Seriously, You Need To Pasteurize Homemade Apple Cider

With the ubiquity of kitchen gadgets like slow cookers, pressure cookers, and even juicers, it's never been easier to make homemade apple cider. But making it at home doesn't mean you should be any less mindful when it comes to the health risks of apple cider. It can make you very sick, especially if you're a child, pregnant, older, or have a weakened immune system. That's because all that lovely fruit can harbor bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and Cryptosporidium, even if you wash the fruit and refrigerate the resulting cider.

Fortunately, proper pasteurization, a type of heat treatment, actually kills the bacteria rather than just reducing its population. And the whole process is pretty straightforward. You just need to bring your apple cider up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) and keep it there for at least one minute. Then just cool it quickly in an ice bath and store it in clean, sanitized containers just like you would when canning food at home.

You need some special equipment to ensure safe pasteurization, but all of it is something you can reuse in other endeavors, and you may already have most, if not all, of it. It starts with a heavy-bottomed pot and a well-calibrated food thermometer. Clip-on thermometers like the Taylor stainless steel thermometer or Escali glass candy thermometer are nice because they let you keep an eye out hands-free. An aluminum bowl slightly larger than your pot is also handy for your ice bath.

You also need to sanitize any utensils you'll be using. If your dishwasher gets to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), you can use that. If not, you can just boil metal utensils for 10 minutes. Then use tongs to move them to a clean towel to dry and cool. Or you can soak everything for 10 minutes in 140 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter water with 2 tablespoons of bleach per gallon.

To store your pasteurized cider, opt for glass or heat-safe plastic containers. Ball jars are a popular choice, but if you opt for plastic, look for BPA-free, heat-safe plastic containers, such as the deli containers you might find at a local restaurant. Once they're safely sealed, you can store them in the fridge for up to seven days or in the freezer for up to a year. Drink it as is or use it to make hot spiced apple cider.