Hard or soft, it’s cider season too

To celebrate the glorious availability of cider, here are a few favorite facts:

• You can make your own hard cider relatively easily. Try this website: http://www.howtomakehardcider.com/

• Hot cider is great for a cold day and has vitamin C.

• Crispin Cider is based in Minneapolis but was bought by MillerCoors.

• Some apple orchards have cider pressing days where you can watch them make cider from fresh apples.

• Surdyk’s Liquor Store and Gourmet Cheese Shop sells about 50 varieties of hard cider. The store is located in Minneapolis.

• A craft cider and beer brewery called Sociable Cider Werks is slated to open in Minneapolis around the end of November.

• Apple juice may be from concentrate and gets filtered, pasteurized and vacuum sealed; cider is pasteurized but perishable.

• It takes about 12 pounds of apples to make a gallon of fresh-squeezed juice.