Minnesota hard cider apple production and cultivar selection

 Article written by Madeline Wimmer, UMN Extension Fruit Production Educator

Images: A few apple cultivars used for cider production at Keepsake Cidery’s orchard, including Centennial Crabapple (upper left), Ellis Bitter (upper right), and Foxwhelp (lower left), located near Northfield, Minnesota (Zone 5a).

What makes an apple a cider apple?

Classifying an apple as a cider apple can be somewhat subjective and based on the goals of a cider maker. Some traditional cider apple cultivars originate from regions historically known for their cider production, such as the United Kingdom and France where hard cider had their own specific standards. 

However, in the United States, taste preferences for cider can vary widely based on flavor and other profile characteristics (see chart below). Dabinette or Ellis Bitter are two apple cultivars that are most often only used in cider, but what makes them distinct from other apples like a Honeycrisp or a SweeTango? 

Cider apple breeding and classifications

Image: Flavor profiles in cider production can be classified into sweet, sharp, bitter, and those in between (bittersweet and bittersharp). 

Apples that have been bred and selected for fresh eating and processing usually offer some combination of sweet and tart flavors, with an emphasis on texture (crisp!) but often lack tannin compounds that contribute to bitter flavors and mouthfeel. 

Cider apple producers often distinguish apple profiles by taste perception: bitter, sweet, sharp (i.e., acidic), or a combination of the former traits. Because cider quality is largely based on cider maker and consumer preferences, some cider makers actually prefer to use fresh eating apples that offer enough sharpness to create a quality beverage that is still favorable to consumers. 

Whichever type of apple is used for cider production, the spectrum of flavors and tasting experiences can offer a unique and refreshing market for the Upper Midwest. And, you might be wondering if cider apples make for good fresh eating apples. The answer to this question is that it depends. For those that are higher in tannins, usually not, but some, like Golden Russet can offer a unique experience for consumers who are fresh apple connoisseurs. 

 

Cider apple production

Some traditional cider apple cultivars present challenges for Minnesota growers as they are marginally hardy in many Upper Midwest regions. Additionally, some cultivars are prone to fire blight, have biennial-bearing production habits, and can also be tip-bearing, rather than spur-bearing, which influences tree management and pruning approaches. 

Overall, cider apple production has similar requirements to fresh eating apple production, with more tolerance of minor blemishes on the fruit. Issues like plum curculio scars, minor scab, and sooty blotch and flyspeck are usually acceptible, but some summer rots are still not tolerated. Additionally, as with all production, neglect can lead to issues with tree health, which can impact production and should be prevented with some amount of orchard management. 

When it comes to harvest parameters, starch testing to determine starch conversion to simpler sugars becomes less important since the fruit texture is generally a non-issue. Instead, growers can turn to sugar measurements through refractometers using the unit °Brix, keeping in mind that the higher the brix level, the greater the potential for the final alcohol content. 

For most growers, they’ll want to be aware of their target soluble solids (° Brix) goals and final alcohol content since many cider makers aim for 5-7% alcohol by volume, although high-alcohol products are also produced

Ground harvesting cider apples is not recommended

The debate around whether or not cider apples should be harvested from orchard grounds relates to the potential issue of manure contamination that can lead to patulin toxin. Despite fermentation having the ability to reduce many microbial contaminants, there is still concern for patulin, for which the legal limit for apple juice and apple juice products (including hard cider) is 50µg/L, set by the United State FDA. 

Ground harvesting of cider apples is still practiced in the United Kingdom where the harvest and transportation process is highly mechanized for some orchards. This mechanization involves shaking trees to encourage fruit drop, followed by windrowing, or the raking and then collection of apples into bins before they are transported for processing. 

Cornell University has recently explored some research on ground harvesting cider apples as well. Knowing that there will always potentially be some amount of risk for patulin introduction with ground harvesting, sharing about this management approach is for educational purposes more than encouraging its adoption. 

Support for Minnesota cider producers and orchards

If you’re a grower who is interested in or already growing cider apples, or perhaps someone who is involved in cider fermentation, you might be interested in connecting with the Minnesota Cider Guild.