What are your favorite apples from the store for making hard cider from apples?

[Dave_E]

Hi All,

My first hard cider from apple juice is coming along, almost done… give it a few more days. Being store bought juice, I don’t want to get too exited about it. So the next step would be to try real apples. Real apples are still growing here, so store bought is the next best thing. Which apple varieties (alone or combined) have you had good success with?

Dave

 

[AzOr]

I don’t think I’d use any grocery store apples for cider. This time of year, the apples you’d find at the store will have come from cold storage. This process involves gassing them w ethylene, nitrogen etc.
There are really good single variety juices available at many stores, Fuji, honey crisp etc. They have probably only been heat pasteurized, which is better for cider.

Mid summer you’ll be able to find Gravensteins at farmers markets. Those make really good cider (maybe add a touch of tannins).