Apple and Pear Cider
This great tasting cider is ideal for making use of all your end of season apple and pears that aren't really edible.
Apples or pears
Water
Sugar
Lemons (or limes if you prefer a dry taste)
Freeze 1.5kg of apples and/or pears for three days. Remove the fruti from the freezer and allow it to defrost completely in a container (so that all the juice is collected). Mix all the apples or pears in a food processor so that small pieces remain - not so far that it becomes a puree. Then place the mixture into a sterile bucket or large soup pot. Add 6.8L of cold water straight from the tap.
Leave for around seven days and stir each morning and evening. At this point your cider should start to ferment. Strain it through a fine muslin or cheese cloth. Then add 1kg of sugar and mix well. Next add the zested rind and juice of three lemons (it's easier to zest the lemons before you squeeze the juice). Then leave it to ferment for another 24 hours.
Bottle the mixture into screw-topped bottles (save your empty wine bottles) and store in a very cool place (like a garage). It's important to only use screw top bottles as the mixture is explosive and should never be bottled using corks.
The cider will be ready in one week, but will continue to get better over the next few months. Keep taking the top off and taste testing till you're happy. Once you're pleased with the taste put it all in the fridge. The fridge will stop the fermenting process and keep the cider at the level you're happy with.
Note: If you don't have any suitable fruit, check out your local fruit shop. Often they will sell their past-it pears and apples for a token amount. Making successful cider is very much dependent on your taste buds and testing. Make note of what you do with your first batch to change and improve your second batch.
