SC - Cider Sauce Experiments
lilinah at earthlink.net
lilinah at earthlink.net
Wed Dec 6 22:52:08 PST 2000
Robin Carroll-Mann shared her recipe for Spanish cider sauce with the list:
CIDER SAUCE
Source: Diego Granado, Libro del Arte de Cozina, 1599
Translation & Redaction: Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Apple Cider Sauce
2 cups sweet apple cider
8 ounces sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 ounce cinnamon sticks
1/2 whole nutmeg
4 whole cloves
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat
about 45 minutes, until the volume is reduced by half and a candy
thermometer reads 220F (105C). Strain through cheesecloth. Pour
into a clean glass jar. Refrigerate. Makes about 1 cup.
=====================
What i did:
1.) Being an American without a kitchen scale, i consulted "The Joy
of Cooking" which said that 1 pound of sugar equaled approx. 2 cups.
2.) Although apples grow here in northern California, i do not live
in a fresh cider area. Yes, they sell it around here, and i found it
for around 8 dollars a gallon. To make enough sauce i needed 2.5
gallons and $20 dollars was more than i wanted to spend for the
sauce, considering i had already purchased about $60 spices. So i am
cheating. I bought a frozen natural unsweetened apple juice
concentrate, which makes a gallon for under $4.
3.) Where i was shopping the white wine vinegar was only in little
bottles, so it was mongo expensive, but there was a big bottle of
champagne vinegar that was reasonable, so i got that. More suitable
than red wine vinegar, i reasoned.
4.) As for wine, i am an ignoramus. But i found a 2 liter bottle of
white Chardonnay for $8, so what the hey... I tasted it before using
it and it was definitely drinkable, not bad even.
EXPERIMENT ONE
enough concentrate to make one quart of juice
1/2 as much water as needed to reconstitute
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 oz cassia sticks - yes i know they taste different than true
cinnamon, which is much more delicious
1 whole nutmeg, cut in quarters
8 whole cloves
I put them all together in a pan, brought to a simmer and cooked
until reduced by half. I think i was cooking on too low a fire, so
for the last, uh, i don't know, maybe 1/2 hour or 45 min, i brought
the heat up to a faster simmer, but not a rolling boil. I don't own a
candy thermometer, so i gauged by feel - the liquid was definitely
thickened, and i measured it until it was reduced to 2 cups. This
took about two hours. I didn't stand over the pot, just went in and
stirred every 15 min. or so until near the end, when i checked every
five minutes or so, then stood there for the last 10 minutes of
cooking. I removed the spices, but did not strain, as the sauce is
clear. Then I cooled it, 2 cups worth.
It is the color of cherry amber. It never jelled, not even in the
fridge - probably pectin was removed in the commercial processing -
but it is a VERY thick syrup. The flavor is interesting - the wine
and wine vinegar help cut the sweetness of the juice and sugar and
add a nice fruity tang. There is a clear flavor of spices, although
i'd like them stronger, and of apple.
EXPERIMENT TWO
Same ingredients as Experiment One, except i fully reconstituted the
juice and kept the fire higher during the process. It took only a
little longer, because i had the heat higher. But even though i
reduced it by half, it was more liquid than the first batch. It is a
moderately thick syrup. It seems sweeter than the first, although
with a slightly stronger spice flavor.
Although this is probably not what the Spanish made and may not be as
delicious as sauce made from fresh cider, it is very good. I think it
will be a success.
Well, just 4 more potsful to go. This time i'll have two pots going
at once in two sessions. Gee, this is easy :-)
Thanks Robin/ Lady Brighid
Anahita
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