CIDER DAYS are here again

When used in baking, apple cider will give more flavor and color than apple juice.
By KATHIE SMITH
TOLEDO BLADE
Doughnuts and apple cider are among the tastes of autumn that shouldn't be missed. But don't limit yourself to just using cider as a beverage. There are plenty of ways to use it in cooking and baking.
As the apple season progresses, orchards such as MacQueen's in Richland County, Ohio, and Erie Orchards & amp; Cider Mill in Erie, Mich., are in full swing making freshly pressed cider from their apples.
"We make cider until February or March," says Marlene MacQueen of MacQueen's. "Our apples stay in cold storage to do this. The cider is pasteurized, but it must be refrigerated." She estimates the shelf life is five days.
The apples are washed twice and then taken through the grinder, put on racks and pressed. "The juice is filtered through a screen and then run through the pasteurizer and bottled."
Erie Orchards & amp; Cider Mill has bought a cider processor that uses ultraviolet light to kill any harmful bacteria.
Reducing E. coli
Pasteurization and the UV processor are among methods approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce E. coli bacteria to a safe level, according to Ruth Weisheit, FDA public-affairs specialist in Brunswick, Ohio. Use of UV means the cider is processed.
Reducing bacteria in fresh juices is especially important for children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.
Frozen concentrate, shelf-stable juice in hermetically sealed containers, and canned juice are processed to eliminate harmful bacteria.
What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider?
"Apple cider is made from fresh apples," says Connie Cahill, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Apple Marketing Program. "Apple juice may be made from concentrate."
"Apple cider still has the apple solids in it, which accounts for the caramel color," says Melanie Polk, a registered dietitian with the American Institute for Cancer Research, which advocates the nutritional benefits of apples and cider. "In apple juice, more of the solids are strained out. It is further processed." Nutritionally, the products are very similar.
Apple cider will give more flavor and color than apple juice when used in baking or to flavor cooked vegetables and complement many types of meats.
"Cider can be used as a liquid that complements any dish," says Cahill. "It imparts sweetness. People love the freshness of cider, but they don't think about using it to cook. I always use cider as the liquid when making dressing for the holiday turkey. I add apples to the dressing, and apple cider complements that flavor."
She advises sauteing apples in cider. "The sweetness of the apples in cider helps to caramelize them. Then add a little cornstarch for thickening and flavor with cinnamon or nutmeg."
Cahill also recommends making fresh applesauce with cider. "Why dilute the apples with water?" she asks. Core and pare the apples and put them in a pot. "I leave the skins on because I like that chunky texture."
You can also use cider when cooking rice. "Use half cider and half water as the liquid, or use half cider and half chicken broth," Cahill says.
Polk agrees. "There is more interest in using fruit juice instead of cooking with wine or chicken broth. With cider, you don't have the alcohol of wine, nor do you have the salt in most chicken broths. The cider gives more of a unique flavor.
"Today, meats and vegetables are being cooked with cider, plus you can use cider as an ingredient in bread and desserts," Polk says. "You can even poach pears in cider."
Features
At MacQueen's Orchard, the bakeshop features apple-cider doughnuts. "There's apple cider in the dough and the frosting," says MacQueen.
From "A Real American Breakfast" by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison (Morrow, $34.95) comes the recipe printed here for Cider Doughnuts.
Cider adds flavor to a vinaigrette as in Apple and Fennel Salad. It can also be used to make a ham glaze and in Cider Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries, a very colorful dish.
"Cider makes a perfect base for cooking many autumn vegetables," says Polk. "The rich flavor brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables like squash and sweet potatoes, but it can also smooth out the edge of sharp-tasting vegetables like cabbage, onions, and leafy greens.
Cooking vegetables with cider offers two health benefits.
"Cider, like apples, contains quercetin and other members of the flavonoid group of phytochemicals," she says. Eating foods rich in quercetin has been linked to lowered risk of stomach, prostate, breast and ovarian cancers, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
From the US Apple Association comes information that Australian researchers have studied the relationship between diet and asthma. They have reported that among the fruits and vegetables studied, eating apples and pears appears to provide the best protection against this growing health risk.
With the popularity of ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, spicy salsas and zesty marinades, don't overlook seasonal apples and fresh apple cider to bring a milder, fruity flavor to a vinaigrette, a marinade, or to bake alongside your favorite roast or vegetable.
Cider days are here.