Cider!

Food + Science

Cider is booming. The market for cider has grown nine fold since 2010, and New York state is spearheading this growth, with more than 70 cider producers, more than in any other state. But what does it take to make good cider? As Gregory Peck, assistant professor of horticulture at Cornell University says, more than ever, producers and growers “need science-based recommendations” in order to most effectively produce the best apples for the best cider. In this episode, we talk to Greg Peck, Chris Gerling, an enology extension associate and manager of the Vinification & Brewing Laboratory at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, and apple breeder Susan Brown, professor of horticulture and plant breeding & genetics at Cornell University. We’ll find out what it takes to make and grow a cider apple, and how the cider industry is growing and changing.