Making Cornell Cider

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*Controlled atmosphere apples

In winter, we offer controlled atmosphere (C.A.) apples. We place choice fruit, selected at harvest, in a sealed cold room for at least 90 days. We use nitrogen to bring the oxygen level down from the 21% that we breathe to around 2.5%, and allow carbon dioxide from fruit respiration to accumulate to around 2%. This slows fruit aging and preserves fruit firmness, acidity, sugars and Vitamin C.

The fruit with the C.A. label has higher nutritional and sensory quality than the regular cold-stored fruit of the same age.

Franklin Kidd and Cyril West from England initiated the first detailed systematic research on C.A. between 1918 and 1927. In 1940, American scientists, like Dr. Bob Smock from Cornell University, adapted the techniques to our local varieties and conditions. Cornell was the first place in the U.S. to build and refine C.A. rooms in the 1960's.