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Preserving Unpasteurized Apple Cider


dcandohio

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We were fortunate to attend a party that included an old-fashioned hand-cranked cider press and 25 bushels of apples. Now we have SIX quarts of very delicious non-pasturized cider. Two of us will never drink it all. Ideas for cooking uses? I assume I could freeze it, too. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks, and welcome to autumn in the midwest.

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We were fortunate to attend a party that included an old-fashioned hand-cranked cider press and 25 bushels of apples. Now we have SIX quarts of very delicious non-pasturized cider. Two of us will never drink it all. Ideas for cooking uses? I assume I could freeze it, too. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks, and welcome to autumn in the midwest.

You lucky duck!  So many options, including freezing for later, as you noted.  Cider also makes the basis for an amazing pork or poultry brine.  There are outstanding recipes out there for winter squash and cider soups; especially if you head into an Indian-spiced direction.  And this holiday season, your mulled cider, including whole cranberries and cinnamon sticks, will be the envy of the neighborhood.

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You could reduce some down to make a syrup, which will last indefinitely, and take up less space in your fridge. Use that as a base for mulled cider in the winter, to braise pork, pour on waffles.

Or you can let some of your cider ferment and have hard cider. An old method from Vermont was to let the cider ferment, then put the barrels out during the coldest days of winter. Everything would freeze except the alcohol, which was tapped off and was the tipple that caused people with cabin fever to go after each other with axes--the original applejack. A freezer might work for this.

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I ended up freezing most of the cider, after using it to marinate baby back ribs yesterday (cider, salt, chicken stock, hot peppers, smoked paprika). When the weather is reliably cool I will defrost some for mulled cider. I didn't have much time to deal with it creatively when I received it. It was a wonderful surprise and I am glad I now have the stash in the freezer.

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