Apples
Whilst the cows & chickens moo & cluck their way to front of mind most of the time, our cider quietly and politely bubbles away in the tanks, demanding much less attention but no less appreciation. As the weather warms and our appetite for something cold & delicious grows, it feels like a good time to give that golden liquid the word count it deserves.
So, the next few emails are going to focus on our much loved beverage, and how Silly Moo Cider came to be.
We’ve got a 7 acre south facing field that looks onto the farmyard. Being so well positioned, deciding what to do with it took a little thought when we first started farming 10 years ago. A winemaking friend suggested we grow grapes for him, but, despite the efforts of climate change, it is still tricky to grow vine fruit without fertilisers & fungicides this side of the Channel.
Apples, on the other hand, grow comfortably with little intervention.
The other inspiration was a French holiday spent sipping different Brittany and Normandy ciders. We tasted something that was totally different to the ciders available in English shops and pubs at the time - a drink that honoured the apple, and that had a balanced depth of flavour that could be compared to a decent wine. And so, with an appetite for better English cider in Sussex, we planted our first apple trees.
Cider varies in flavour depending on where you are - there are style preferences and cultural variations in production, but more importantly the fruit grown differs in variety & flavour across the world.
Even if we hone in on the UK alone, the apples grown in the West are contrasting to those in the East, and the ciders from each region have a certain local flavour & character.
The Western counties tend to produce cider from tannin-rich, bittersweet cider apples, blended with sharp & sweet varieties, making a deliciously flavourful and complex drink with plenty of mouth-feel. The Eastern counties grow dessert & culinary apples (traditionally for the London fruit market), making their cider prominent in freshness, fruitiness & acidity.
Although geographically we’re in the South East, we wanted to make a cider that pulled together both styles so we grow traditional cider varieties in our orchard, and backsweeten with fresh local culinary apple juice for a balanced, moreish and sessionable drink.
As lovely as a cider-drinking holiday in France and planting our traditional orchard sounds, it’s not all been romantic scenes from Cider With Rosie (or Rachel…) - secondary fermentations, unintentional cider vinegar and competing with national brands for a spot at the bar has at times made ‘cyder’ making feel like a futile operation.
I will dip into that over the next few weeks, but for now I’ll mention that the liquid we pour from the farmyard cider tap every Saturday is a delicious example of how proper cider can taste. Low intervention practices, a full-juice recipe and a balance of tannin, sweetness & acidity means you will often see us sipping our own cider whilst enjoying serving it to you as well. Andrew will be pouring (and sipping) cider & snacks this Saturday so please do pop by for something delicious.
