Monday, September 7, 2009

Fresh Apple Cider

One of my favorite things about September, aside from the fact that it signals the beginning of fall, is the fresh apple cider. The whole process starts in the spring when the apple trees are full of beautiful pink and white blossoms. As early as June you start to see tiny fruit replacing the blossoms. And in August the apples start to drop to the ground, forming a sweet-smelling carpet that attracts the attention of every bee and wasp in the area. At the beginning of September, the local farmers start to produce apple cider. In my town, one producer even goes so far as to set up an outdoor fridge which he keeps stocked with bottles of apple cider that you can purchase any time, day or night. It works on the honor system - there's a little cash box next to the fridge, and (if you're a good person) you simply drop in your €1.50, grab a bottle and go. My man and I were really excited this past weekend to see that the cider fridge is back! There's even a little sign hanging overhead with the word "Süssmost" - sweet cider. We immediately bought two bottles, both of which were empty by Sunday evening. Such a fantastic flavor and no chemicals...just pure apple goodness. I can't wait to pick up another bottle on the way home today.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about some pecan tarts to go along with that cider? The pecans aren't ready yet, but soon....

M

Edelweiss Cowgirl said...

M - you should send me a recipe for pecan tarts and I'll see if I can find pecans in the store this year. Last year they had them, imported from the States.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... no chemicals? :-)
Enjoying your blog.
-B