How To Keep Sweet Cider

As soon as the cider begins to ferment bore a small gimlet hole through the bung of the barrel and put in a wooden plug. Once a day this plug must be taken out to let the gas escape, otherwise the barrel would burst. Then take one pint of yellow English mustard seed, divide it into four parts and put it into four small thin muslin bags, one gill in each bag; tie the mouth of the bags with a cord and drop them into the cider through the bung hole, make the bung tight, put in the plug, turn the barrel on end, put in the faucet tight and place the barrel high enough to allow the cider to be drawn off without moving the barrel. Cider prepared in this manner will keep sweet a long time

Cider, Kept Sweet

The following is a scientific method of treating cider to preserve its sweetness: When the saccharine matter, by fermenting, is being converted into alcohol, if a bent tube be inserted air tight into the bung with the other end into a pail of water, to allow the carbonic acid gas evolved to pass off without admitting any air into the barrel a beverage will be attained that is a fit nectar for the gods. A handy way is to fill your cask nearly up to the faucet, when the cask is rolled so that the bung is down. Get a common rubber tube and slip it over the end of the plug in the faucet, with the other end in the pail of water. Then turn the plug so the cider can have communication with the pail. After the water ceases to bubble, bottle or store it away. - Farm, Field and Fireside.

Mulled Cider

One quart of good cider, six ounces of white granulated sugar, four fresh eggs, beaten separately, two teaspoonfuls of grated nutmeg. Put the cider, sugar and nutmeg into a saucepan and set it on the range where it will get warm, but not scalding hot. Beat the whites with three tea-spoonfuls of white sugar to a stiff foam, then beat the yolks and stir them into the whites, and then stir them into the cider. Set it quickly over a hot fire and stir it fast until it begins to rise (it must not boil) then take it off the fire and pour it into a pitcher. Serve it warm.