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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Cider Making

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  • From: David.Maxwell@dal.ca
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Cider Making
  • Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:19:17 -0400

On 21 Feb 2008 at 22:03, Richard MURPHY wrote:

<SNIP>.
> I never ate a Cider apple. But, I might guess that a part of their
> redeeming reputation is based on qualities
> that were otherwise unavailable in olden times.
<SNIP>

I can assure you that you do not want to eat a cider apple - they are mostly
inedible
- astringent (real pucker-power) because of the high tannin ("bitter"), may
have high
sugar ("bitter-sweet"), but mostly low in acid, (acids contributed to mixture
by
"sharps" if you like a 'vinegary' taste (and some do!). Their reputation has
nothing
to do with things that were unavailable in olden times (but are in more
modern
apples) - they are very specifically selected for qualities which in fact are
lacking in
modern apples, at least in North America. (The broad exception to this
statement is
the inclusion of Russets in cider making - in general Russets are quite
edible,
(although I personally am not fond of them). Development of new cider
varieties
continues in Britain (at Long Ashton - the only research station I know of
where the
entire focus is on cider apples) and on the continent (the French have active
work
on cider production, and of course Calvados is distilled from cider.) Now,
all this is
predicated on the understanding of what we mean by "cider" (or as I prefer,
to
distinguish it from other apple beverages, "cyder"). Real cyder, as made in
Britain
and the continent is a very specific drink that is very much an acquired
taste, and
not to the liking of most North Americans. I suspect that it would be
difficult to
duplicate with eating or cooking apple varieties.




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