1939 The Gentleman's Companion volume II Beeing an Exotic Drinking Book

THE GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION

Valley, which, incidentally, is in Washington, and is pronounced Yack-a-maw and not ya-Key-ma, the basic fermentation principles are forever the same. Cider has been made for thousands of years and due to the fearful, muddy hogwash our rural folk insist on inflicting upon their customers, it is widely neglected by those who should know better. As a matter of fact, and with all due credit to our Pacific North– west stalwarts, the tart, more flavourful Eastern apples really are better for fine cider-apples like the favourite winesap, for instance. The rules are really quite simple. I. Use apples not quite ripe, if we want sparkle, snap and finest flavour in cider. 2. Don't be both lazy and stingy by gathering up a bin of wormy wind– falls, unless .we really admire that sad bruised-apple taste. Cider is an important business and deserves first grade fruit, not something we wouldn't dare feed to swine. Science has not yet been able to announce any virtue in crushed worms, entirely aside from their distinct lack of distingue. Inferior fruit is what ruins most ciders. 3. Mellow these apples for IO days to 2 wks, depending on briskness of weather-the colder the longer-by spreading them out on dry straw in a dry barn. This permits mucilage to break down, and perhaps the starch, for all of us!-and starts development of carbonic acid which insures that delightful sparkle so lacking in almost all professional, and most amateur, ciders. 4. The apples are now ground to a pulp and juice pressed out through coarse strong cotton bags. A small hand cider press is used in small amounts, filtering the juice well. 5· Put juice in open tub or vat at a constant temperature of around 60° Fahrenheit, covered with a cloth to prevent entry of dust, entomological specimens, and general rural addenda. . . . Allow 2 days for weak c~der; 8 to 10 days for strong; or in latter event, when sediment has sub– sided. Beyond this point the vinegar trend develops apace--abortive and acid beverage, at best, and not one to be admired. 6. Rack off into clean wooden kegs and store in cellar where fairly cool, even temperature is assured. 7· Drink now if we cannot wait, but remember it will really be a divine nectar by the coming spring!

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