Ohio apples make good cider

[Def]

I live in central Ohio and have access to several apple trees in the Hocking Hills area as well as on my property. If all the trees bear fruit, I can see 10 to 15 gallons of cider and perry in my future. To get things started, I am giong to try a batch of concentrate cider this spring.

 

[mashdar]

Dessert, seedling, or cider apples?

 

[lumpher]

Do you know what breed of apples? They vary in tannin, acidity, sweetness, etc. I have red and golden delicious apple trees in my mini-orchard... neither are best for cider.

 

[fluketamer]

What pears you got . Like apples, you need perry pears not eating pears. No one would plant cider apples on there property because they aren’t good eating apples. In the 70’s I Used. To see a lot of private property crab apples not as much so more. Crab apples I think can make cider. I suppose you could add tannins and acid but at that point I would just use store juice.

A lot of the newer available fancy cultivars like honey crisp pippin gala pink lady etc have a fair amount of tannins and acid unlike the boring red delicious. I still think they are prolly not bitter enough for good cider. But I taste the tannins as compared to what we used to get in the stores.

Thanks to another member I have learned that most Apple cultivars are unavailable in supermarkets due to shelflife transportability and visible appeal etc.

 

[Def]

One of my friends trees came from Ohio State many years ago. It produces large green skin apples with dark stripes. Kind of ugly looking. They make the sweetest cider I have ever tasted, so we will save them for fresh cider. I don't have any idea what his other trees are. I will taste them to see what works. My trees are winesap and mackintosh. I'm not trying to create an English or French high end cider, just something pleasant and drinkable for my friend and me. He also has 3 quince trees.

 

[mashdar]

fresh cider

Juice? (edit: I will not bend to your prohibition era linguistic muddling!)

Winesap is good. Very high sugar apples tend to have some good hidden acid, so don't count them out!

I take it you have a press and method of crushing/milling the fruit?

Sounding good!

 

[Def]

Scratter and press are both about 100 years old and still working.