Homemade Hard Cider - Situation [no longer (*edit)] grim....

Guybrush · Post by **Guybrush** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:18 am

Hello all.

I'm having a bit of trouble, and wondered if any of you had ideas. I have been making homemade hard cider for a few years now, and have always relied on President's Choice Apple Cider. It was preservative free (which is really really hard to find these days), available at Loblaw, or No Frills, or Superstore for easy access, and relatively well priced. However, I went out to buy some yesterday, and all the stores do not seem to sell it anymore, not even have an empty space on the shelf where it might be restocked later.

So i'm stuck... I don't have a back up cider to use, and wondered if anyone on here has a reliable, cheap, preservative-free apple cider that is for sale in the London, Ontario area? Anyone? anyone at all?

And the worst part is, this is all happening heading into cider season!!

Rob Creighton · Post by **Rob Creighton** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:22 pm

As a kid, I worked at an orchard in Lambeth. Dutch fellow, can't remember his name but he always had fresh squeezed cider available. Van Der something but no surprise there. Good luck.

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:02 pm

I remember stopping at a cider 'shack' on Colnel Talbot, out by Farmer Jacks. They didn't sell to individuals, but that was 5 years ago.
This may have been it:
http://www.canpages.ca/page/ON/london/w ... directions

I've only made cider once (it was pasteurized, but without any preservatives).

Quick google:
http://hergotts.com/index.shtml

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:26 pm

If you head out Colonel Talbot from London towards St. Thomas, there are a couple of roadside markets that sell ciders. Not sure if they are preservative free, but worth checking out.

Guybrush · Post by **Guybrush** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:28 pm

I've done some shopping around today at different grocery stores. And I've found some ok substitutes.

Apparently Loblaw changed the packaging and label of their cider, and made it not necessary to refrigerate, thus I couldn't find it in the store when i was looking in the fridges...

It's now called Natural Apple Juice, and is in the juice aisle and only needs to be refrigerated once opened, but contains no preservatives, so I could buy that. However it now comes in a smaller jug, and the price per liter is now not as nice as it once was.

Metro (the new A&P) sells a Mott's natural apple juice as well, in the same style as this new Loblaw apple juice product, but sells it for a bit cheaper $2.99 for a 1.82 L jug. So far this is looking like my best bet.

I do know of the White's Cider farm place you referenced, but it's so far damn south, i'm lazy, and the price isn't that much better, I stopped there once and was confused to see the bulk barrel of apple cider costing more than the 6 jugs i was buying from Loblaw's back when they sold the refrigerated cider....

So anyways... I'll just have to settle for the new style of cider at the stores. Bastards takin' away my cheap method of making apple cider/moonshine. I've had it ferment out from 1.064 to 1.000 before, that stuff had some kick!!

WilliamEstevan · Post by **WilliamEstevan** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:13 pm

You should hop a batch of it, then tell me if it's good. The Internet isn't telling me much on the subject, but perhaps boil half of it for 15 or so with a puck of Magnum... Just sayin'!

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:08 pm

WilliamEstevan wrote:You should hop a batch of it, then tell me if it's good. The Internet isn't telling me much on the subject, but perhaps boil half of it for 15 or so with a puck of Magnum... Just sayin'!

Apparently some people boil a small amount of hops & DME to add to it:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/graff-m ... er-117117/

mintjellie · Post by **mintjellie** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:55 pm

Try farmers markets. I don't know what's out in London, but I know you can get beautiful unpasteurized, unfiltered, preservative-free apple cider at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

Just go to your local farmers market and see what you can find.