Making Sure Your Cider is Safe

This article was written by Karen Fifield, Michigan State University Extension

There’s nothing like tasting fresh cider during the fall of every year. Michigan State University Extensionsays for some, cider is one of the first signs of fall. Families come together to gather apples and enjoy all the tastes and smells of an orchard. An added event to gathering apples is making apple cider.

Many orchards invite friends and families in to enjoy the fall setting, picking apples and pumpkins. However, the process of making cider is usually demonstrated for all to see and experience while maintaining an organized and clean environment. 

This is a brief description of the process of making cider on a small family farm using a simple press. Begin the process by picking apples. The apples are then washed and ground into a pulp beginning the flow of juices. Then the pulp is distributed in a crate, or box press that is lined with cotton cloth. The press sets in a tray that collects or guides the flow of juice to a strainer that filters the cider. Then it is bottled and refrigerated or frozen for later use. The difference that consumers need to be aware of is the need for pasteurization.

Now that we can see the process there are a few things to consider. FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition encourage consumers to read the label of any cider purchased to make sure it is pasteurized to kill any bacteria that may be inside or on the outside of the fruit. This is for consumer’s protection, so if you don’t see labels on products ask the seller. MSU Extension encourages consumer to be aware of reading labels so they are informed of the products and the safety of the products they are consuming.

Fall brings seasonal sights and flavors to our world. I encourage you to try them, but be aware and look for pasteurized cider for your own safety.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visithttp://www.msue.msu.edu. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).