CIDER TRADITION A Pillar of
CIDER IS ONE OF THE WEST COUNTRY’S MOST CELEBRATED COMMODITIES. A STRONG HISTORY AND TRADITION IN THE REGION IS MATCHED BY A STUNNING VARIETY OF PRODUCERS, BRANDS AND BLENDS TO TANTALISE THE TASTEBUDS. TOM SMART EXPLORES THIS ALADDIN’S CAVE OF RICHES
O
ctober is a busy month for cider producers everywhere. While most apple-hunters will spend the season foraging
through orchards for a basket-full of beautifully coloured and flavoursome little fruits, the cider grower will be looking for something entirely different. There is something much more poetic about the mind-set when gathering apples for press: the beautiful ones aren’t always best. Traditionally ‘rough’, or ‘scrumpy’ cider was made using windfall apples (scrumps), and would vary in flavour depending on how old or ‘off’ these apples were. Good cider apples used today are generally a lot smaller than traditional dessert apples, with blotchy skins that tend to be high in natural yeast,
In today’s modern market ‘scrumpy’ has often become associated with notions of a lower price and higher alcohol content, leading to a rise in ‘traditional’ and ‘artisan’ cider makers across the region standing firm to protect the legacy of cider as a quality, natural product. Certainly this is not a notion to be baulked at. Cider in its purest form contains antioxidant levels to rival that of the traditional medicinal tipple, red wine. So when you sit back and enjoy a pint of the South West’s finest feel free to revel in the oxymoron that in some way, it really is
22 | THE WESTCOUNTRY FOODLOVER good for you!
While cider can be made with any apple variety, there are specific varieties that are preferred for its production, and the blend of fruit used depends greatly on what you are looking to produce. The variation between sweet, dry and sparkling cider is, in
basic terms, dependent on the
“Traditionally ‘rough’, or ‘scrumpy’ cider was made using windfall apples (scrumps), and would vary in flavour depending on how old or ‘off ’ these apples were”
fruit mixes that are used. Popular varieties such as Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill and Dabinett are generally utilised in unison to produce a quality natural product.
In the past few years CAMRA, the
organisation famous for their ‘Real Ale’ campaigning, have turned their attention towards promoting ‘Real Cider’ as the popularity of the product has soared once more. Ian Packham, South West Regional Director of CAMRA, commented: “In broad terms, a ‘Real Cider’ should be made from 100% freshly pressed apples,
ABOVE: Ye Olde Cider Bar in
Newton Abbot is a must-visit on any cider pilgrimage
© ALAN STONE
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