How To Make Your Own Hard Cider From The Store-Bought Kind

Hard cider, which is apple cider that's been fermented to contain alcohol, has seen a rise, fall, and rise again in America, with varying popularity over the last few centuries. Second U.S. President John Adams drank this boozy beverage for breakfast long before the fermented drink almost disappeared in the U.S. during the Prohibition, but it has made quite a comeback in recent years as smaller producers brew amazing craft hard ciders. But when it comes to trying your own hand at making hard apple cider at home, expert advice goes a long way. To that end, we spoke with Jeff Parrish, the co-founder of Portland Cider Co. in Portland, Oregon, about how you can jump on the trend.

Cider maker Jeff Parrish says that fermenting apple juice at home "can be as simple as popping open the top, setting it on the counter, and letting whatever wild yeast is present in the air do its thing." However, the outcome of this basic approach can be unpredictable. "The best method would be to inoculate that fresh juice with a wine, beer, or cider yeast to initiate the fermentation," Parrish advises. The fermentation process can range anywhere between a week to a few months based on temperature. "Room temperature apple juice will ferment to dry cider, with no remaining sugars, in about two weeks," he reveals. This results in the most basic type of cider, but, similar to wine, cider gets better with age. "I would always give my cider a few months to develop," says Parrish.

When seeking the best base for hard cider, Parrish stresses that raw apple juice is simply just juice, but fermentation is what turns it into cider. While we all know the classic Martinelli's in the squat glass jar, that might not be the best kind of apple juice to use. "The absolute best juice to make cider from is one that has been freshly pressed and is unpasteurized, like you might find at a local orchard in the fall," Parrish recommends.

If you've ever visited an orchard or farm for apple picking and apple cider doughnuts, you've likely seen the cloudy, unfiltered juice and cider sold from a farm stand. Of course, if you can't find fresh-pressed juice, you can look to the grocery store, with some caveats. "Try to find a juice that was pasteurized (as opposed to preserved with an addition of something like potassium sorbate) and is unfiltered," Parrish notes. "Also, make sure it doesn't have any ascorbic acid (vitamin C) added to it."

Above all, Parrish stresses the importance of sanitation throughout the process. "A successful fermentation involves keeping the yeast happy and suppressing all the other organisms that find the apple juice to be a nice home," he explains. "That's done by using clean vessels and keeping an airlock on the top of the fermentation container." If you set yourself up for success with a sanitary environment and a bit of patience, you can successfully make your own hard apple cider at home. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy the process so much that you can create the ultimate cider tasting, just like an expert.