Why unpasteurized apple cider may carry health risks

It is peak apple-picking season, and each day, hundreds of people visit Scott Farm’s 30-acre orchard in Dummerston, Vt. Many come for its freshly pressed, unpasteurized apple cider.

This time of year, the orchard presses up to 200 gallons per week to meet the demand, blending up to 12 varieties of apples to achieve unique flavor profiles, said Simon Renault, general manager of the orchard. “For a lot of people, it’s a childhood flavor. Tasting cider fresh out of the press, you really get the raw apple flavors,” he said.