Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-10-21

APPLES, APPLE JUICE, CIDER AND VINEGAR

This is most emphatically ''the bear
ing year. with apples. Not only are well
kept orchards in full bearing, but every
superannuated and half-decayed tree and ev-
cry scrub and chance Seeding by the road
side. is loaded in manner seldom seen in a
lifetime. With this abundance il is evident
that with apples there will be glut in the
market. There will be TO room except
.highcr up" and those who send poor frui,
TO market had better use their barrels for
| fre-wood and save the freigh, charges.
There is always certain demand to be met,
but this year onl, the select fruit will sup
ply it. In wears Of plenty. careful selection
and neat packages tell. The almost daily
inquiries to fruit driers show that prepar-
atoms are being made TO dry share of this
abundance, and we hope by this article to
anticipate the inquiries tina; will soon be
made as TO disposing of the frui, in the va
rious liquid forms.
Apple juice AS it comes from the press, or
sweet cider is liked by many, and ne
have inquiries as to keeping j, in an infer
men,ed state. Preserving powders are ad
,ertised, and some Of these. from their eff
fecti,eness in preserving fruit, will no doub,
keep fruit juice equally well. The majority
will wish to keep their sweet cider wi,hou,
addition, and these can treat it BY the same
method used in canning fruit. Hea, the ci-
der to the boiling point, bottle and cork il
while still hot When apple juice i. exposed
TO the air, the natural ferment il contains
causes a change to take place. The sugar
in the juice is converted into alcohol. and
carbonic acid is given of. This process may
be carried on until all the sugar is decom-
posed. when it is hard cider" The fermen-
taiion may be arrested a; the desired point
BY bo',ling. and sparkling cider will be the
result. This switch is also called champaign
cider" can only be produced by bo;,ling be-
fore the fermentation is quite finished The
best still cider is made from late-ripening
apples, when the weather is cool, fermen,ed
slowly a; as low a temperature as possible.
taking care TO exclude the access Of air
when fermentation has quite ceased. the CT
der should be Iacked of into clean eask.
and kept securely bunged or bottled.
The grea, use of apples this year will he
to make vinegar. In the fermentation Of
cider, the sugar Of the apple juice is con-
verted into alcohol. and in making vinegar
that alcohol is changed into aoe;io acid. The
conditions of this change are full exposure
10 the air and high temperature. The rich-
rihe cider in alcohol, the sironger,will be the
vinegar, and the more slowly will the change
take place. Ordinarily the cider is put away
in the cellar or some outbuilding, and in
time, IT NAV be two or three years or more
will be changed into vinegar. Those who
have heard Of the quick vinegar process
think it can he applied to cider; ~e are Of |
ten asked TO give a description of il. In this |
process a liquid containing alcohol, usually
in the form Of cheap whiskey, is converted |
into vinegar in a few hours. But this is not |
applicable TO cider. for in the fermentation |
Of cider or other frui, juices. the change in
to vinegar is accompanied BY the growth Of
very Low form Of plant. 1.-The mother" as
1t is usually called, and this would so clog
up the apparatus Of the quick method as to
soon put a stop ;o it, Still the change Of
cider may be FASTENED.
Those who make cider vinegar on large
scale have house especially for the work.
and this is heated to abou, seventy degrees.
Vinegar can not be made rapidly a, a much
lower temperature. Exposure TO the air is
important, hence the casks are not filed but
only partly so, in order TO expose broad |
surface Of the liquid to the action Of the air.
Exposure is increased BY frequently transfer
ring the cider from one cask TO another, let |
ting it run very slowly. Exposure can be |
promoted by allowing the partly formed win |
egar to slowly run down long trough, and 1
also By allowing j, to irickle over corn cobs |
placed in oask, the oobs having been pre-
viously washed and soaked in good vinegar.
Old vinegar acts as fermen;, and has,ens
the change, and the mixing Of new and |
partly formed with a portion Of old and
strong vinegar helps the change. Another
method TO hasten vinegar making is TO add
yeas, to cider, or ~ha; produces the same
effect, the mother" from vinegar barrels. /
The conditions for the most rapid CONVEX
sion of cider into vinegar may be summed |
up: A temperature Of a, leas, seventy de- |
grees, all possible exposure to the air, the |
addition Of old vinegar to the new or the |
use Of mother" Ii should be remembered |
that the weaker the cider in sugar the weak
er will be the vinegar, and the more rapid |
the change.