Apple Juice vs Apple Cider
Difference between apple juice and apple cider is not that complicated to understand. However, if you have not used them before, when someone says that he/she likes apple cider more than apple juice, you may think are they talking about one and the same thing or apple juice and apple cider really different from one another? However, the confusion ends once you understand what each drink refers to and when the difference becomes clear. This article will put to rest the confusion once and for all by pointing out the differences between apple juice and apple cider. For starters, apple juice and apple cider are beverages that are made from apples, and there are slight differences in the process of making these drinks.
What is Apple Cider?
Fresh cider is nothing but apple juice, but it has not been filtered to remove coarse particles of apple pulp. To make a gallon of cider, one needs a third of a bushel. Making of fresh cider involves washing, cutting, and mashing of fresh apples to a consistency of apple sauce. Different layers of this mash are wrapped in cloth and then stacked in racks. Using a hydraulic press, these layers are pressed to extract juice that flows into refrigerated tanks. Apple cider is this juice bottled up.
Cider needs constant refrigeration as it is perishable. It stays fresh and sweet for up to two weeks. You can also get it frozen, but it is better to pour off a little from the container before freezing as it expands during the process. One thing to remember when buying apple cider is always to buy pasteurized cider as un-pasteurized cider contains bacteria and fungi which may be detrimental for your health.
If you are in the US, any fresh apple juice that contains the pulp is referred to as apple cider. If you filter this drink, it is nothing but apple juice. However, if you are in UK or in another country other than US, apple cider is known as an alcoholic drink as the liquid is allowed to ferment to have an alcoholic taste and kick. This cider is called hard cider by the Americans while the traditional cider is known as soft cider.
What is Apple Juice?
On the other hand, apple juice is the fresh juice of apples that has been filtered to remove all sediments and the pulp. As a result, it remains fresh for long. Also, it does not get any chance to ferment and develop alcoholic taste or kick. This fresh juice is additionally filtered and vacuum sealed so that it stays fresh for a longer time and does not get stale.
The color of apple juice bought in the market is different and is yellow in color while homemade apple juice is brownish in appearance. This is because filtration is done several times to remove any particle or pulp from the juice.
What is the difference between Apple Juice and Apple Cider?
• Apple cider contains both apple juice and the pulp whereas apple juice is a pure extract of apples without any particles.
• Apple juice has a longer shelf life than apple cider.
• Apple juice stays fresh for longer than apple cider as the presence of pulp in cider causes it to go stale.
• In US, traditional cider is known as soft cider. What the rest of the world calls apple cider is a type of liquor made from apples. In US, this is known as hard cider.
• Apple cider can be soft or hard depending upon its fermentation.
• It is said that apple juice has a sweeter and cleaner taste while apple cider has a strong and rich flavor than apple juice.
Both apple juice and apple cider are made of apples. Both are available in the market. Depending on your choice, you can choose one or the other.
Images Courtesy:
