Cryoextraction is a process you may be familiar with, as it's the process typically used to make ice wine. This is where fruit is allowed to freeze and then pressed while still semi-frozen to extract the sugars, leaving the water still frozen in the press.
Ice cider is also becoming more popular, although only about 5% of Canada's ice cider is made using cryoextraction. Ice cider is actually more typically made using the process of cryoconcentration.
We froze some organic Northern Spy and Ida Red apples this fall, and with the warmer this weekend we thought we'd try pressing the apples and use the apple essence to naturally sweeten some of our 2017 ciders.
Semi-frozen apples in rack and cloth press
Apples are wrapped in pressing cloth and the rack is added
Setting up to add another layer of apples wrapped in cloth
Pressing the apples
Removing the pressed apples
Pressed apples
Refreshingly sweet and tart Ida Red nectar with a slight blush
And there you have it. A bright and crisp apple essence that will add a touch of sugar to some our 2017 ciders. Be the first to know about our lineup and release dates by signing up for our newsletter at the bottom of the page here.