Where is La Hanère?
Travelling in the region of Maine-Loire, not far from Angers, you will admire, not far from the famous Loire's Castles, one of the most beautiful countrysides in France.
Travelling in the region of Maine-Loire, not far from Angers, you will admire, not far from the famous Loire's Castles, one of the most beautiful countrysides in France.
La Hanère is an organic farm situated in this beautiful countryside where cider and apple juice are prepared in the traditional way, organically, without using addictives and pesticides in the production.
Situated, 30 kms away from Angers, at Louvaines, near the town of Segré, La Hanère farm produce one of the most tasty apple juice and cider in France.
Probably browsing on the shelves of one of the many supermarkets in France you will come across to one of the La Hanère bottles.
Do you know how organic ("bio" is the word for organic in French) apple juice is produced?
We visited La Hanère farm to discover how organic apple juice is produced in a tradional farm in France.
What they do...
...with the organic apple juice?
Apple juice.
It is made with the apples variety "à couteau" typical of Maine Loire region: la Grand-Mère, la Reinette Clocharde, la Reinette du Mans, and other varieties to rediscover. Unlike cider, apple juice is pasteurized at 75 ° C. He retains all its flavor and nutritional qualities.
Cider.
La Hanere produces three ciders: sweet, raw and semi-dry. Based on old and local varieties exclusively for this purpose: Bedan, Damelo, Frequin, Ciré rouge, and many others. The apples are pressed, to ferment, drawn off once. the juice is racked in closed tanks.
The Cidagre (apple vinegar).
The cidaigre is a condiment made from cider, prepared according to the same process as cider vinegar. For generations, making this condiment is unchanged. The mature cider in a widely open barrel, wherein at conctact with air, the alcohol is transformed into acid. A "mother" (a kind of sticky and slimy skin) forms on the surface of the liquid. Our cidaigre is prepared without the addition of sulfur and is neither filtered nor pasteurized. The benefits of apple cider vinegar is not to brag about. We offer you in 75 cl. The cidaigre is used in seasonings, it is sweet and fruity.
How to make great organic apple juice:
Here soem photos and a short description of how the organic apple juice is produced at La Hanère farm:
1. First of all you need good apples.
You will need different kind of apples depending what you are going to produce.
Certainly you will need sweet apples for your sweet cider and more bitter ones for the dry cider, but as for the juice the secret is the blending of the different kinds.
2. The apple juice should be pasturised
The apple juice obtained pressing the apples is pasturised and then bottled.
When the juice is bottled is still hot.
3. The juice is then immediately bottled.
Finally the juice is in bottle and ready to be commercialized!
A huge thanks goes to Jean Louis and Marie Agnes Lardeux from Louvaines near Angers for their generous help and support.
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