So, in essence, for the most part, apple cider is (basically) unfiltered apple juice. In most cases, apple cider is raw pressed apple juice that has not been filtered to remove pulp or sediment. ", "To make fresh cider, apples are washed, cut and ground into a mash that is the consistency of applesauce. The answers: 1. Again, the unfiltered version contains a live mother, which you can use to make your own vinegar. While the latter is the unprocessed liquid this is extracted from crushed and pressed apples, the previous is a result of the cider … She lives in Oakland, CA. Take, for example, this tidbit from the FAQ section of nonalcoholic sparkling cider giant (and purveyor of other apple-based liquids) Martinelli’s web site: “Martinelli’s apple juice and cider are the same; the only difference is the label. A hydraulic press squeezes the layers, and the juice flows into refrigerated tanks. (You only have to visit this post from a year ago on ACV and browse through the comments to get a sense of just how controversial these claims are.) This juice is bottled as apple cider. Apple cider (also called sweet cider or soft cider or simply cider ) is the name used in the United States and Canada for an unfiltered, … It is made from apple juice that has been extracted from the pulp of mashed apples. Some companies, like Martinelli's, do consider both their juice and their cider to be the same thing. Technically, apple juice and apple cider are the same as both are made from apples. Is cider a lie? Therefore, the company claims, it’s possible to make not only frozen cider concentrate, contrary to your assertion, but also “sludgy” — i.e., unfiltered, hence cloudy — apple juice. The Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice. Apple cider: In much of the world, the word cider refers to an alcoholic beverage, but apple cider is typically an unsweetened and non-alcoholic form of unfiltered apple juice. It comes in two versions: filtered and unfiltered. Apple cider. But, on the precipice of fall, when the air is crisp and accented by the tender notes of pumpkin spice, I decided that a true explanation was in order: Aside from the Flanders-explained appearance, what is truly the difference between apple juice and apple cider? Both apple juice and cider are excellent sources of Vitamin C. For example, when healthy adults ate a breakfast of apple juice, bread, and peanut butter, their rise in blood sugar was 30% less compared to the same meal without peanut butter . It may not be the most pressing question in the world, but consider that Martinelli's, on their own website, admits that the only difference between their cider and their juice is the labeling. It takes about a third of a bushel to make a gallon of apple cider. It’s no wonder that we’re confused—apple cider and apple juice are very similar. You can also buy this in bottles labelled as apple juice … The Most Common Definition Apple juice is very similar to apple cider, except it goes through both a filtration process and pasteurization process. And that's OK -- because generally, the cider/juice conundrum isn't strictly, or legally, defined. Technically, apple juice and apple cider are the same as both are made from apples. • Apple juice stays fresh for longer than apple cider as the presence of pulp in cider causes it to go stale. The difference is in the filtering process. Is it important? Much depends on what you are doing with it. Apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and often unpasteurized. It comes in two versions: filtered and unfiltered. Apple juice, on the other hand, is filtered and pasteurized, which gives it a longer shelf life, a sweeter taste, and a smoother texture. Well, now you should know the difference, in composition, between what is commonly referred to as "cider" and what is commonly referred to as "juice" -- as well as the fact that some people just call apple cider "apple juice," and visa-versa. "If it's clear and yella', you got juice there fella', if it's tangy and brown, you're in cider town.". It can be purchased in two forms: filtered or unfiltered. Technically, apple juice and apple cider are the same as both are made from apples. We continue to offer the cider label since some consumers simply prefer the traditional name for apple juice.". Apple cider is made from apples that have been pressed into raw juice. Both are 100% pure juice from U.S. grown fresh apples. To trade cider a recipe, one cup of apple juice to one tablespoon apple cider vinegar is a reasonable substitute. However, this will not act the same as apple cider. Apple juice in these states, on the other hand, is much more clear and pasteurized. Filtered apple cider vinegar is made with apple juice and water. And -- due to the way it's produced -- will have a tangier, almost "harsher" taste than your traditional apple juice. But what's the real difference between these two iconic apple beverages? So which vinegar should you buy? The United States and parts of Canada now define apple cider as an unfiltered, unsweetened, nonalcoholic beverage made from pressed apples that still contains some pulp or sediment. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun. Apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so … The filtering process removes the vinegar “mother” and any sediment, leaving a clear, amber-colored vinegar. Apple juice. (aka, the fizz in sodas) Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. When the beverage is exposed to heat, it changes the color, taste, and composition. Fresh apple cider is simply apple juice that has not been filtered to remove the pulp. If you think all that is a bunch of hooey and you want to save a few pennies, then go for the filtered, pasteurized version. That's a useful (albeit brief) primer on the differences between America's top two (easily) apple-based, non-alcoholic beverages. • Apple cider contains both apple juice and the pulp whereas apple juice is a pure extract of apples without any particles. Both apple juice and apple cider may be concentrated. It is also less processed and (to my taste) has a little more complexity in flavor. Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is also made from apple juice and water, but the mother hasn’t been filtered out and it likely isn’t pasteurized. Apple cider vinegar with the mother is simply unrefined, unpasteurized and unfiltered ACV. So if you are interested in less processed, raw, or organic ingredients, or if you want to use ACV to kickstart your own homemade vinegars, then go for the unfiltered kind. “Both are 100% pure juice from U.S. grown fresh apples. Basically, apple cider is unfiltered apple juice. It starts as soon as the apples are picked! Apple cider vinegar is simply a vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider. Much depends on what you are doing with it. Studies have been conducted and it seems like the truth is somewhere in the middle. • Apple juice has a longer shelf life than apple cider. “The cider versus juice question is quite common,” says Brian Smith, owner of Solebury Orchards in New Hope, PA. Typically, you will find that apple cider is a dark, opaque color whereas apple juice is light and transparent. Thus true cider remains cider after processing because pasteurization doesn’t affect the acid/sugar content. For years I relied on this distinction made by Nedward Flanders Jr., Homer Simpson's overtly religious, super-friendly, surprisingly well-hung-diddidly-ung next door neighbo-rino. 4. ©2020 Group Nine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. I found that using the naturally occurring yeast from the fruit gave the finished cider the best apple aroma and flavor. From time to time, however, you’ll notice clear juices labeled as ciders and cloudy, unfiltered apple juices on store shelves. This is probably why cider is oft-considered to be a more "grown-up" version of apple juice. Per chef Jerry James Stone, “When it comes to apple cider, it typically tends to be juice that’s pressed from the apples, but then is not completely unfiltered or even pasteurized.” The remaining pulp or sediment gives apple cider a cloudy or murky appearance. It’s a fresh product that you’re most likely to see at local apple orchards or farmers markets. The distinction is inside the filtering method. I did notice that they do have unfiltered apple juice which looks the same as apple cider, but also says it’s from concentrate which I don’t think apple cider is. What People Want from a Healer in the Midst of a Pandemic, A Middle School Math Teacher Planning Lessons and Lunch, The Columbus, OH-based Forager Who's Become a TikTok Star, A Food Justice Advocate and Mother Talks Breastfeeding and Herb Gardens, Bryant Terry's Sautéed Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes, Vivian Howard's Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage. Additionally, it is likely that this vinegar has been pasteurized, which further refines and clarifies it. Perhaps we should start with the question, what is unfiltered apple juice? 2. It takes about 1/3 a bushel of apples to make one gallon of cider. Even as American apple cider was developed, much of the machinery and processes to create it remained the same. Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from the juice of crushed apples. Difference Between Apple Juice and Apple Cider. Apple juice 3. Cider is raw apple juice made from pressed apples that hasn't been filtered to remove pulp or sediment. I would always see Apple cider in all the stores in the east coast but when I came to California I couldn’t find it as easily. Does it make a difference which one you use? For starters, they're both made of apples. We're going to get to the bottom of this -- particularly so you have a chunk of trivia to whip out during a wholesome-as-shit apple-picking session with your one true love. Culinarily speaking, the vinegars are interchangeable — they both have an acedic acid level of 5 percent and a mild sweetness from the apple juice. What? of cider, as this definition of cider (as it's often unpasteurized) is perishable, and will ferment if left unrefrigerated. ", "Apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer. A marketing ploy by Big Apple (not to be confused with Big Apple) to sucker us into buying what is touted as a fall-centric drink? Apple cider vinegar is actually fermented apple cider -- it's what happens if you let your cider go "bad." “It’s kind of the most raw form of apple juice that you can get,” he adds. Others, like Martinelli's, note that their apple juice and apple cider are the same thing and the only difference is in the name on the jug. Apple cider is generally considered to be cloudy unfiltered juice, while apple juice is typically clear, having had all of the apple solids filtered out of it. Does it make a difference which one you use? Often, but not always, the unfiltered version is organic. Eating healthy should still be delicious. And many people think this is a bunch of hooey. It is not, by any means, shelf stable. Apartment Therapy is full of ideas for creating a warm, beautiful, healthy home. It has an incredibly high acidic content, and is mainly used as a cooking ingredient, and not as a delicious autumnal beverage. Actually, it ferments over time and can become fizzy and slightly alcoholic over time. So, in essence, for the most part, apple cider is (basically) unfiltered apple juice. How is apple cider made? Apple cider 2. Actually, outside of the states, the word "cider" is generally meant to designate what we would call "hard ciders" here. The best cider I’ve ever made was with fresh pressed juice, unpasteurized, unfiltered, from non-cider varieties, with no yeast pitched into it. The Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice. Dana Velden's first book, Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook (Rodale Books) is available where ever books are sold. Apple cider vinegar is simply a vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider. It’s juice, but unfiltered and sometimes unpasteurized. However, the stuff you buy in the grocer that is called apple cider will usually be pasteurized, and what it actually is is unfiltered apple juice. If you’re a believer in the health claims or just generally interested in less refined food, then this is the vinegar for you. According to the state of Massachusetts, home to a variety of apple-picking destinations, both apple juice and apple cider are fruit beverages. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? The difference is in the filtering process. In fact, Martinelli’s admits that the only difference between their cider and their juice is the labeling. Vacuum sealing and additional filtering extend the shelf life of the juice.". Per chef Jerry James Stone, “When it comes to apple cider, it typically tends to be juice that’s pressed from the apples, but then is not completely unfiltered or even pasteurized.” The remaining pulp or sediment gives apple cider a cloudy or murky appearance. What impact does the mother have on the vinegar? Its color is more opaque than apple juice and has a shorter shelf life of about 7 to 10 days refrigerated. These beverages might come from the same source, but the end result is quite different. In unpasteurized apple cider, naturally occurring yeasts can cause fermentation, making the drink slightly fizzy and alcoholic over time. And Flanders isn't wrong. It's more nomenclature that's commonly accepted than anything else. No. So the only difference between the two is the “mother,” which is simply a somewhat murky collection of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria. • In US, traditional cider is known as soft cider. Many people believe drinking small amounts of unfiltered ACV will lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugars, and prevent heartburn and acid reflux, among other things. While their cider v. juice stance is bafflingly charitable, the state of Massachusetts takes it a little more seriously. Concentrated apple cider lengthens the shelf life and makes the drink available in the off-season as it allows the cider to be in a frozen state for use at any time. Sparkling apple juice is just apple juice with carbonation. Layers of mash are wrapped in cloth, and put into wooded racks. It's also considered a seasonal drink and can be hard to find outside of the autumn months. Nutrition and Health Benefits. Its appearance is cloudy and may contain small amounts of sediment. Martinelli's has this to say on their website: "Both are 100% pure juice from U.S. grown fresh apples. The site also clarifies some of the danger (!) You might know that one goes in a sippy cup and the other is a main ingredient in festive holiday punches, but what makes them truly different?. So, if you're in England and you buy your 8-year-old a tall glass of cider, you might end up spending time in a jail (or gaol, as they'd call it). The diminutive, angry state of Massachusetts has some decidedly bold feelings about what cider means... to them, at least. Apple cider. I personally find it a touch more apple-y in flavor than the more refined, filtered version — but perhaps that’s just me. Filtered apple cider vinegar is made with apple juice and water. Apple cider (left) is an unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice. But that's a distinction only made by some states (for example, Massachusetts) and some producers. Via their official state website, they believe that "Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. The “mother” is a colony of beneficial bacteria, similar to a Kombucha SCOBY, that helps create vinegar through a secondary fermentation process. Most present-day apple juice is pasteurized and filtered ( right ). I guess, in the end, you should really just follow Ned Flanders' original advice on the subject: "If it's clear and yella', you got juice there fella', if it's tangy and brown, you're in cider town.". Both sweet and hard cider-makers mill and press apples to extract juice. I bet you did great — congratulations! While the differences between the two vinegars is simple and straightforward, the feelings around apple cider vinegar’s health claims are much more controversial. 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My taste ) has a little more seriously as it 's what happens if you let your cider ``! Cider versus juice question is quite different or unfiltered to remove solids and pasteurized into vinegar along... For longer than apple cider is known as soft cider, amber-colored vinegar decidedly bold feelings what!