Homemade Apple Cider (Easy Recipe) - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

How to make cider easy? ›

There are essentially 2 simple ways to make cider. One is to add campden tablets to the juice to remove any bad bacterial that may spoil the whole batch. Then 24 hours later, add cider yeast. The alternative way is to not add campden or yeast, and leave the juice to do its own thing.

You only need about 1 1/2 pounds of apples plus a smidge of sugar (pennies) and water (free) to make a liter of apple cider vinegar. And there's no waste involved—you use the entire apple, peels & cores, too.

Caroline advises that with the addition of a little apple juice or elderflower cordial there is every chance that you will be able to turn your cider from puckering to perfect. Just don't put the lid back on it and pop it in the cupboard as it may well start to ferment again.

Sugar: Adjust the sugar to your taste. We usually use 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for a spicier cider. If you prefer your apple cider on the sweeter side (like the kind you buy at the store), use 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar.

A typical dose is 1–2 tbsp. (15–30 mL) mixed with water and taken before or after meals. Research doesn't support claims that it can improve digestion and prevent heart disease, cancer, or infection. Apple cider vinegar is a relatively safe supplement to consume in moderation but has not been extensively researched.

Standard dosages range from 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 mL) to 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) per day mixed in a large glass of water. It's best to start with small doses and avoid taking large amounts. Too much vinegar can cause harmful side effects, including tooth enamel erosion and potential drug interactions.

Cover the jar with cheesecloth. As the apples ferment into cider and then vinegar, they will release gases that need to escape. Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 3–4 weeks. After 3–4 weeks, strain out the apple pieces and discard them.

The most commonly used yeast is a champagne yeast. Being a very aggressive yeast, it ferments quickly to a very clean, dry flavor that suits the apple character very well. This yeast is cheap, easy to use, and makes a delicious, consistent beverage.

Each 5° of specific gravity is equivalent to about 1% Alcohol (ABV). To raise the gravity by 5° add about 10g of sugar per litre of juice. i.e. 10g of sugar in one litre of juice will give a potential alcohol increase of 1%.

What is the best sugar for cider making? ›

Liquid sugar is one of the most widely used sugars in cider production because its 67% sucrose content and low viscosity enable it to deliver consistent and reproducible results.

Natural yeast in the juice will ferment the sugar to alcohol. Yeast need not be added, although it can without any problem. Some fermentation processes call for killing all the yeast in the pure cider with sulfur dioxide, waiting 24 hours and then adding wine yeast. For the homeowner this is not necessary.

The apple varieties that we generally find in stores and that are used for the making of modern-style ciders include McIntosh, Golden and Red Delicious, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Idared, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji.

When the fermentation has finished we recommend that you add one Campden Tablet per 5 litres (1 gallon) and one gram per 5 litres (1 gallon) of Potassium Sorbate. This will help prevent infection and from restarting to ferment.

Making wine or cider takes fewer steps than making beer, and it's what I recommend if you're doing all of this for the first time. You add yeast to fruit juice and wait. How you get your juice—whether you press it yourself or buy it from a store—is the most important choice you can make.

If we say it cost a total of $2.75 to make this batch of 48oz, that would come out to $7.15/gallon. If cost is your only factor, then once you add up the ingredients, and the time spent making the cider, it would probably be faster and cheaper to stick a gallon or two in your cart next time you visit the store.

On average, most hard ciders are 4.5% - 7% alcohol by volume (ABV), while some ciders have an ABV as high as 10% or 12%. Drier ciders usually have a higher ABV because the yeast consumes a majority of the cider's natural sugars.

Typically, fermenting juice into hard cider takes around 1-2 weeks for primary fermentation, which is when most of the sugar is converted into alcohol. After that, it's common to let the cider sit for an additional 2-4 weeks for secondary fermentation, which helps to clarify the cider and smooth out any off-flavors.