Craft Hard Cider: Recipes, Tips, and Ideas for Making & Enjoying Hard Cider
I’ve discussed in my post on how to make sweet hard cider the use of non-fermentable sweeteners like stevia and erythritol. I generally prefer drier hard cider, but I also enjoy balance. That means if a cider has a lot of acid, having a little residual sugar can help balance it. Tannins and their bitter … Continue reading Hard Cider Tip #24: Non-Fermentable Sweeteners
It’s August and that means it’s time for our annual cider tour to Phoenix. Usually, that involves a lunch stop at Phoenix’s only cidery, Cider Corp, to sample their latest creations while getting a bite to eat from a food truck parked out front or their pizza oven. Face masks and social distancing changed that … Continue reading Summer Cider Tour
It’s a sad day when an apple or pear tree dies. I visited Angle Orchard just outside of Safford, Arizona, recently and was introduced to one of the matriarchs of the original orchard that was planted in 1922. She is an Arkansas Black apple tree. An heirloom apple variety of the south that dates back … Continue reading A Day at the Orchard: Old Apple Trees Never Die
This is the first year I have harvested my yeast for reuse. Since I splurged on some liquid yeast from White Labs and Omega, I thought it would be an interesting experiment. I also have an idea about trying to evolve a yeast using selective pressure through bottom cropping of early attenuating colonies. This also … Continue reading Hard Cider Tip #23: Reusing Yeast
I warned you that we really liked sourdough pizza and hard cider. In my last pizza post, I mention some expanded crust varieties like chocolate and basil. These pizzas have an augmented crust, which made us push our creativity. However, the results were all exceptionally delicious. I would encourage you to replicate them and see … Continue reading Pizza and Hard Cider – Part III
Sunrise Cider: Apricot and Apple There is an apricot tree at the apple orchard I frequent and it normally produces a huge crop of apricots. You can see where this is going. Sunrise Cider combines acidic culinary apples with fresh apricots. In my book, The Art & Science of Cider, I provided this cider recipe … Continue reading Making Sunrise Cider
If I asked you to close your eyes and picture an apple orchard, what would come to mind? Would it look something like this picture? Would it have rows of trees in straight lines? Maybe the trees would be even bigger. It’s interesting how our reference is based on what’s around us. South Somerset Orchard … Continue reading A Day at the Orchard: Orchard Diversity
There is often a debate about the need, use, and benefit of sulfites (or sulphites if you live in many other English speaking countries) when making hard cider or even wine. Using or not using them along with sorbates can be a cause for much debate. Therefore, I wanted to explore the reasons why you … Continue reading Hard Cider Tip #22: Sulfite and Sorbate
I love apples but since I love hard cider, that probably doesn’t surprise many people. However, two of my favorite things in life are finding new hard ciders and new apples that I have never tried. For 2020, I have been exploring some new orchards and that means new apples and ultimately, it will mean … Continue reading A Day at the Orchard: Exploring New Apples
I try to showcase how hard cider can pair with anything: seafood, pizza, vegetarian, spicy, and even dessert. However, sometimes you just want a nice hearty meal. Something that warms you not just from the food but from the memories or emotions. For me, that is food like macaroni and cheese and hamburgers but it … Continue reading Cider and Sloppy Joes
