Cider is an alcoholic drink made exclusively from apples - sometimes a little pear may be added too. The alcohol content varies from2% ABV to 8.5%. Apple cider is very popular in the United Kingdom, the UK consumes the most cider and has the biggest cider manufacturing companies in the world. In 2006 it was recorded that the UK produces about 600 million litres of cider per year. The Irish are quite fond of cider too and in some areas of Spain and France. In the United States of America they can also call cider 'apple wine'.
Magners/Bulmers: This cider is produced in Co.Tipperary, Ireland and used to be called Bulmers but still is in Ireland. Bulmers did so well in Ireland it expanded to the UK Bulmers and now worldwide. Magners and Bulmers are made in the same way from 17 different types of apples, that were fermented and stored for up to two years. There are many different flavours of Bulmers:
Bulmers Pear
Bulmers Berry
Magners Light
Magners Golden Draught
John Keppler: This cider company is based in Co.Cork, Ireland. It is a rich premium Irish cider. Kepplers has gone international but is not a huge success internationally yet as it is a new cider but, it looks like it will become a huge success soon. It does not a different flavours like Bulmers but they could in the coming years.
Apples are used in a lot of sweet dishes, to add flavour or a sourness. One of the most common uses for apple in baking would be to use them in an apple pie.
Old Fashioned Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
2 9-inch pie crusts (one for the top crust, one for the bottom crust)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups thinly sliced and cored apple
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt. Stir in the apples.
3. Place into pie crust, dot with butter. Cover with top crust, and slit evenly to let steam escape. Seal the top crust to the bottom by pinching the edges together.
3. Cover edge of the crust with a three inch strip of aluminum foil.
4. Bake 40-50 minutes, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through top
Apple juice is made by first macerating the apple (softening the apple with a liquid and absorbing the flavour from the fruit). Maceration helps the fruit to release its juices and make them easier to digest. Its quite expensive to produce apple juice in large quantities so its mostly produced commercially.
Apples can also be eaten as a snack, with the sugars in them they can give a burst of energy. Apples are a quick and tasty snack, a perfect food for a packed lunch. An apple can last longer if it is stored in a fridge. Apple juice is one of the most common fruit juices throughout the world. The taste/juice from apples is used in a lot of sweets. Many fruits are used as flavours for sweets e.g. strawberry, lemon, orange etc.
