“Let me send you a sample,” Tina Woods said the first time I talked to her. It was a few decades ago, and I was writing an article about New England’s gourmet food industry for a trade publication. I used to contact the targeted states and have them send their lists of gourmet food producers, in addition to browsing regional cookbooks and querying retailers about local companies. One way or another, I’d come across Wood’s Cider Mill in Springfield, Vermont, a small, family run business specializing in boiled cider and boiled cider jelly, products I’d never known existed, let alone tasted.
The jelly arrived a few days later. Looking at the label, I knew this product would never win a packaging award. Then I tasted the jelly. Tart- but not too tart- it was unlike any other jelly I’d ever had. I tried it on toast, on bagels, even on my favorite Irish soda bread. It was perfect.
Like so many regional products, boiled cider has a long history, with the earliest references dating to the 17th century. Then, as now, New England farmers grew a lot of apples. And while apples are “good keepers,” they don’t last indefinitely. To avoid spoilage, growers used part of the harvest to make apple cider and apple cider vinegar, products with a much longer shelf life than fresh apples. In addition, growers made boiled cider, and from boiled cider, they made boiled cider jelly.
Willis Wood’s ancestors bought the family farm in Springfield, Vermont in 1798. In 1882, they purchased a cider press from the Empire State Press Company and converted their saw mill into a cider mill. The mill, which was originally powered by water, was motorized in 1910.
Boiled cider has one-seventh the volume of the original cider, the jelly about one-ninth. Diluted with hot water, boiled cider can be used as a beverage. Undiluted, it can be used as a topping or as an ingredient in cooked dishes. In addition to boiled cider and boiled cider jelly, the Woods also make maple syrup, boiled cider syrup and a blend that’s made with both.
Once the apples are harvested, they’re brought to the mill, where they’re washed, chopped and ground. The ground apples are pressed to make cider and then transferred to the evaporator. Each bushel of apples makes approximately three gallons of cider.
Pectin, a natural substance that causes jams and jellies to set or “gell,” is routinely added to preserves made with fruits with insufficient pectin, such as raspberries and strawberries. Apples have a naturally high pectin content, so Woods’ boiled cider jelly is truly a single ingredient product. And-in case I didn’t already mention it already- it’s delicious.
Woods Cider Mill 1482 Weathersfield Center Road Springfield, Vermont 05156
802.263.5547
orders@woodscidermill.com, www.woodscidermill.com
Cider Jelly BBQ Glaze
8-ounces boiled cider jelly
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 or 2 teaspoons horseradish
Splash of soy sauce
Liquify jelly in a small saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until smooth. Brush on pork tenderloins, steak or chicken ten minutes before the food is done cooking.
Adapted from a recipe developed by Woods Cider Mill.