Apple Cider & Homemade Wine » Braeburn

Washington State Apples

jyounk509 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:57:39 +0000

Washington State is located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and is home to a prefect apple growing region. On the eastside of the Cascade Mountains you will find lush valleys that are home to some of the best apple’s on earth. The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys provide the perfect apple growing climate coupled with soil rich in cascade volcanic ash. Most of the apples grown in this region are available year round, with a few exceptions. The most popular varieties of apples grown in Washington State are Red and Golden Delicious, Gala, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny Smith, Braeburn and the more recent Honeycrisp. For Cider making, there are some great parings that can be made with these varieties, but some of the more tannic and non-table type apples are found more in backyard orchards rather than grown commercially.

Apple Varieties and Flavors

jyounk509 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:04:10 +0000

One of the great things abouts making homemade apple cider, is that you can never run out of different apple combinations to experiment with. The more apple cider you make the more you will begin to understand what works well together and what doesn’t. This depends on your unique tastes as well, not everyone will agree on what tastes best. My philosophy is that you must start with quality apples and from there it’s just a matter of fine tuning. Most talk is surrounded around a good mix of sweet apples and tart apples, or at least having a good balance. I agree, it’s a must to mix at least two apple pairings, unless of course you don’t have a choice. Then the best apple choice is your only choice, I’m sure it will still be tasty. Here is a chart I found from Sage Fruit Company in Yakima, Washington. I love the graphic detail laying out the spectrum of different apple flavors. This can give the homemade cider maker some great ideas!

Apple Flavors and Varieties

Apple a Day Health Facts

jyounk509 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:03:51 +0000

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! No kidding. Whether you are enjoying Red Delicious, Gala, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, Golden, Fuji, or one of the many other varirties of apples, you are doing yourself a healthy favor. According to the US Apple Association, here are the facts:

Apples contain zero fat & saturated fat, and are cholesteral & Sodium Free.
Apples are also an excellent source of fiber and contain natural plant-based antioxidents.
Apples and Apple Juice and Cider contain the mineral boron, which promotes helthy bones.
Apples are sweetened with the natural sugar called fructose.
Apples are a high fiber food which helps maintain a steady blood sugar level.

Enjoy your apple a day in any way you choose. Juices, whole apples, sliced apples, cider, or apple sauce.

How to make Apple Cider – Step 1

jyounk509 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:33:48 +0000

Here is a step by step guide for making homemade apple cider using a fruit press.

Step 1 – Apple Selection & Preparation

This is a critical step as this will determine the quality and flavor of your cider. Make sure you are not using apples that are tree fallen as they will most certainly contain pests, which will not only hurt your cider, they may have contaminated the apples. Quality fruit will produce quality cider, just like anything else. You will also want to select a couple different varieties of apples. Using two or three different varieties will give your cider a unique taste. Each time your press apples you can experiment with different varieties of apples to find the perfect ratio of sweetness and tart. An example of a blend may be Red Delicious apples coupled with Granny Smiths. As I am from the Yakima Valley I always use apples grown in Washington State, I have yet to find better apples than the apples grown in Central Washington. Even with this simple mix you can adjust the ratio of reds to granny’s to refine your blend. Other blends may apple varieties such as: Jonagold, Pink Lady, Golden, Gala, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or Rome.

Once you have your fruit selected you will want to make sure you wash them throroughly to remove all pesticides. When pressing apples your press should have a grinder to crush the apples into small pieces. However, I suggest at least quartering the apples before putting them through your grinder unless you have a quality grinder that can handle whole apples. Some cider presses have automatic grinders while others have a manual crank.