Cider - a Load of Phenolics

Apart from cider making you very drunk and potentially blind I am pleased to report that there have been a few stories recently - here, here and here amongst many others, that purport cider can do good things to you because it contains phenolics.

I don't really understand the science, my understanding of phenols is not as good as it might be. However, I have drunk several pints of cider tonight and can report that it was very tasty. In fact, I can nearly still type by hitting the right keys first time so it must be doing some good.

Also, I never realised that in the US, cider doesn't mean cider at all, as explained in the Wikipedia link in the first sentence. Cider would rather be called 'hard cider', meaning it contains alcohol.

A lot of cider in the UK is made from apple concentrate and apparently that isn't as good for you, medicinally, as proper or 'real' cider. Here in the south-west of England the real thing would often be referred to as 'rough' cider. That basically means it's made from apples, is as cloudy as your mind will be after a pint or two and is very, very tasty. Oh, and it doesn't really taste alcoholic at all.

To me, cider is one of the great things in life. As we are coming into apple-picking time, let alone the windfall apple harvest, I take my hat off to the humble apple for being endlessly versatile.