SC - Apples for Cider

[Magdalena]

CBlackwill at aol.com wrote:

> Does
> anyone have any information of which particular family of apples would be
> most appropriate for a "period style" cider?

Well, one of my cider books says "In England, the most esteemed cider apple in
the seventeenth century was the Red Streak, which gave 'the richest and most
vinous liquor.'  Other favorites were the Bromesbury Crab, the Red & White Must
apples, the Harvey, the Pearmain, the Foxwhelp, and the Gennet-Moyle."
_Cider: Making, Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider_  by Annie Proulx & Lew
Nichols; 2nd ed. p 92.
(the first edition is slightly better than the 2nd)

If you can get your hands on them, Kingston Black is a good one-apple cider
apple, but otherwise I suggest you use a blend of apple types.  Definitely throw
in a few crab apples for tannins if what you have available is mostly dessert
apples.  Red Delicious makes a good blending base, with lots of aromatics, but
requires plenty of more flavorful varieties to give the cider character.  I'm
told that Golden Russet is an excellent cider apple, both sweet and tart with a
nice aroma.  The Roxbury Russet was developed in Massachusetts in 1649, and is
listed as a superior cider apple.  Winesaps are good blended with dessert apples
such as the delicious.

I have lots more info on apple varieties if you are interested, but sadly not
much on which ones were developed when.

- -Magdalena




> I would like to use "belgian
> apples", but have no information regarding which, if any, were grown in
> medieval times.  If all else fails, I will use Granny Smith.  I am looking
> for a tart apple cider, but the apples themselves need not be tart.  The
> yeast should take care of that nicely.  Any ideas?