cider
-
What is cider?
Cider is a beverage made from apples that can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. To make cider, apples are ground into a pulp, called pomace, and then pressed. The extracted juice is then fermented in vats or casks to produce hard cider. Sweet cider or apple juice is made similarly, but the juice is filtered early to retain the desired amount of unfermented sugar.
The English-style cider, sometimes called scrumpy, has a rough reputation, with higher alcohol and tannin content. In France, cider must be produced by fermenting fresh apple juice or a mix of apples and pears, adhering to specific standards. Some apples, called cider apples, are grown specifically to produce superior cider.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is cider made from?
Cider is made from apples that are ground into a pulp, called pomace, and then pressed. The extracted juice goes into vats or casks for fermentation. Hard cider results from natural fermentation by wild yeasts, but some producers opt to pasteurize the fresh juice and add select yeast cultures.
Sweet cider or apple juice production follows a similar grinding and pressing process. Europeans often age the juice in tanks with carbon dioxide, while Americans typically prefer freshly pressed juice. To create a clear juice commercially, the juice undergoes clarification, filtration, and flash pasteurization before being sealed in containers and cooled.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How is cider different from apple juice?
Cider and apple juice both start with pressed apples, but they diverge in processing and preservation. Cider, the expressed juice of apples, comes in two main types: sweet and hard. Sweet cider is fresh juice without preservatives, while hard cider undergoes natural fermentation. In Europe, the term "cider" typically refers only to the fermented variety. Apple juice, on the other hand, is treated to prevent spoilage, often clarified, filtered, and pasteurized before being sealed in containers. This gives it a longer shelf life compared to fresh, sweet cider.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How is cider traditionally made?
Traditionally, cider is made by grinding apples into a pulp, called pomace, and then pressing it. The extracted juice goes into vats or casks for fermentation. To make sweet cider, the juice is filtered early to keep some sugar from fermenting. For dry cider, fermentation continues until most or all sugar turns into alcohol.
Natural fermentation, using wild yeasts on the apples, is common, though some producers opt to pasteurize the fresh juice and add select yeast cultures. After about three months, the juice undergoes filtration to eliminate sediment and cloudiness. Aging the hard cider for several months or years enhances its flavor. Some hard ciders are carbonated to give them sparkle. English-style cider, or scrumpy, is known for being made in small batches using traditional methods.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are the different types of cider?
Cider comes in a variety of types that differ based on processing and regional styles. In North America, fresh-pressed juice without preservatives is known as sweet cider, while naturally fermented juice is called hard cider.
English-style cider, or scrumpy, is known for its rough character, higher alcohol and tannin content, and cloudy appearance. French cider, mainly produced in Normandy and Brittany, follows specific standards based on apple and pear mixes. Cider can be processed to be either sweet or dry, with variations in filtration, sugar content, and fermentation.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
In which countries is cider especially popular, and how is it enjoyed there?
Cider is especially popular in England and France. The English-style cider, sometimes called scrumpy or West Country cider, has a rough reputation and is higher in alcohol and tannins. It is typically still rather than sparkling, cloudy rather than clear, and made in small batches using traditional methods.
France has the largest production of cider, notably in Normandy and Brittany. French cider must be produced by fermentation of fresh apples or a mixture of apples and pears and must conform to specific standards for the different kinds, designated by different names.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
cider, the expressed juice of a fruit—typically apples—used as a beverage. Pears that are used in this manner produce a cider better known as perry.
Distinctions
In most European countries the name is restricted to fermented juice. In North America the freshly expressed juice that has not been subjected to any permanent preservative treatment is generally called sweet cider, whereas juice that has been permitted to undergo some natural fermentation is designated hard cider. The expressed juice of apples that has been treated by some method to prevent spoilage while in hermetically sealed cans or bottles is marketed as apple juice in most countries.
Nutritional content
Apple juice or cider is relatively low in its content of protein, fat, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and vitamin A and contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates. However, about 75 percent of the carbohydrates consists of sugars that are readily assimilated by humans. Ascorbic acid is easily added.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Cider processing
In the making of cider, apples are ground into a fine pulp, or pomace, and then pressed. For hard cider, the extracted juice is conveyed directly into fermenting vats or casks. If the fermented cider is to be sweet, the juice must be filtered at an early stage to make possible the retention of the desired percentage of unfermented sugar. If a dry cider is desired, fermentation must proceed until all or most of the sugar is converted into alcohol. Natural fermentation resulting from the wild yeasts present on the apples is the usual practice, but some makers pasteurize the fresh juice and then add pure cultures of selected yeasts. After about three months the juice is subjected to filtration to remove sediment and the look of turbidity. Flavour is improved by aging hard cider for a few months, or even two or three years, after filtration. Some hard cider is carbonated, or sparkling.
In the making of sweet cider or apple juice, apples are ground and pressed in much the same manner as for making alcoholic cider. Europeans prefer a juice that is mellowed by holding it for a few months in large tanks under pressure supplied by introducing carbon dioxide into the tanks. Americans generally prefer freshly pressed juice.
The commercial processing procedure for making a clear juice is to clarify and filter the juice, flash-pasteurize it, fill metal or glass containers with the juice, close the containers, and cool them immediately. If an unclarified or cloudy juice is to be packed, the apples are often sprayed with ascorbic acid when they are ground to prevent darkening of the juice by oxidation and to reduce the amount of sediment in the finished product.
English and French ciders
The English-style cider sometimes called scrumpy, or West Country cider, is also popular, though its definition is somewhat blurred. In general, the name bespeaks a “rough” reputation. Scrumpy is higher in alcohol content and tannins. It is usually still rather than sparkling and cloudy rather than clear, and it is usually made in small batches using traditional methods.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
Of all countries, France has the largest production of cider—notably in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. Cider manufactured in France must be produced by fermentation of the juice of fresh apples or a mixture of apples and pears and must conform to specific standards for the different kinds, designated by different names. Cider production is less stringently regulated in most other cider-producing countries.