So, What’s The Difference Between Apple Juice And Apple Cider?

by Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider?

I mean, it’s a pretty important question come fall when you’re trying to make warm spiced apple cider, and your local market is out of apple cider… but you’ve got apple juice in the fridge. Is it the same? Can you still make a delicious cup of apple cider with the kid’s apple juice?

The answer is… no!

Apple juice is not the same thing as apple cider.

Apple Juice

Apple juice is simply the juice pressed out of an apple. It’s translucent in color, rarely has flavors, spices or additional sugars added. The juice is processed to remove the starch and pectin, and the the juice is pasteurized for a longer shelf life after packaging. Heating before bottling changes its flavor, texture, and color.

Apple Cider

One of the key differences between apple juice and apple cider comes in the filtration and bottling process. Additionally, raw apple cider is often infused with spices such as cinnamon, anise, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves and served warm.

How is this different from cider you ask? Well, for starters apple juice is always filtered to remove pulp and sediment from the raw juice, whereas some apple ciders are served straight with pulp and sediment. As a result, apple juice is typically clear with a silky mouthfeel, while apple cider may appear cloudy and opaque and have a textured, full-bodied mouthfeel.

You can typically find apple juice at your local grocery store. Look for apple cider at your local farmer’s market or apple orchard. You can find apple cider at your grocery store during the fall too, but we think it’s more fun to find it at a local market or orchard.