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Both apple cider and apply juice start with the same ingredient: apples. One or more varieties of apples are blended for taste and then pressed to obtain the juice. If you want to make your own, you will need to make or purchase an apple press. These are fairly robust, as apples are hard and require a high pressure to extract the juices. Don't use a winemaker's grape press, as it is not suitable. Don't use a blender on whole apples, as they pulverize the skin, core, and seeds, which affect the flavour of the juice.
Commercial apple juices are run through several filters to remove any particulate matter. This also changes the colour of the product from brown to yellow. The resulting product may have potassium sorbate or a related product added to inhibit fermentation. Commercial juices are usually pasteurized, although it is not required if the juice is kept refrigerated. The filtering process affects the flavour of the juice, which is why some people prefer traditional apple cider; pasteurization also affects the flavour.
Plain or traditional cider - sometimes called soft cider - may go through a coarse filtering process to remove large particles. This is optional, depending on the product the producer is trying to obtain. The juice is then bottled with potassium sorbate to inhibit fermentation and refrigerated. It is not pasteurized and does not need to be if keep refeigerated. It does, however, have a shorter storage life than commercial pasteurized juices.
The term cider may also refer to an alcoholic drink that is made from apples - sometimes called hard cider. The apples go through the same pressing operation and the juice may be filtered, depending on how clear the manufacturer wants the product. Sorbate is not added, since it would inhibit the fermentation process. The juice is then balanced for acids, yeast nutrients, and sugar content. Yeast is added and fermentation cheerfully commences. The remainder of the process is not unlike the production of beer.
Hard ciders range from clear, like a commercial canned apple juice, to brown, with or without the presence of particulates. I am rather partial to Norman (French) cider and English 'scrumpy', both of which are traditional hard ciders.
Perry, a drink made from pears, is manufactured in the same fashion. It also is available in alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions.
by gondola on November 21st, 2005
Generally, the difference is as follows:
Apple Cider is made by pressing the the apples and "juicing" them.
Apple Juice is made by boiling the apples. The liquid left over is the apple juice.
This is why cider is more "tart" than juice. It is not diluted with water.
by sarajetta on November 17th, 2005
The difference between apple cider and apple juice depends on where you live!
Apple cider and apple juice are both 100% liquid from an apple.
In the United States and Canada... "cider" is what you get when you take a bunch of fresh apples and put them through a blender. American cider is unprocessed; appears dark, brown, and cloudy; and usually contains the pulp of the apple. If you then take this American cider and process it to clarify the juice, you get "apple juice". American cider does not contain alcohol.
If you are buying American-style cider at the grocery store, make sure it has been pasteurized or heat-treated for safety. If not, there will be a lot of bacteria and fungus in it that can make you really sick. If you're making your own cider, drink it right away, refrigerate it, or add a preservative.
by RichardLin on November 24th, 2010
Apple juice is artificially flavored and has more sugar. Apple cider is carbonated.
by AnonymousGirl on November 22nd, 2010
Apple juice tastes too dry. Apple cider tastes too sweet.
by Rachel Globus on November 11th, 2010
The Massachusetts Department of Agriculture has a useful explanation as well. Here's what they say: "Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment."
More details here: http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/cider_juice_difference.htm
by Anonymous on February 19th, 2009
apple juice tastes like pee and apple cider is legit and uber intense
by mike blair on November 19th, 2005
Well, one point, adding to the answers here. What is considered cider to most in the US in basically unrefined apple juice, so they are really the same thing. In many parts of the world "cider" is what Americans consider "hard cider"- which is essentially apple juice that has been allowed to ferment- thus containing alcohol.
Kinda reminds me of the grape juice my grandma used to make. It was not exactly the same thing you buy off the shelf at the supermarket. It was darker, not as pure and (don't tell her) not nearly as good. It was however still grape juice. If it was allowed to ferment, it would then be wine. Same deal with the cider- it's a little darker, not as pure, but still apple juice. It's not technically cider until it ferments.
The other answers are correct however as far as non-alcoholic American "cider" is concerned.
Here's some more info-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider
by ENigma on September 4th, 2008
While "apple juice" generally refers to the filtered, pasteurized product of apple pressing, an unfiltered, sometimes unpasteurized product of apple pressing, commonly known as apple cider in the United States and parts of Canada.
by crouch123 on May 25th, 2011
apple cider has alcohol and apple juice wellll is apple juice
by JackNicklaus on November 18th, 2005
I would like someone to clairfy a few points on apple juice vs. apple cider. Are we talking about a fermentation process similar to grapes and wine? The apple juice is just the extract from the apple pulp...right?
Then if you let the sugars in the apple juice ferment and be eaten by bacteria and the sugars are then converted to alcohol...right. If the fermentation process is allowed to continue isn't vinegar produced? Apple cider doesn't contain alcohol, does it? I think vinegar is the product of the alcohol being further converted to acid. Someone out there should know this stuff.
by mr. Bill on September 4th, 2008
Pasteurization and fermentation Mr Bill
by extinguisher on December 8th, 2008
I have heard two seperate answers:
Cider is unpasturized and apple juice is pasturized.
Cider juice is a mix of apple varieties, and Apple juice is from just one.
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Comments
good answer, but just to elaborate, the apples are ground/shredded before pressing, not just pressed.
by Grandma Roses - my avatar is my real dog on November 18th, 2005
Good answer.
by Scottythinks on November 18th, 2005
Good Writeup
by Anand Kumar on March 22nd, 2006
This is a very good explanation as far as the USA goes. In the rest of the world it's much simpler - apple juice is just what it says, and cider is alcoholic.
by Brian I on November 19th, 2010