Books, books books

Well, as well as the harvest of apples that has now started there seems to be a harvest coming of the cider book variety too (well, 2 I can immediately think of!).

A few people have asked what I would recommend for people coming to making cider. The first thing I would always suggest is getting involved with an online community like The Cider Workshop... lots of people who are either going through the same thing or have in the past. However, there is nothing like having real paper and pictures to refer to.

The first ‘new’ book out this autumn worth mentioning is a 2nd edition of just the kind of book that is essential for cider makers of all experience. Andrew Lea’s ‘Craft Cider Making’ takes you through the process of turning apples into juice, and juice into cider. It covers the most common faults for cider and gives options for tailoring your cider. And it does all this in a methodical manner with pictures to demonstrate.

For those who appreciate something a little lighter, the Naked Guide to Cider is out next week. This book tries to cover both the cultural and traditional nature of cider, as well as giving a guide on how to make it. Their aim is to encourage anyone and everyone to 'have a go', and catalogue many different cider makers to show the diversity found within the cider making community. Whilst many books of this nature tend to focus just on the South West of England (Ciderland, as it is known), the Naked Guide does at least include other parts of the country, including Wales and the Eastern Counties. You can even read a bit about how 146 Cider started whilst you’re at it...

There are other key books for those interested in cider and cider making. These are just the new ones that I would go out and buy to add to my small but worthy collection (well, maybe not Andrew's book as I already have 2 copies of the first edition. Who knows, they will be worth something one day - apple juice stains n'all!)