Cider: the quintessential autumn sipper

It might be something about the crunchy rust-colored leaves littering the yard, the nostalgic scent of wood smoke drifting in the crisp autumn air, something about the memories of childhood hay rides and picking apples in my aunt’s North Carolina orchard, but during the first weeks of fall I cannot think of something more scrumptious to sip than a dry, hand-crafted, hard apple cider.

There are many American artisans producing stellar versions, similar to the ones France has been making for ages.  The best ciders have tiny Champagne-like bubbles, and are not cloyingly sweet, but taste of pure heirloom apples, of honey.  Hard cider pairs wonderfully with fall’s favorite nibbles; dry cheeses and deep, toasty nuts.  A wise host might even pair cider with an autumn pork roast or a platter of grilled bratwurst. Happy Fall, y’all.

How is cider produced?  Apples are to cider what grapes are to wine. You’ve got your wildly sweet, and sour and tart and bitter and all the rest, not unlike wine grapes. You press the apples for their juice, occasionally blending said varietals along the way, then you add some yeast, and the juice is laid to rest for fermentation. Depending on the cider house, fermentation time can vary from weeks to many months, with longer maturation adding complexity to the finished product.

Why are there bubbles in cider?  Not all hard ciders contain bubbles, but the ones that do have probably seen a gentle reintroduction of CO2 or have undergone a process called dosage, the addition of sugar and yeast to facilitate a second fermentation, which creates bubbles; the same process by which Champagne is made.

There are many types of cider.  Cider is produced all over the world, from Argentina to France and Spain, but the United States is just now seeing its own little renaissance with its own typically American flavor. American ciders vary wildly in style from serious dry versions and ice-wine styles to sparkling and still iterations with dozens of apple varieties from east to west coast. French ciders tend to be light, subtle, and lower in alcohol content than English ciders, which are often bold, dry, and higher in alcohol.

Tasting notes: American ciders

Foggy Ridge Serious Cider
Full of yellow apple notes with a super acidic finish, this Virginia-made cider is for those who have previously shunned the category. This expression of Foggy Ridge is made with four different apple varietals including Ashmead Kernel and Rocksbury Red. It’s dry, with small bubbles like a low-dosage Champagne, which means it would pair well with oysters, sushi, and a nice, crisp fall salad.

West County Cider, Baldwin
From a rare-apple varietal in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, this cider is exactly what should be paired with Thanksgiving dinner for its fresh-pressed apple quality and baked pie-dough aromas. It’ll carry through brightly from canapés to pumpkin pie and a snooze by the fire.

Original Sin Cherry Tree
With a big mouthful of pinot noir-like suppleness and bright acidity, heirloom varietals give Cherry Tree the tartness of Ranier cherries and green apples. It would go nicely alongside a crispy duck, a warm autumn salad with dried fruit and squash, and a hot date.

Farnum Hill Extra Dry
This New Hampshire cider house produces an entire family of apple-y goodness each year, ranging from semi-dry to farmhouse style. The Extra Dry being the easy going, flannel-clad sibling who pairs best with seafood, like a poached halibut or maybe baked salmon.

Ace Pumpkin Hard Cider
This Sebastopol-crafted cider boasts subtle aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg which are surprisingly delish, making it a no brainer for autumn entertaining.

More apple goodness – pie!

Apples are back in the markets and, lucky us, there are so many beautiful varieties.  I eat an apple a day this time of year and am obsessed with finding the perfect balance of sweet-tart and juicy-firm.  Most apples that you’ll grab in the produce aisle are going to be tasty for munching, but will it produce a perfect pie?  The answer is mostly, no.  When baking, it is worth searching for the following varieties, mixing several is even better, and – do what grandma did – work some leaf lard into the crust, and prepare for pie perfection.

Northern Spy.
Your grandmother may well have insisted on Northern Spy for her pies.  She was right.  This early 1800s star is one of the few apples that can stand alone in pies.  Bright and lively, firm yet tender-skinned, it’s experiencing a well-deserved resurgence as a new generation of bakers discovers that no other apple can match its bag of tricks.

Pink Lady.
Not all modern apples fall flat in pies.  The Pink Lady is super-crisp when eaten fresh and nearly as crisp in pies, where its rosy hue and sweet-tart balance work wonders.  No peeling, please.

Gravenstein.
Love it or leave it. Some people think this local treasure is too soft for pie, but others believe its unmistakable berry-apple fragrance is the very harbinger of fall.  Pick them early for pie.

McIntosh.
Too often we make pies with nothing but overly hard apples — I’m looking at you, Granny Smith!  The McIntosh’s supple flesh melts into a soft, almost mashed, consistency that when paired with a crisp crust is utter deliciousness.

The Best Apple Pie

(Recipe courtesy of Food52)

Makes one 9” double-crust pie

• 2 chilled pie dough disks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for decorating, if desired
• 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
• 2 cups Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
• 2 cups Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
• 3 wedges of fresh lemon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cream or milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients. Place Granny Smith apple slices in bowl, squeeze a wedge of lemon juice over and toss. In another bowl, place Golden Delicious apples, lemon juice and toss. And in a third bowl, place Macintosh, lemon juice and toss. Evenly distribute sugar mixture over apples in three separate bowls. Mix.

Roll out one round of dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 11 inches across. Place crust into a 9-inch pie pan with 1-inch high sides. Roll another round of dough into a circle about 10 inches across. With a knife or scissors, cut excess dough from bottom layer, keeping about a ½ inch overhang.

Starting with the Granny Smith slices, place them in one layer into the bottom crust. Next, layer the Golden Delicious slices over. And lastly, layer the Macintosh slices over. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Tuck overhang of top crust under the bottom crust edge. Flute edges with fingers, or however you like. Vent top.

Sprinkle sugar over the whole pie, if desired. Place pie on a parchment-lined sheet pan.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until juices bubble through vents. Check the pie after 20 minutes, and if you see the edges burning, take two long strips of aluminum foil and wrap edges of pie loosely.

Let the pie cool on a rack for about a half an hour before cutting into it.