Mary Beth Guizdale, age 12, of Boardman, Ohio, for her question:

HOW IS APPLE CIDER MADE?

Cider is a beverage made from the juice of apples. Late fall or winter apples make the best cider because they have a crisp flavor and also are higher in fruit sugar content than those from earlier crops.

The apples are first crushed to a pulp and then subjected to pressure in a cider press to obtain the juice. The unfermented juice is frequently called sweet cider. It can be kept for several days under refrigeration. Much of the commercial supply is flash pasteurized at a temperature of about 160 degrees and bottled for later use.