 |
| Picture:
A.Murmann CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Cider / Applewine
In Hesse Cider (Apfelwein) is a very popular drink and
it is also locally made.
Where did it
come from and how did it come into being?
In the meantime cider is 2500 years old. The Celts
spread it, and it was officially mentioned for the first time in a document by
Emperor Charlemagne. Between the 15th and 16th centuries viticulture was
restricted or completely forbidden due to various problems (pests, climate,
etc.). Due to the fact that apples were not only cheaper but also easier to
grow at that time, they were grown instead of grapes in order to produce the
popular apple wine.
How is it
produced?
Cider is traditionally a pure natural product. During
production, the apples are first crushed and then juiced in a press. The
freshly pressed apple juice flows into a stainless steel tank. In this tank,
so-called "fermentation processes" take place, whereby the sugar
contained is broken down by the fruit's own or added yeast. Alcohol and carbon
dioxide are produced within 10 days. Since the large quantities of carbon
dioxide can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately to death, there must be
constant ventilation of the production rooms.
The longer the cider rests on the yeast, the more
aromatic its taste becomes. The remaining apple residues are used as animal
feed.
In order to make cider keep longer when cooled, it is
heated to 82° to 90°C for 15 to 150 seconds in a plate heat exchanger and thus
pasteurised.
General
information:
-
5-6 vol. % Alcohol
-
The quality of cider depends on the
quality of the apple.
-
Apples mostly come from local
orchards.
-
You can drink it pure, or mixed
(sprayed) with water (=sour) or with Lemonade (=sweet).
-
Typical are also the glasses with the
diamond-shaped pattern and large clay jugs (Bembel) in which the cider is
served.
