How to make your own scrumpy
Making your own cider is something you can do even if you don’t have an orchard or an apple crusher. Here's how to make scrumpy in three simple steps.
Making your own cider is something you can do even if you don’t have an orchard or an apple crusher – though you will need a press.
Ask around your neighbourhood for any surplus fruit, then follow our tips below to make this mellow and aromatic drink.
More related content:
- British apple guide: traditional varieties and how to grow your own tree
- How to make hawthorn gin
- Spiced apple butter recipe
Step 1
Crush
Leave your apples in a heap for a couple of days to soften, or collect juicy windfallen ones, and then put them through an electric crusher. Alternatively, put the apples in a strong wooden box and use a clean, sharp spade to chop them into small pieces before laying them on a fruit press. Apples vary greatly in the amount of juice they create, but on average 4.5kg (10lb) of apples makes about 4.5l (1 gall) of cider.
Step 2
Press
Check online to get your hands on a cheap second-hand apple press, or see if you can borrow one from a friend. Lay your crushed apples out evenly in layers covered with muslin, then start pressing them so that the juice runs straight into a demijohn or fermenting bin. You can compost the pulp and taste the fresh apple juice at this stage.
Step 3
Ferment
Once the juice is stored, the natural yeasts from the apple skins will work their magic, but if you want to ensure success then add a few teaspoons of yeast to the mix. Fermentation will take anything from 10 days to a month, and then you can sample your beverage or syphon the cider straight into bottles for storage.
