The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-11-03
The Making and Keeping Of Cider.

| To make good cider, good, sound
we'll ripened, clean apples must be
used, and no Others. It is better to
crush them than to CRATE them. Every.
thing about the mill with which the
apples, pomace or cider can come in
contact must be clean-perfectly so.
The apple juice, when expressed from
the pomace, must be filtered SO as to
take out every particle of apple OF
other solid matter which may be
floating in it. This may be done in
any practicable way in which the fl
tering substance contains no foreign
or deleterious matter. Clearly washed
sand is sometimes used, and animal
charcoal; but probably mass of per-
fecty clean cotton, or cotton cloth OF
many thicknesses, will be found to be
as good as anything. The cider should
be expressed from the pomace as
quickly as possible after the apples are
crushed, and the juice will be nearly
as white as water if it is immediately
filtered. If the pomace is allowed
to stand some time after crushing
the apples, before pressing, the cider
will be colored and not as good.
When made as above, and filtered, the
question is, how to keep and cure it fit
for use. First, clean cask. If it has
been used for cider before, it must be
wholly freed from the flavor of its
previous contents. This may be done
by burning out the inside, no other
way is certain, though long soaking
in water and washing may make a
tolerably clean cask. BUTT is better to
use a new cask, or one that has been
used for spirits. Before filling the
cask, adopt faucet to it, SO that the
contents can be drawn off three or
four inches above the bottom. Fill
the cask perfectly full, and place it in
q cool cellar, where it will not be
moved or be in the least disturbed, and
fit a bung with a small aperture, so
that gas may escape while fermenta-
ton is going on. Before fermentation
has ceased, bung up perfectly tight
with a small faucet, or its equivalent
through or near the bung, by which
air may be admitted when necessary;
but this must not be opened except
when it is impossible to draw through
the lower faucet without admitting air,
and then admit as little as will answer.
Cider fit for drinking cannot be made
IN warm weather, unless you have a
much cooler place than farmers eel
lars generally are. to store it in. A
temperature below fifty degrees is
indispensable. With such places for
storage as farmers are likely to have
cider should not be made until the
latter part of November or the first part
of December.
When made, filtered, and stored as
before described, it should not be
drawn from or in any way moved or
meddled with until it is cured, which
will not be until the May following,
and it will be still better 10 let It
stand longer before drawing from it.
You can draw from it some time
before it will be necessary to admit air
through the faucet on the top of the
cask, as the gas generated will force
the cider out; but when it ceases to do
that. then little air must be admitted
from time to time through the upper
faucet, which must be kept closed ex-
cept when it is necessary to admit air
TO the cask. Cider made and kept
and cured in this way will be more
palatable and more wholesome than
any wine, and is much safer to use in
moderation than any lager-beer or ale. |
1t is much better kept in a mass
n cask than in bottles; but if for any
'eason it is desirable to put it into |
bottles, it should be drawn from the |
ask into them. one at a time, and |
lightly corked, in the latter part of
April or any time after that. The
forks must be tied in securely, and the
bottles must be very strong or else they
will burst. Champagne bottles are
bout the only ones safe to use. If the
'orks are not perfectly tight, the cider
n the bottles will soon spoil.
Thus it will be seen that to have
,ood cider. we must have the pure
uice OF good ripe apples, in perfectly
lean cask, placed in a position in a
DOL cellar where it will not be moved
r Jared, and after the apple-juice has
,one through about three-quarters OF
is period of fermentation, tightly closed
nd then left to cure until about MAY
st. II the air faucet is carelessly
eft open, the cider is spoiled
0 the condition in which we generally
md cider, unfit to drink.
Hyou want apple juice. or uncured cider
Or use during the winter, set apart
cask sufficient for the purpose, made
nd treated as above described; but it
hould be used with caution, as it is
OF very good for the stomach. Cider
8 generally made and used is wholly
nit for the stomach, unhealthful and
angerous to use, and very likely to
reate morbid appetite for stimu.
tnts, while the exact contrary is true
hen it is properly made and kept.
cider is to be sold, it is best to sell
soon as made. before fermentation
as taken place, and the purchaser
1ould place it in cool place, and
eat as above directed. 1t may.
owever, be drawn off into clean
ask. in March or later, and trans.
orted; but it should be treated as be-
re and allowed to stand a few weeks
sfore use or bottling. +,
Most farmers can add to their re-
.ipts by using their sound apples /,
hich are too small or ill-shaped to be
erchantable, in the way indicated.
I'd promote temperance and good
'alth. Country Gentleman. II
Preserves. Take out seeds, I