Cider Apples -The New Pomona - Liz Copas

The newly revised edition of 'Cider - A Somerset Pomona', which now includes cider apples from all the major cider growing counties, namely Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcester. The book also introduces us to new 21st century cider apples, affectionately called 'The Girls'!

Liz Copas is a Cider Pomologist at the Long Ashton Research Station and has been an Orcharding Advisor for the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) for many years.

Cider Apples describes the characteristics of a wide range of cider apple that the average 'hunter-gatherer' cider maker might be able to find. It also offers help tracking down and identifying varieties. Over 160 cider apple varieties are included, with colour photos and line drawings.

The book begins by explaining the distinguishing features of cider apples as opposed to eating and cooking apples. Regional growing traditions are covered, in addition to a small section on acquiring your own cider apple trees.

Cider apple descriptions include the origin, history and characteristics of the variety; the characteristics of the juice (including specific gravity (SG) where possible); and the characteristics of cider made from the variety.

Liz guides you through the process of becoming an orchard detective in order to identify cider varieties, focusing on taste, ripening times, shape, stem, eye basis, skin and internal characteristics. She encourages you to note down your findings and provides handy keys (in the form of tables) to enable you to identify the variety. You can then look up the variety in the A-Z chapter.

Contents include:

• Getting to know cider apples
• The National Fruit and Cider Institute at Long Ashton
• Re-discovering cider apples
• Names, synonyms and mistakes
• Putting a name to your fruit
• Keys for identification
• A-Z of cider apple descriptions
• The 21st century cider apples