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?. How is apple cider made? "If it's clear and yella', you got juice there fella', if it's tangy and brown, you're in cider town.". In unpasteurized apple cider, naturally occurring yeasts can cause fermentation, making the drink slightly fizzy and alcoholic over time. 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. 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. We continue to offer the cider label since some consumers simply prefer the traditional name for apple juice.". It's also considered a seasonal drink and can be hard to find outside of the autumn months. 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. 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. Actually, it ferments over time and can become fizzy and slightly alcoholic over time. It’s a fresh product that you’re most likely to see at local apple orchards or farmers markets. It is also less processed and (to my taste) has a little more complexity in flavor. Technically, apple juice and apple cider are the same as both are made from apples. 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.". Actually, outside of the states, the word "cider" is generally meant to designate what we would call "hard ciders" here. It starts as soon as the apples are picked! 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. To trade cider a recipe, one cup of apple juice to one tablespoon apple cider vinegar is a reasonable substitute. • Apple juice has a longer shelf life than apple cider. I bet you did great — congratulations! Perhaps we should start with the question, what is unfiltered apple juice? Its color is more opaque than apple juice and has a shorter shelf life of about 7 to 10 days refrigerated. The Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice. And many people think this is a bunch of hooey. Its appearance is cloudy and may contain small amounts of sediment. In fact, Martinelli’s admits that the only difference between their cider and their juice is the labeling. In most cases, apple cider is raw pressed apple juice that has not been filtered to remove pulp or sediment. Nutrition and Health Benefits. Apple juice, on the other hand, is filtered and pasteurized, which gives it a longer shelf life, a sweeter taste, and a smoother texture. • 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. The difference is in the filtering process. While their cider v. juice stance is bafflingly charitable, the state of Massachusetts takes it a little more seriously. Both are 100% pure juice from U.S. grown fresh apples. Apple cider (left) is an unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice. So, in essence, for the most part, apple cider is (basically) unfiltered apple juice. 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. 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. Even as American apple cider was developed, much of the machinery and processes to create it remained the same. I personally find it a touch more apple-y in flavor than the more refined, filtered version — but perhaps that’s just me. Additionally, it is likely that this vinegar has been pasteurized, which further refines and clarifies it. Apple cider vinegar is simply a vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider. Vacuum sealing and additional filtering extend the shelf life of the juice.". So, in essence, for the most part, apple cider is (basically) unfiltered apple juice. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? It comes in two versions: filtered and unfiltered. 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. ", "To make fresh cider, apples are washed, cut and ground into a mash that is the consistency of applesauce. Both apple juice and apple cider may be concentrated. I found that using the naturally occurring yeast from the fruit gave the finished cider the best apple aroma and flavor. Basically, apple cider is unfiltered apple juice. These beverages might come from the same source, but the end result is quite different. Does it make a difference which one you use? If you’re a believer in the health claims or just generally interested in less refined food, then this is the vinegar for you. Apple cider is made from apples that have been pressed into raw juice. Layers of mash are wrapped in cloth, and put into wooded racks. It depends on what you plan on using it for. So which vinegar should you buy? It’s no wonder that we’re confused—apple cider and apple juice are very similar. 2. 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. The “mother” is a colony of beneficial bacteria, similar to a Kombucha SCOBY, that helps create vinegar through a secondary fermentation process. From what I understand, apple cider is not generally pasteurized. Culinarily speaking, the vinegars are interchangeable — they both have an acedic acid level of 5 percent and a mild sweetness from the apple juice. ©2020 Group Nine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. No. What impact does the mother have on the vinegar? 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? It is not, by any means, shelf stable. And that's OK -- because generally, the cider/juice conundrum isn't strictly, or legally, defined. But what's the real difference between these two iconic apple beverages? 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? 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. From time to time, however, you’ll notice clear juices labeled as ciders and cloudy, unfiltered apple juices on store shelves. Apple juice. Apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so … According to the state of Massachusetts, home to a variety of apple-picking destinations, both apple juice and apple cider are fruit beverages. For starters, they're both made of apples. Apple juice 3. 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. 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. 4. That's a useful (albeit brief) primer on the differences between America's top two (easily) apple-based, non-alcoholic beverages. It's more nomenclature that's commonly accepted than anything else. It comes in two versions: filtered and unfiltered. Technically, apple juice and apple cider are the same as both are made from apples. 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. Technically, apple juice and apple cider are the same as both are made from apples. This juice is bottled as apple cider. “The cider versus juice question is quite common,” says Brian Smith, owner of Solebury Orchards in New Hope, PA. Much depends on what you are doing with it. So the only difference between the two is the “mother,” which is simply a somewhat murky collection of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria. Is cider a lie? Martinelli's has this to say on their website: "Both are 100% pure juice from U.S. grown fresh apples. While the differences between the two vinegars is simple and straightforward, the feelings around apple cider vinegar’s health claims are much more controversial. Is it important? While the latter is the unprocessed liquid this is extracted from crushed and pressed apples, the previous is a result of the cider … 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. But that's a distinction only made by some states (for example, Massachusetts) and some producers. The diminutive, angry state of Massachusetts has some decidedly bold feelings about what cider means... to them, at least. Often, but not always, the unfiltered version is organic. The site also clarifies some of the danger (!) 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 takes about a third of a bushel to make a gallon of apple cider. Studies have been conducted and it seems like the truth is somewhere in the middle. Fresh apple cider is simply apple juice that has not been filtered to remove the pulp. 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 Most Common Definition Apple juice is very similar to apple cider, except it goes through both a filtration process and pasteurization process. Again, the unfiltered version contains a live mother, which you can use to make your own vinegar. However, this will not act the same as apple cider. Sparkling apple juice is just apple juice with carbonation. Cider is raw apple juice made from pressed apples that hasn't been filtered to remove pulp or sediment. Thus true cider remains cider after processing because pasteurization doesn’t affect the acid/sugar content. It’s juice, but unfiltered and sometimes unpasteurized. Typically, you will find that apple cider is a dark, opaque color whereas apple juice is light and transparent. Apple cider vinegar is simply a vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider. of cider, as this definition of cider (as it's often unpasteurized) is perishable, and will ferment if left unrefrigerated. Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made from the juice of crushed apples. “It’s kind of the most raw form of apple juice that you can get,” he adds. Most present-day apple juice is pasteurized and filtered ( right ). “Both are 100% pure juice from U.S. grown fresh apples. 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, … Both apple juice and cider are excellent sources of Vitamin C. 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. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get fix! But the end result is quite different one you use is exposed to heat it. 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