
If you walk into any local grocery store, it’s very common to see apple juice stocked on the store shelves all year long. Typically, you will find that apple cider is a dark, opaque color whereas apple juice is light and transparent. When the beverage is exposed to heat, it changes the color, taste, and composition. What Is Apple Juice? The Most Common DefinitionĪpple juice is very similar to apple cider, except it goes through both a filtration process and pasteurization process. It’s critical for fresh cider to remain refrigerated or the room temperatures will jump start fermentation – creating hard cider! In the Midwest, fresh apple cider is typically found in gallon or half-gallon jugs at local grocery stores, apple orchards, farmers’ markets, and more. Since apple cider is raw and includes the pressed “flesh” of the apples, it doesn’t go through a typical filtration process.Īpple cider is a medium-to-dark caramel color due to the coarse particles of pulp and other “mash” of the apples. To make apple cider, fresh apples are cut up and pressed using a hydraulic press. What Is Apple Cider? The Most Common DefinitionĪpple cider is commonly defined as an unfiltered, raw, unpasteurized, sweet, non-alcoholic beverage that uses fresh apples. This left us with apple cider, apple juice, and hard cider. The popularity of hard cider fizzled out in time and was replaced with soda and beer. Since the birth of hard cider, the popularity of the beverage spread quickly around Europe and eventually made its way to the United States. Once the apples were pressed and made into a juice, they were left to ferment (turning it into a hard cider). Since these apples weren’t typically eaten due to their bitter taste, they were used for cooking and drinking. Thousands of years ago, crabapples became a very common ingredient to be made into cider. This is a bit of a tangent, but it’s interesting enough to share. The next time you’re on the hunt for apple cider or apple juice, make it yourself! This is an easy and creative way to experiment with different recipes and know what’s going into your beverage.Ĭheck out our chef-made apple cider recipe here! Unlike most apple cider recipes, you won’t need a crock pot, slow cooker, or strainer - just your juicer. Our custom Apple Cider recipe was created by our Goodnature chef and juicing consultant, Ari. The answer is yes, you can make your own apple cider at home! According to their website, “Martinelli’s apple juice and cider are the same the only difference is the label…We continue to offer the cider label since some consumers simply prefer the traditional name for apple juice.” Can You Make Your Own (Non-Alcoholic) Apple Cider At Home? That’s right - the difference can sometimes be boiled down to nothing more than a marketing ploy. There are companies, most notably Martinelli’s, that use the terms “cider” and “juice” interchangeably on the same exact product. So, if you’re in Ireland for a vacation, avoid ordering your 12-year old a glass of cider.ģ. Outside of the United States, the term “cider” is reserved for hard apple ciders. This makes apple juice a lot more shelf-stable, which is why you will often see it in non-refrigerated aisles at the grocery store.Ģ.

Such unpasteurized cider becomes slightly fizzy and alcoholic with age.Īpple juices in these more stringent states has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer. Sometimes this cider is unpasteurized as well, in which case naturally occurring yeasts can cause fermentation. This tasty and unfiltered beverage is most readily available when apples are in season. Namely, a cloudy and very perishable apple drink that you would expect to see at farm stands and farmers markets. Massachusetts, for example, specifies processing guidelines for apple cider.Ĭider from such states is likely what most of us think of when we think of apple cider. Some states specify the differences between apple cider and juice, and businesses must take heed of these differences when crafting their labels. Here are the three approaches to apple cider and apple juice labels:ġ. Apple Cider vs Apple Juice: The 3 Main Differencesīecause there is no legal standard for the labeling of apple cider and apple juice, the differences can actually vary by location. Read on to learn the differences between apple cider and apple juice! And keep scrolling for our chef-made apple cider and apple juice recipes you can DIY at home.

Almost every kid loves apple juice, but what usually happens when they grow up? They graduate to apple juice’s mature sibling: apple cider.īut do you know what differentiates these two delicious beverages? The answer is a lot weirder and confusing than you’d expect.
