For making soaked apples, winter or autumn varieties of apples are best suited, Antonovka apples are perfect.
Preparing apples
We sort out apples, weed out wormy apples, sluggish and shriveled.
After that, we wash the apples in cold water, it is best to use spring or clean drinking water.
Preparing dishes and stacking apples
After that, we start preparing the dishes in which we will soak the apples. It is best to choose a small barrel or enamel pot. We wash it out and then steam it well. Put washed cherry leaves or young currant leaves, best of all black, on the bottom of the selected dish. Then lay out three or four layers of apples, on top again put a layer of fresh leaves, and then apples again. We alternate layers of apples and leaves until the container is full or the apples run out. Apples should be stacked with the stalks facing up. The last layer should be fresh leaves.
If it is not possible to pick cherry leaves or young leaves from a black currant bush, it is quite possible to replace them with wheat or rye straw. In this case, cover the top layer of apples with straw. Cover the apples with a cloth on top, on which we put a wooden circle with a press or a lid. The fabric is needed to keep the air out of the lid. Set aside the barrel with the apples and leaves in a cold place and proceed to the preparation of the wort, which we will pour over the apples.
Making wort based on rye flour
A 10 liter bucket of water will require 300 grams of rye flour and 50 grams of table salt. We take the sifted rye flour, pour it into a bowl and fill it with boiling water, add some salt, stir it thoroughly and set it aside so that the liquid settles. After that, filter the wort through cheesecloth and pour apples with it.
Storing pickled apples
After the wort has been prepared, they should pour the apples into the barrel. Since apples absorb moisture over time, liquids must be poured 5 centimeters above the press, which crushed the apples. At first, apples are best stored at an average temperature of about +16 degrees. After a few days, the apples are best moved to a cellar or refrigerator, where fermentation will continue and end in about a month and a half.
