Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-01
Dailu Kennrber Journal.
How 10 Preserve Cider.

\ pure, sweet cider is only obtainable
from clean. sound fruit. and the fruit
should. therefore. be carefully examined
and wiped before grinding.
In the press use hair-coth or gunny in
place of straw. As the cider runs from
the press let it pass through hair-seive
into large open vessel. that will hold as
much juice as can be expressed in one day.
In one day, or sometimes less, the pomace
will rise to the top. and in short time
grow very thick When little white bub-
bles break through it draw off the liquid
through very small spigot placed about
three inches from the bottom, so that the
less may be left behind. The cider must
be drawn off into very clean, sweet casks.
preferably fresh liquor casks. and closely
watched. The moment the white bubbles.
before mentioned are perceived rising at
the bunghole, rack it again. II is usually
necessary to repeat this three times. Then
fill up the cask with cider in every respect
like that originally contained in it. add ii
tumbler of warm sweet oil and bung up
tight. For very fine cider it is customary
to add at this stage OF the process about
half a pound Of glucose Starch sugar.,
or a smaller portion of white sugar The
cask should then be allowed to remain in
a cool place until the cider has acquired
the desired flavor.
In the meantime clean barrels for its
reception shauld be prepared, as fol-
lows: Some clean strips of rags are
dipped in melted sulphur, lighted and
burned in the bunghole and the bung laid
loosely on the end OF the rag. so as to re-
tain the sulphur vapor within the bar
rel. Then tie up half a pound Of mustard
seed in coarse muslin bag and put it in
the barrel with cider. and add about
quarter of pound of isinglass or fine gel
atine dissolved in hot water. This Is the
old-fashioned way, and will keep cider in
the same condition rs when it went into
the barrel, if kept in a cool place. for
year.
Professional cider makers are now using
calcium sulphitc (splphite of lime) instead
OF mustard and sulphur vapor. 1t is much
more convenient and effectual. To use ii
il is simply requisite to add one-eighth to
one quarter of an ounce of sulphte to each
gallon of cider in the cask. first mixing the
powder in about quart of the cider and
giving the latter thorough shaking or
rolling. After standing bunged several
DAYS TO allow the sulphite to exert IFS full
action, il NAV be bottled off. The sulphite
OF lime (Which should not be mistaken Tor
the sulphate of lime is a commercial arti-
Gle. costing about forty cents a pound by
the barrel. 1t will preserve the sweetness
of the cider perfectly. but unless care is
taken not to add too much of it will inn
part slight sulphurous taste to the cider.
The bottles and corks used should be per-
fectly clean, and the corks wired down.
A little cinnamon, wintergreen or sassa-
fras. ETC., is often added to sweet cider in
the bottle, together with a dram or so of
carbonate of soda at the moment of driv-
ing the stopper. This helps to neutralize
free acids. and renders the liquid eflerves-
cent which unstopped; but if used 10 ex-
cess it may preiudicially affect the taste.
Scientific american.