Apple Cider: Sweet, Sour or Hard, It’s an Autumnal Classic in the Kitchen

Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Around here, apple cider and fall are practically synonymous. Thanks to the rich history of apple orchards in Massachusetts—the first recorded cultivar dates back to 1623—we are blessed with over 135 farms, cideries and fermenteries that celebrate this quintessential New England fruit. They are peppered throughout Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires, tucked away in urban settings and dotted along the North and South Shores. From straight-from-the-press juice to small-batch fermented hard cider to tangy aged vinegars, the products of these plentiful orchards are an ace up a cook’s sleeve.

There is nothing more thirst-quenching than a cold glass of tangy cider made from fresh-pressed apples. But cider (and its various forms) can also add brightness and depth of flavor to your cooking. The following recipes are just a few examples of how to incorporate juice, hard cider and vinegar into savory fall dishes.

Fresh cider lends a natural sweetness to a big pot of braised beans (think Boston baked beans but without all the refined sugar). And by boiling down the juice into a concentrated syrup, you get a tangy base for a savory vinaigrette with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Pork—a natural match for anything apple-related— is glazed with a reduction of both apple cider and apple cider vinegar. The sharp sauce, laced with chiles and ginger, is the perfect complement to the salty, juicy meat. In the butternut squash risotto, the rice is toasted in butter and olive oil, then given a big gulp of dry hard cider. The crisp, fruity libation takes the place of wine and amps up the fall favors in this comforting dish.

Let these recipes be the beginning of a new “cooking with cider” love affair. Try using dry hard cider to steam littleneck clams with lots of garlic and parsley. Blend apple cider into simmered parsnips, onions and cream for a sweet yet earthy fall soup. Drizzle boiled cider over apple bread pudding or fold it into your apple pie filling. It’s certainly not going to hurt.

Many Massachusetts cider products are available in Boston-area grocery chains, specialty stores, suburban farm stands and the Boston Public Market. There are far too many local producers to list them all here, but a few names to look for are Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, Carr’s Ciderhouse in Hadley, American Vinegar Works (produced in Lowell), Ragged Hill Cider in West Brookfield, Agronomy Farm Vineyard in Oakham, Carlson Orchards in Harvard and Russell Orchards in Ipswich.

When you’ve had your fill of apple picking and cider donuts, and dinnertime beckons, remember you’ve got these cider ideas in your back pocket.

This story appeared in the Fall 2021 issue.