CIDER FACTS
About Cider
Cider, according to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, is a “fruit wine prepared from the juice or must of apples and no more than 25% of the juice or must of pears.” Water should only be added in exceptionally hot years when sugar levels in apples translate to high alcohol levels in cider. Edgebrook Cider uses water to mix cider-making products only – everything else is apple juice from freshly-crushed apples.
Cider is ‘made’ from juice that is fermented like wine rather than being ‘brewed’ from ingredients mixed in water like beer. It should not taste like apple juice but it should retain some fruit characteristics. Read more...
Cider, according to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, is a “fruit wine prepared from the juice or must of apples and no more than 25% of the juice or must of pears.” Water should only be added in exceptionally hot years when sugar levels in apples translate to high alcohol levels in cider. Edgebrook Cider uses water to mix cider-making products only – everything else is apple juice from freshly-crushed apples.
Cider is ‘made’ from juice that is fermented like wine rather than being ‘brewed’ from ingredients mixed in water like beer. It should not taste like apple juice but it should retain some fruit characteristics. Read more...
About Apples
About 300,000 tonnes of apples are grown in Hawke’s Bay each year. Most of these are dessert apples, destined for overseas markets, kids’ lunch boxes and apple pies. Small, over-sized, damaged and ugly apples are rejected for eating and a good proportion are turned into juice. Much of this juice is concentrated and sent overseas for all manner of products. The remaining rejects are perfect for cider making.
That said, there is a difference between eating apples and cider apples. Cider apples have been developed over the centuries to have a fibrous flesh to help juice extraction and to have heightened levels of tannins and / or acid. Tannins give cider richness and acid provides vibrancy. Many cider cultivars also have great flavours that survive fermentation. Read more...
About 300,000 tonnes of apples are grown in Hawke’s Bay each year. Most of these are dessert apples, destined for overseas markets, kids’ lunch boxes and apple pies. Small, over-sized, damaged and ugly apples are rejected for eating and a good proportion are turned into juice. Much of this juice is concentrated and sent overseas for all manner of products. The remaining rejects are perfect for cider making.
That said, there is a difference between eating apples and cider apples. Cider apples have been developed over the centuries to have a fibrous flesh to help juice extraction and to have heightened levels of tannins and / or acid. Tannins give cider richness and acid provides vibrancy. Many cider cultivars also have great flavours that survive fermentation. Read more...