Apples or pears can be soaked in oak barrels, enamel, and glass containers.
Barrels are pre-soaked to eliminate leaks. New oak barrels are soaked for 2-3 weeks to remove tannins. The water is changed every 3-4 days. The next process involves filling the barrels with a boiling solution of calcined soda (50-60 grams of soda per bucket of water), sealing them, and rolling them. The soda solution is left for 15-20 minutes, then the barrel is washed several times with cold water. Glass and enamel containers are also washed with a soda solution, then thoroughly rinsed, scalded with boiling water, and dried in the oven.
Apples for soaking are harvested and kept indoors for 15-20 days. The best variety for soaking is Antonovka, while Lithuanian Pepin, Babushkino, Anis, and Autumn Striped are also quite suitable. Summer apple varieties are not suitable for soaking.
Cleanly washed and scalded rye or wheat straw will be needed. The straw is laid on the bottom of the container, lined along the walls, and the fruits are covered on top. Mint, black currant, and cherry leaves are added.
To obtain 50 kg of soaked fruits, 1 kg of sugar, 0.5 kg of table salt, 0.25 kg of malt, or 0.5 kg of rye flour is used for the brine. When soaking apples and pears, it is recommended to add 0.15-0.20 kg of mustard powder. If rye flour is used instead of malt, it is first diluted in a small amount of cold water in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 and then brewed with hot water while stirring continuously. After pouring the solution, the container with the fruits is kept for a week at room temperature for preliminary fermentation. Then the brine is topped up, the container is tightly sealed, and placed in a cool place.
