flipHessian Apple Cider (Apfelwein)
Hessian Apple Cider (Apfelwein)
Why this dish? Apfelwein is the emblematic drink of Hesse, the Grimms' region. The sheet recalls that they sometimes drank beer in the evening; in their country, cider held an equally familiar place, served in the very inns where storytellers and the tales they collected circulated.
A dry, lively cider, slightly cloudy, with the characteristic tart edge of local apples. Served cool in a stoneware jug, it is the shared drink of Hessian evenings and tables.
In our parts, when evening falls, we draw the cider from the barrel and pour it into the stoneware jug. It is dry, it pricks the tongue a little, not sweet like children's drink: it is a grown man's beverage. In the inns, it is over such a glass that old folks loosened their tongues and delivered to us the tales we put to paper. Clink your glass, my friend, and let yourself be told a story.
- •Orchard apples (tart and aromatic) — in large quantity (raw material)
- •Wild apple yeasts — naturally present (fermentation)
Hessian Apple Cider (Apfelwein)
A dry, lively cider, slightly cloudy, with the characteristic tart edge of local apples. Served cool in a stoneware jug, it is the shared drink of Hessian evenings and tables.
Why this dish? Apfelwein is the emblematic drink of Hesse, the Grimms' region. The sheet recalls that they sometimes drank beer in the evening; in their country, cider held an equally familiar place, served in the very inns where storytellers and the tales they collected circulated.
In our parts, when evening falls, we draw the cider from the barrel and pour it into the stoneware jug. It is dry, it pricks the tongue a little, not sweet like children's drink: it is a grown man's beverage. In the inns, it is over such a glass that old folks loosened their tongues and delivered to us the tales we put to paper. Clink your glass, my friend, and let yourself be told a story.
Ingredients (period version)
- Orchard apples (tart and aromatic) — in large quantity (raw material)
- Wild apple yeasts — naturally present (fermentation)
Ingredients
- Pure apple juice, preferably unpasteurized — 5 L (raw material)
- Cider yeast (or wild yeasts from raw juice) — 1 packet (fermentation)
- A few very tart apples — 2 to 3 (acidity adjustment)
Method
- Pour the apple juice into a clean demijohn, add the yeast (or rely on wild yeasts if the juice is raw).
- Fit an airlock and let ferment away from light, 2 to 4 weeks, until bubbling stops.
- Rack carefully to separate the cider from the sediment.
- Let mature for a few more weeks in a cool place to soften the acidity.
- Serve cool in a stoneware jug, slightly cloudy.
How it was made : Apples were pressed in autumn and the must fermented on its own thanks to yeasts on the fruit skin. In Hesse, it is traditionally served in a 'Bembel' (blue-gray stoneware jug) and a ribbed glass, the 'Geripptes'.
The contemporary twist : The 'Sauergespritzter': lengthen the cider with a little sparkling water for a lighter, more refreshing version.
Brothers Grimm · Charactorium
