Cider syrup

Cider syrup is also known as apple molasses. It is a kind of fruity syrup. It is a thick and dark brown opaque syrup with concentrated apple flavor. The colour of apple molasses is darker than honey and it is more tart then maple syrup. This kind of apple syrup was first made in colonial America. It is easier to keep a syrup-like product than fresh apples for an extended period. The cider syrup is produced by boiling sweet cider while stirring, until the water content of the cider has evaporated. Thus, the cider syrup is a kind of natural syrup without additional reagents. Many farms still produce apple cider syrup today in Maine, Massachusetts, and other parts of New England. It has historically been used as the sweetening agent with many kinds of vegetables. Apple cider syrup is typically used when making cakes, cookies and other recipes. It also contains nutrients such as sodium, potassium, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. It is an endangered regional food tradition of the United States of America.
History.
In Colonial America.
The hard cider seemed to be the national beverage for much of American history. During colonial America, water was considered to be hazardous. Hence, American took the hard cider every meal. Pilgrims rarely used cane sugar; they prefer the cider syrup as a kind of sweetener. New England, eastern Massachusetts and Maine were rich in various kinds of apples.
During the American Revolution.
The cider syrup became very important due to the molasses and sugar were imported from British plantations in the West Indies. Hence, patriotic Americans must persist in producing home-brewed sweetener. The Civil War boosted the producing of cider syrup once again. None of the Northerner would take in cane sugar because it is one of the outcomes from the slavery system. The cider syrup continued to be American resound productions until the Prohibition came along and destroyed all the apple trees that they can see. It even blocked the development and propagation of cider syrup.
Historical reasons.
The cider syrup can be able to survive until today, due to its fruity acidity and complex layers of taste. The cane sugar unromantic, maple syrup is boring, and sorghum is individual taste. People can feel apple blossoms, oranges and honey taste by only put a drop of cider syrup on the tongue. It contains fruity acidity and smell of smoke (where the edge of burnt syrup). These elements make the syrup more distinctive.
Sources.
Apples.
The boiled cider was often produced from ‘sweeting’ apples in early times that contained relatively less malic acid and were sweet. The various kinds of "Summer Sweeting," which is generally cited as a kind of apple applied in producing boiled cider, may refer to one or more very old New England apple varieties, such as the ‘Hightop Sweet’ from eastern Massachusetts, or the ‘Sidney Sweet’ from Maine. Farmers still look after the apple trees in an old-fashioned way: slowly, organically and sustainably.
Climate.
The temperature, amount of precipitation, sunshine duration and soil pH can all influence the growth and quality of apples in a place. It directly changes the sweetness and acidity of cider syrup. Hence, one year's cider syrup is never like the next year's. Otherwise, farmers sometimes have to purchase superior apples for cider and cider syrup from another orchard.
Processing.
In Colonial America.
The instruction of making the cider syrup was required to put fresh juice into an open, irresponsive metal container and skimmed as it boils down. The volume should be concentrated to approximate the one-seventh of the original. Hence, the apple cider syrup is very difficult and expensive to make. At least one ancient source declares that premium apple molasses can be produced by steam cooking apples in a container, weighting them down in slatted baskets and pressing their juice through a straw, and then decreasing the expressed juice. Nonetheless, most manufacturers only ground, squeezed and boiled down the apple into fresh juice, fermented to be alcohol or cider syrup.
Recently.
Contemporary manufacturers boil off the pure cider syrup in the evaporator. Just like produced maple syrup from maple sap. Gail Borden, Jr. of America, the New York city (who developed "condensed milk" as well) gained a patent for the "Improvement in Concentrating and Preserving for Use Cider and Other Juices of Fruits" (Patent No. 35,919, dated 22 July 1862). However, Borden does not advocate to evaporate the fresh cider wine. He wanted to boil the cider or fruit juice in vacuum kettle to maintain the qualities.
Commerce.
Colonial America.
Cider syrup represented a seasonal, local, and economical choice for various backland farmers, most of them did not reside near the central coastal or riverine trade routes, like maple sugar. Historically, the early settlers all used boiled cider or cider jelly to make up the juice. This food was not only seemed as enjoyment but also considered to be intake nutrition during winter (many months). Otherwise, these productions were used as a raw material to make other fruity syrup, preserved fruit and jelly before the commercial development of pectin. This method was passed to today's kitchen from the traditional New England kitchen. The cider syrup not only provided a long-period shelf life to apples but also it brought higher incomes to farms than apples, saleable at three to five times the price of the apple product. The apple cider syrup is very popular in a cocktail bar and boutique in the United States of America, where were favorite drinks containing alcohol, such as Lumber Sexual.
Recently
As westward expansion and the number of farms decrease in New England, typically a few years after the Civil War. The agricultural economy usually declined until recently. As more and more people begin to attach the locally grown food, small farms and plantations start to come back. There were fewer recipes after the Second World War. It is hard to find a business on the traditional cider syrup from New England. Due to its ease of production, boiled cider has mostly slipped out of the public consciousness and quietly become commercial obscurity, lying in the shadows of maple syrup and honey. At present, boiled cider is relatively little known except as a cultural artifact, and is absolutely under-appreciated, even in its traditional homeland of New England, the United States of America.
A new cider syrup related product was brought out from the Averill Farm in 2015 which is located in Massachusetts, the United States of America. In the times of weak trade, the workers from the Averill Farm found a new way of consuming the cider syrup, which had a great business prospect in the future. They realised the synergy that the cider syrup could have with other products from the farm. They started adding the cider syrup into the wine instead of adding sugar and honey into the wine. The new cider syrup related product had impressive sales on Franklin Country Cider Days. It had sales on the market at the end of November in that year. After that, the cider syrup won its customers in a short time.
A young Slow Food chef in southwestern New Hampshire who developed a kind of ice-cream, ‘caramel apple gelato’ that highlighted the caramelised and slightly smoky in 2007. Such culinary creativity will be significant to establish a new market potential and appreciate of the cider jelly and cider syrup, also securing their future.
Nutrition.
Nutrition facts.
Cider syrup contains total fat 2.9g, cholesterol 8mg, sodium 9mg, potassium 41mg, total carbohydrates 37.4g, Sugars 34g, Vitamin A 89IU, Vitamin C 1mg, Calcium 7mg and total calories 172 per serving. The cider syrup also contains the high pectin content of apple.
Conserve method.
Keeping in backlight and under 10°C (it is better to preserve in the refrigerator). The syrup had a high concentration of sugar, so it had antibacterial activity.
Edible method.
In Colonial America.
The cider syrup was made by boiling cider until it turned in to deep, dark colour, rich syrup that is perfect for cakes, beans, pies, and desserts like Indian pudding. Cider syrup was also always used to make mincemeat sweeter and pickle meat and poultry. In fact, it is very useful to apply for each cuisine which needs sweet and smell of apple. The cider syrup even can be served as a method of preserving the cider. With the additional water, the cider syrup could be recovered to the original form. The apple cider syrup can replace the honey in a cornbread recipe, or added in a mixed drink such as yogurt, wine and tea.
American Revolution.
Patriotic Americans used the home-brewed cider syrup instead of the cane sugar as a kind of sweetener. The production can apply on baked food like jelly, with cheese or applied as boiled cider in diverse ways, such as colouring chicken or ham.
Recently.
The apple cider syrup has a bright and concentrated aroma of apples. It also has a dark colour and caramelised sweetness, which is specially balanced by sharp acidity that the result of the good sugar and acid balance found in most North American dessert.
Characteristics.
The apple cider syrup is a thick, dark brown syrup. The cider syrup is a translucent syrup with a tangy bite. No extra food additives or sugar is added in to the apple cider syrup. It tastes more tart than maple syrup. Therefore, the cider syrup has lower risks of developing diabetes than other syrup when people excessive consumption.
Recipes.
List of 48 recipes to make with apple cider syrup. For example, Cinnamon-Pear Rustic Tart, Cider Cheese Fondue, Apple Cider-Glazed Ham, Autumn Sweet Rolls with Cider Glaze, Apple Cider Chicken ‘n’ Dumplings, Caramel Apple Strudel, Individual Pork & Cranberry Potpies, Apple cider Doughnuts, Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup, Sage Pork Chops with Cider Pan Gravy, The Best Chicken & Dumplings, Caramel Apple Float, Green Chili Shredded Pork, Contest-Winning Caramel Apple Crisp, Slow-Cooker Cider, Sparkling Cider Pound cake, Autumn Apple Chicken, Apple cider Smash, Zippy Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup, Butternut Squash Butter, Farmhouse Pork and Apple pie, Spiced Hot Apple Cider, Cider-Glazed Pork Chops with Carrots, Thyme-Baked Apple Slices, Apple-Pecan Pork Tenderloin, Cider Jelly, Warm Spiced Cider Punch, Autumn Beans, Grilled Rosemary Pork Roast, Almond-Crusted Chops with Cider Sauce, Sweet Potato-Cranberry Doughnuts, Hot Cider with Orange Twists, Cider-Brined Turkey, Spiced Applesauce, Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet, Mulled Red Cider, Apple cider Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Balsamic Chicken, Maple-Walnut Sweet Potatoes, Hot Apple Cider, Cider Pork chops, Sunday Supper Sandwiches, Warm & Cozy Spiced Cider, Cider Doughnuts, Cider Pork Roast, Fresh Apple & Pear Salad, Southwest Shredded Pork Salad and Apple Orchard Pork Roast.
Event.
Cider Syrup Days.
A community event was held by the CISA organisation (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture). The tag of this event is ‘North Hadley Sugar Shack’, in Massachusetts, the United States. The Cider Syrup Days were operated for two days, from 7 am 7 to 1 November pm 8 November 2015.