Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-13
kFEDERAL EXPERTS
ADVICE ABOUT CIDER
Still Popular Drink In America;
Has Never Yielded to
Grape Juice.

Unfcrmentcd apple juice. or sweet
cider, Is a popular and inexpensive |
beverage Juice. and i,s manufacture on
a small scale Ia a very widely distribu-
ted farm industry. IL Is now very
largely a seasoned product. made and
consumed during the period In which
apples are plentiful and virtually un-
ob,alnabo for the remainder OF the
year
"Unfermented apple juice. or sweet
cider" SAYS Joseph $. Caldwell. plant
phye.ologst. In a bulletin OF the
United states Department of Agricul-
ture. may Justly be called the great
American beverage. IL Is more gem
orally popular and is made and con-
sumed in much greater quantities
than any other beverage juice. AS the
making of cider Is regarded by fruit
growers as the surest means OF secur-
ing an outlet for surplus fruit, IL is
very widely distributed farm industry.
tho total production fiuctuatlng great
ly from year 10 year.
Thus. In 1899. the production Of
cider on farms reported in the census
was b5.sSo,l99 gallons, with an addi-
tlonal l2.3e3.656 gallons converted into
vinegar. In 1909. a year in which the
apple crop CT the Middle and South
Atlantic and East North Central
States was a partial failure the pro-
duction OF cider on farms dropped to
32.5ss.996 gallons. with 7.246,632 gal
Ions OF vinegar.
While cider rs in strong demand
FOR use in the making OF apple butter
4.ff
chef purpose for which II is employed
is as a beverage. There are few In
diyiduals 20 whom gocd cider does not
appeal. and that fact that apples are
so widely grown in the United States
should make Il possible for consumers
20 obtain supplies irrespective II their
location.
The reason for this situation is
that only comparatively few small
scale producers of apple juice ractice
the pasteurizlng OF their product. so
rs to make Il available FOR Lse in a
sweet condition at any season Of the
year. Either through ignorance OF
the methods TO be employed in pas
teurization or a misapprchension as
90 the difficulty and expense of the
process. large quantities Of apple Juice
are yearly allowed 10 ferment and
ultimately 10 become vinegar. while its
place as n beverage IS taken by
synthetic soft drinks of greater cost.
lower food value and palatabillty. and
often OF doubtful character so far as
their cleanliness and freedom from
bacterial contamination are concerned
How 10 Preserve Ii.
MANY persons. have the erroneous
idea that II is practically impossible
10 preserve apple Juice merely by the
use OF heat and sealing, without the
addition OF some chemical substance 10
act as a preservative. This notion is
entirely incorrect. Various chemical
preservatives have been more or less
used 10 prevent fermentation. Among
these are salicyllc acid. formio acid,
benzolc acid. boric acid. sulphurous
acid and various compounds which
upon being added 20 the Juice are de-
composed 10 set free some Of these
substances. The use OF benzoate OF
soda in an amount not TO exceed one
tenth Of ] per cent in juices offered
for sale is tolerated by the officials
charged with the enforcement Of the
Food and Drugs act. provided the fac
Of its use is declared on the label. TIL,
Use Of other chemical preservatives j.
forbidden.
1T should be clearly understood tha
the use Of any preservative in frui
juices is entirely unnecessary If tn,
juice Is properly pasteurized and seal
ed. and that there is no preservativ,
which. when used in quantities permit
go by the law or with ordinary regar.
10 the health OF the user. Will proven
fermentation in juices which have no
been pasteurized and sealed or whicl
are opened TO the air after pasteur!za