cider should ferment for 1-2 months, readiness is determined by the fallen glove.
Cover the neck of the vessel tightly with air-permeable material and leave in a dark, warm place for several days (3 days is enough). Mix the contents by hand every day.
Squeeze the juice from the infused wort into a prepared, clean container. Install a water seal.
The water seal can be made classic, from a rope and a half-filled bottle, or you can use a glove that is pulled over the neck, secured, and a hole is pierced in the finger with a small needle.
The future cider should ferment for 1-2 months. Readiness is determined by the liquid clearing and the glove falling off. Drain the drink and filter several times.
Pour into bottles, close tightly and hermetically (for example, roll up in jars), and then store the cider for about three months in a cellar, refrigerator or other cool and warm place. At this time, the drink “reaches” its readiness.
Harmonious duet: cider with honey
If you plan to please and surprise your family and guests with an unusual drink, then cider with honey is the most suitable solution. According to the recipe below, it turns out sparkling, sweet, fragrant and also healthy. True, the cooking technology is not the simplest, but the game is definitely worth the candle.
Ingredients in honey cider
- thick honey - 1.5 liters;
- purified water from the spring - 6 liters;
- fully ripe apples of sweet varieties – 8 kilograms.
According to the recipe, we prepare cider with honey like this:
Wipe the fruit well, cut into small slices without removing the peel. We place the workpiece in a pre-prepared gauze bag of suitable size, tie it tightly and place it in a container made of earthenware or wood of the appropriate volume. A wooden circle should be placed on top, on which a ten-liter bucket of water should be placed as a load.
The water must be boiled, cooled and the honey thoroughly stirred in it until completely dissolved. Pour the resulting mixture into the apple slices, cover with gauze folded in several layers and put away for fermentation in a cool, dark place. On average, this will take from 30 to 35 days.
After the process is completed, we decant the liquid into a clean container, and fill the cake again with honey syrup, the volume of which should be equal to the drained volume. The fermentation time is the same as the first run.
Pour the resulting infusion into another container and repeat the procedure again. After finishing the fermentation and decanting the third batch, mix the compositions prepared in three batches and set them aside to settle.
You will have to be patient, because this will take a lot of time - about 9 months. Filter the finally fermented apple-honey cider, leave it for another 30 days in a cool, dark place, bottle it for storage and seal it.