1892 The flowing bowl when and what to drink (1892, c1891)

FRUIT WINES.

264

499. CHrer.

Cider is chiefly produced in large quantities by pressing apples with an addition of water; yet one may obtain smaller quantities for the family use without too great trouble, by grating fine, juicy peeled apples on a grater; filter the juice through a cloth, pour it into stone jars, and add some roasted apples to hasten fermentation. When, after a couple of days, a skin appears on the juice, fermentation is complete; remove the skin, bottle the cider, and keep it in a cool place. Larger quantities of cider are obtained by mashing good, juicy apples; press them, and fill the juice into a small Rhine wine cask. Place this cask in a cool room upon a skid, when the juice will soon begin to ferment; fermentation will take about a fortnight; during this time remove with a clean piece of linen all stuffs thrown to the surface; as soon as fermentation is done fill the cask up with water, bung it well, and let it lie in the cel- lar half a year; decant it into another cask, let it lie for another two months, and fill into bottles. Collect the perfectly ripe currants on a sunny day, clean, and put them in a big earthen or wooden pot, and mash them with a wooden masher; let ferment in a cellar, and strain through a hair-sieve with a wooden spoon; never use your hands; decant into a little cask; add to each quart of juice half a pound of powdered sugar, and to each twelve quarts of juice one quart of brandy or arrack ; let the wine stand six weeks, bottle, and use after two months. %