question about apple cider sold at my farmers market

[andra]

I went to my local farmers market today--it is a small place that has an organic farm nearby. They sell unpasturized apple cider from the organic apples grown in their apple orchard. I questioned the worker there--she described the device used to get the cider. It is NOT heated at all and is unpasturized. I asked her if it would be considered raw (and asked her if she knew of the raw food philosophy). She WAS familiar with the raw food philosophy and stated the cider would be considered raw. She even invited me next Saturday afternoon to watch them press the cider (I may not be able to go due to a possible schedule conflict but I am hoping to). I tried a sample and it tasted really good--not overly sweet (which is good since I dont like really sweet tasting stuff).

I am assuming this is safe to drink and is consistent with the philosophy of this board? I have never really read about people drinking unpasturized apple cider, though (I live in apple country, though, and maybe a lot of you dont live near organic apple orchards).

They keep it refrigerated and told me it would last about a week in the fridge.

andra

[Ilse W.]

Most of us make apple cider all the time, except we normally call it apple juice. What comes out of my Omega juicer is exactly what you get out of a cider press. Don't confuse it with "hard" cider, which is what it becomes after fermentation.

[andra]

So the apple cider they make in their press is ok to drink since it is unpasturized and not heated? She described the "machine" as a large press.

What is hard cider and how does it ferment? Is that different from what comes out of the press? The woman did not mention fermentation and said they just fill jugs with what comes from the press and put it in the fridge. They dont heat it or add anything.

Sorry for all of the basic questions--this is all new to me. I did not buy any yet because I just wanted to double check with this board. In tasting the unpasturized "cider", it tasted really natural and not very sweet--which is what I like.

andra

[Lady Green Jeans]

You're lucky. When I went back home in the fall several years ago, the cider mills had all started pasturizing. What a pity. Nothing like fresh cider at the mill.

[shashibala]

It sounds good to me!

[andra]

Thank you so much for the replies! Yes, I feel very lucky to have access to this small farmers market (which has a small farm on site and then a bigger farm one town over). They have a very active CSA but I did not subscribe. However, I go there weekly, usually Sunday morning and then I stop by my parent's house--which is like 5 minutes away. I grew up in the shadow of this farmers market. They are very old school and do not pasturize their apple "cider". Today I bought beautiful arugula, some flat parsley, carrots, apples, a few purple peppers, and tomatoes. Everything is organic, too. They also sell flowers (and you can pick your own), pumpkins, wild mushrooms, garlic (which I have bought before) etc. They have a pick your own blackberry patch in the back during blackberry season.

They have a few chickens on the side that roam around but dont come in the main area. They sell their eggs (I dont buy them, I am just reporting what they have).

I am glad they do the cider the old fashioned way and I will buy some this Tuesday.:)

Thank you again for your responses!

andra

[notwell]

would love fresh cider. gotta make some.

[spicyfull]

Sounds RAWonderful............Have a Glass for me.

[rawstrength]

Yes, it is raw. Drink it!
You are so lucky to have unpasteurized apple cider. There are tons of organic apple orchards around here, but they all pasteurize. Oh well, I'll just eat the apples instead of drinking them!

[Zaphirah]

I can only get NON-organic unpasterized cider. We drink it occasionally.

[andra]

Well, thank you for the wonderful replies! Yes, I feel lucky that they make this organic unpasturized apple cider. They are a very grass roots kind of place and I live in apple country LOL so there are a lot of great organic apple opportunities. I plan on stopping by tomorrow to buy some (they are closed on Mondays).

Thank you again for your support and answers!

andra

[debilana]

We have a great place like that on a country road in Redmond, Wa...they have this old time cider press and the families love to see how it works. They sell 3 or 4 kinds of cider and some other stuff. Kids love to go there and I am happy they are still making some money doing what they do=)

[Eva]

Thank you so much for the replies! Yes, I feel very lucky to have access to this small farmers market (which has a small farm on site and then a bigger farm one town over). They have a very active CSA but I did not subscribe. However, I go there weekly, usually Sunday morning and then I stop by my parent's house--which is like 5 minutes away. I grew up in the shadow of this farmers market. They are very old school and do not pasturize their apple "cider". Today I bought beautiful arugula, some flat parsley, carrots, apples, a few purple peppers, and tomatoes. Everything is organic, too. They also sell flowers (and you can pick your own), pumpkins, wild mushrooms, garlic (which I have bought before) etc. They have a pick your own blackberry patch in the back during blackberry season.

They have a few chickens on the side that roam around but dont come in the main area. They sell their eggs (I dont buy them, I am just reporting what they have).

I am glad they do the cider the old fashioned way and I will buy some this Tuesday.:)



It sounds like a small slice of heaven. :)