Yes, cider can go bad: it slowly loses quality, and faster once the bottle is open. Air lets cider oxidise and can turn it stale or vinegary, because vinegar bacteria need oxygen. A best-before date on cider is about quality, not safety, and it only holds if the bottle is stored as the label says.

Can you can apple cider at home?

You can can apple cider at home by following the tested USDA method for apple juice: let the cider settle in the fridge for 24–48 hours, pour off the clear juice, heat it to boiling, fill hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace, and process it in a boiling-water canner, for 5 minutes for pints or quarts at up to 1,000 ft.

Can you cook with cider?

You can cook with cider much as you would with white wine: in sauces, braises, stews and batters, and boiled down into a syrup for baking. Heat removes only part of the alcohol. In USDA tests, a dish baked or simmered for 15 minutes kept about 40% of the alcohol added, and one cooked for 2.5 hours about 5%.

Can you freeze cider?

You can freeze cider. Fresh apple cider freezes well and keeps its quality for up to a year, as long as you leave about 10% of the container empty for expansion. Alcoholic hard cider can be frozen too, but it may lose its fizz, and sealed cans or glass bottles can burst, so pour it into a freezer-safe container first.

How do you serve ice cider?

Ice cider is served well chilled, in a small tasting glass, and sipped slowly. Quebec's cider producers pair it with strong or blue cheese, foie gras, chocolate and fruit desserts, and also use it in an aperitif with tonic. Because Quebec's protected ice cider has at least 140 g/L of sugar and 9–13% ABV, small pours are usual.

How long does apple cider last?

Unpasteurised apple cider lasts a few days at room temperature and keeps its quality for up to two weeks in the fridge at 32–36°F (0–2°C), according to a University of Tennessee guide; frozen, it lasts a year or longer. For pasteurised cider, follow the date on the label. Once fresh cider starts to fizz or taste sour, it is fermenting.

Should cider be served cold?

Most cider is best served chilled, but not ice-cold. Official bodies give about 6–13°C: Normandy's Pays d'Auge tourist office says 8–12°C, and the Sidra de Asturias PDO about 13°C for natural cider and 6–8°C for sparkling. Quebec producers serve ice cider well chilled. Sparkling and ice ciders are served colder.

Should cider have a head?

Cider usually should not have a lasting head. Sparkling cider can form a brief foam, or mousse, when poured, but it should fade quickly; the BJCP cider guidelines treat gushing, foaming and hard-to-manage heads as faults. Still cider has no head at all, and traditional Spanish cider gets a short-lived froth only from being poured from a height.

What can you mix with cider?

You can mix cider with sparkling wine, fruit juice, tonic, spices or beer, or use it in cocktails such as a cider mimosa, spritz or sangria. Quebec's cider producers list cocktail ideas for still, sparkling and ice cider. A mix of cider and juice is weaker than the cider itself; a mix with spirits is stronger.

What food goes with cider?

Cider goes well with pork, cheese, fish and seafood, and sweet ciders go with desserts. Normandy's tourist office pairs dry (brut) cider with local cheese, medium (demi-sec) with seafood and sweet (doux) with apple tarts. Quebec's cider producers suggest still cider with pork, fish and seafood, and ice cider with blue cheese, foie gras or chocolate.

What glass should you use for cider?

There is no single correct cider glass. In Normandy and Brittany, cider is drunk from a stemmed wine glass or a bolée (a cider cup). Asturian natural cider is poured into a thin glass, sparkling cider into a tulip glass, and ice cider into a small tasting glass. Pick a glass that shows bubbles and aroma.

What is boiled cider?

Boiled cider is a thick syrup made by boiling fresh, unfermented apple cider down to about one-seventh of its volume. It is a traditional New England farm product, once called "apple molasses", and is used mainly in baking. It is not alcoholic, and it is different from fire cider, which is fermented from boiled juice.

Serving and food pairing