Maybe I've missed something....

Is it possible to have apple cider STAY apple cider over the course of a winter? I was under the impression that unless vacuum-sealed, it would ferment until it turned into vinegar. However, I've been told that it used to be common practice to just fill up barrels in the cellar, and they stayed good all winter long.

What did I miss? Does it have to be especially cold or something? I'm curious because my family LOVES apple cider, but it's hard to find in stores past about mid-November (and store-bought isn't nearly as good as fresh, anyway. I'd love a way to keep it longer than a couple of weeks.

-- Ali (philipandaleta@juno.com), October 04, 2000

Answers

When you hear about how popular cider was in the colonial times, they mean hard cider. Properly fermented it will keep a long time. It will only turn to vinegar if air can get to it. Depending on lots of conditions, hard cider can have an alcohol contend from almost nill to stronger than beer.

If you want to keep sweet cider, it freezes very well.

I bought five gallons last weekend, and it's all working nicely.

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), October 04, 2000.

When we make apple cider, we gather up 2 liter popbottles from friends and family, (it would take years for our family to save up enough:o), fill em' up with cider and pop em' in the freezer. It works extremely well, if you remember to take the cider out in time to thaw, before you want to drink it. Sometimes you get flecks of ice, which gives it a cider slushy effect! Refreshing!

-- Abigail F. (treeofl@nbnet.nb.ca), October 05, 2000.

You can also can apple cider. I have done it many times. Just heat it to boiling and put in jars and process for about 20 min in a water bath canner. It tastes good all winter. Mary

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), October 06, 2000.

Be careful to leave plenty of headspace when you freeze any liquid.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), October 06, 2000.

We process our cider like we do our tomato sauce . Fill up beer bottles - tap 'em , and boil the bottles for 20 min.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), October 10, 2000.