Cider Take 2
In Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon says to put whey into the apple juice when making cider. Do you know the reason/benefit for doing this?
Comment from Jessica on yesterday’s post
Good question, Jessica! I am not an expert by any means, but I believe that using whey and salt as she suggests would yield in a more fermented end product. The spontaneous version is charming because it reminds me of a time when people actually harvested wild yeast to help bread rise and beer ferment, but the end result is not as predictable as whey ferments.
For people that do not have access to whey the spontaneous version is a fun and easy way to get started with fermentation, but if you have the ingredients why not boost the benefits of fermentation with Sally Fallon’s recipe? Here it is if you don’t happen to have a copy of her book on hand. 
Ingredients
- about four dozen organic apples or 1 gallon unpasteurized and preservative-free apple juice
- 1 heaping tablespoon unrefined sea salt (where to buy salt)
- ½ cup whey
- An airlock lid, like this one*
Instructions
- Wash, seed and juice apples. Remove as much foam as possible from the top.
- Strain juice into gallon-sized container with airlock. Cover with a towel and let sit on the counter for three days.
- Skim off any additional foam that rises to the top, then pour juice into two quart-sized jars, cover tightly and refrigerate.
Photo Credit: Matt Beldyk
Michelle Shuster McPherson via Facebook
Where do you purchase unpasteurized and preservative free apple juice? Or did you juice your own apples?
Mommypotamus via Facebook
I juiced my own. Unless you buy it at a farmer’s market it’s probably unlikely you’ll find unpasteurized, but some recipes just say preservative-free so maybe it’s ideal but not absolutely necessary. Does that help?
Michelle Shuster McPherson via Facebook
I never thought about the farmers market. I figured I would have to juice my own, which is fine. I just thought if there was a shortcut I would do it. But, I know generally with wholesome and nutritious cooking there are no easy shortcuts:)
Sarah
I tried this, and it got all moldy on top. I skimmed the moldy part off the top. Any guesses on what I did wrong and if the cider is still safe to drink?
Heather
I’m so sorry that happened, Sarah! Did you juice apples or buy juice from the store? I’m wondering if maybe it had some type of preservative in it that prevented fermentation. EIther way, I’ve learned since I posted this recipe that using an airlock can prevent the rare occasion of spoilage that is available with wild ferments. Here’s an example of the one that I’ve been using: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006JMJJP0/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006JMJJP0&linkCode=as2&tag=mommypotamus-20
Again, so sorry you had trouble! I can’t really say whether it is safe without seeing and smelling it but I will update this post so no one else has trouble.