Unpasteurized Cider

I don't drink much cider any more because, to my taste, the recent laws requiring pasteurization have spoiled the taste. Today, however, at the Federal Plaza farmers market, one stall was selling yesterday squeezed unpasteurized stuff. It's great. I forget their name, but the stall has about a dozen bins of apples on the ground. These folks are usually at the Daley Center market, which is on Thursdays, so they may be there.

Some mills are now using ultraviolet light treatment instead of heat pasturization. This treatment doesn't blow away volatile flavor components.

Within the last week I have bought UV treated cider from Mick Klug and Noffke. Both sell at multiple farmers markets. Mick sells at Lincoln Square and Federal Plaza on Tuesdays but normally doesn't have bins of apples sitting around (at least at Lincoln Square). They may be using the same mill (identical labels) but are definitely using different apple blends based on taste differences. I understand that most Michigan growers selling at farmers markets no longer make their own cider but rely on taking their apples to custom processors. The pasteurization issue prompted several to go the custom route.

I never knew about the U-V process. Perhaps there's more drinkable cider out there than I knew.

Fresh, unpasteurized cider has been readily available at the Evanston farmer's market the past couple of weekends from multiple stands. I am a loyal customer of the Lyons stand, a Michigan orchard that uses the UV method to kill bacteria. Really, really good stuff.

I've found unpasteurized cider at 3 farmers markets, Hyde Park, Bronezville, and Printers Row. It's probably avaiable at most farmers markets.