Difference Between Apple Juice and Apple Cider
Probably one of the most popular lines in history is “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Because of this, parents encourage their kids to consume apple in the hopes of them not catching any diseases. Some countries include apple in their daily meals. True enough, apple has numerous benefits.
Apple is an edible pome or a fleshy fruit. An average apple has about 126 calories, and a serving contains a moderate amount of dietary fiber. This is probably the reason why it is often included in weight loss diet plans. It is also believed to help prevent the acquiring of various types of cancer due to it containing phytochemicals.
The apple tree is believed to have originated in Central Asia. It also grows in abundance in this part of the world; therefore, several by-products have been invented out of it. These products include apple-including alcoholic beverages, apple candy bars, and apple pies.
Two of the most popular apple by-products, though, are apple juice and apple cider. However, these terms are often interchanged. Therefore, it will be helpful to know what the difference between apple juice and apple cider is. To do this, we will start by dividing each product.
Definition of Apple Juice
Apple juice is a kind of fruit juice produced from macerating and pressing an apple. The resultant liquid is treated through enzymatic and centrifugal clarification to eliminate the starch and pectin, and then, subjected to pasteurization to ensure that all bacterial contents are removed. After which, it is further subjected to a dehydration process to end up with a concentrate.
Since apples are in abundance around September to the middle of November, they are mostly processed around this period. In some producers, the resulting juices are mixed with preservatives to lengthen their shelf life. They may also be treated with pectinases to produce a clear appearance. What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider, then, in terms of production and contents? Read on in our article.
Definition of Apple Cider
Apple cider is the term used by Americans and some Canadians to refer to non-sugared, non-filtered, and non-alcoholic drinks produced from apples. The preparation makes the main difference between apple cider and apple juice. It also comes in liquid form, and apples also undergo extraction to produce the apple cider.
However, it is not filtered in the same manner as a regular apple juice; therefore, it appears more opaque than the other. The extracted fluid can come from the pome itself, its core, its trimmings, or its culls. It used to be that the pressing is done manually; however, more advanced techniques have been discovered, and apple juice and cider makers now use stone or wood trough crushers to extract the liquid from the pome.
The hard cider is a variant of the apple cider, but it is an alcoholic version, and the liquid undergoes fermentation until its alcoholic component comes out.
Having explained the preparation process, is that all the difference between apple juice and apple cider? How can we easily tell one from another?
Apple Juice vs Apple Cider Comparison Table
In order to establish a distinction between these apple-based liquids, below is a table with main difference between the two.
| Basis of Comparison | Apple Juice | Apple Cider |
| Definition | A type of fruit juice produced from macerated and pressed apples | An opaque non-filtered and sugar-free alcoholic drink produced from apples |
| Form | Liquid | Liquid |
| Appearance | Clear | Mostly opaque |
| Treatment | Enzymatic and centrifugal clearing methods, pasteurization | May or may not undergo pasteurization, may be fermented if hard cider |
| Other appearances | None | May contain pulp and other apple filtrates |
| Shelf-life | Can last for months without refrigeration | Perishable and should be refrigerated |
| Filtration | Requires multiple filtrations | Not filtered more than once |
The table above shows a clear distinction between the two products in terms of appearance and treatment. Most companies produce both variants to make the most out of the fruit. Others use carbonation to create a sparkling apple drink.
Conclusion of the Main Difference Between Apple Juice vs Apple Cider
These two types of drinks are allies because they are both made from apples, but they have their diversities which make them unique in appearance and application. One interesting difference between the two is that the cider is alcoholic while the juice is not. This is owing to the varying manufacturing procedures.
