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[Vieo]

Is there a difference between the two? I just tried apple cider for the first time today. The only thing I noticed that apple cider appears to be darker than apple juice and the taste is a bit different, but maybe the difference in taste come from difference in brand. For example, one brand of apple juice might not taste like another brand. Also, written on the bottle it said for ever 8 ounces you drink, it's like eatting two apples.

So, what's the deal?

 

[way more]

Flanders: You know, most people don't know the difference between apple cider and apple juice, but I do. Now here's a little trick to help you remember. If it's clear and yella', you've got juice there, fella! If it's tangy and brown, you're in cider town. Now, there's two exceptions and it gets kinda tricky here...

 

[explodet]

*brain floats away*

*thud*

 

[Eminem]

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol


holy fuck, i thought i'd have the simpsons reply locked down. you two kick ass.

 

[Star Power]

Cider is stored for a few years after being brewed.

 

[Vieo]

Be helpful damn it! I command yoooou!!!

EDIT:

Cider is stored for a few years after being brewed

Wait a minute... So you mean to tell me Apple Cider is moldy old Apple Juice that's been in someone's basement for years? Much the way they cram grape juice in cellar to get wine?

DOUBLE EDIT:

I believe that apple juice is generally pasturized, while cider isn't.

Pasturized? WTF? Isn't that what they do to milk to kill the germs? Does that mean I can get cider sickness? =(

 

[heavy liquid]

I believe that apple juice is generally pasturized, while cider isn't.

 

[MetatronM]

Cider tends to have a sort of pulpiness to it too. Not pulp in the manner that orange juice has it, but there is clearly some undissolved solid in cider.

Also, apple cider > apple juice.

Oh, and cider can often be alcoholic (namely hard cider).

 

[Hitokage]

Fruit juice being pasteurized means it won't ferment from the yeast or whatever naturally present. Because this is a relatively modern process, you could never find actual grape JUICE unless you drank it fresh squeezed until recently.

BTW, this doesn't apply to citrus fruits. Natural acids and whatnot.

 

[heavy liquid]

Pasturized? WTF? Isn't that what they do to milk to kill the germs? Does that mean I can get cider sickness? =(

Yep. That's why cider doesn't last much more than 10 days refrigerated or so. And it's tangier the older it gets. That's the bacteria multiplying. But that's also why it's so good...

Chances of getting sick from it are pretty small, though. I wouldn't worry about it.

I also prefer beer from micobrews rather from the larger companies. They too have to pasteurize their beer, while the micros don't.

 

[BigJonsson]

Mulled Cider > all

 

[Poody]

ones carbonated and the other is not.

Duh **hits forehead with palm of my hands**

 

[yoshifumi]

apple cider is only good if it's served piping hot

 

[DopeyFish]

apple cider is only good if it's served piping hot

ding ding ding

 

[Richard Cranium]

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_048.html

I have come up with three logical, plausible, but totally contradictory explanations of the difference between cider and apple juice. Take your pick:

(1) There is no difference at all. (Source: large midwestern bottler.) Uncle Sam confirms that there is no legal distinction. In other words, it is all marketing booshwa. But see below.

(2) The store-bought stuff is juice, the homemade stuff is cider. (Source: East Coast conglomerate; also, the old edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.) The product you buy from roadside stands usually has not been pasteurized. Consequently, it ferments over time, giving it a mildly alcoholic kick. What you buy in the store, in contrast, is pasteurized soon after crushing, preventing fermentation and resulting in a pleasant but kickless taste. The manufacturers call their product cider in the fall for marketing purposes.

(3) Cider is made from apples that are picked early. (Source: Washington State outfit that claims to be the country's largest maker of juice and cider.) Early-harvest apples supposedly have higher acid and lower sugar content, producing a drink with a tangier taste. Thus true cider remains cider after processing because pasteurization doesn't affect the acid/sugar content. 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 guy I got all this from says his company is quite scrupulous about monitoring the acidity of its product and changing the labels accordingly.

 

[SKluck]

Straightdope, more like smokingdope, HYUK.

Anyways, you are all WRONG! (Well, some of you are right).

Google is your friend.

A glass of fresh apple cider is one of our favorite fall treats, so we set out to answer your question with gusto. We searched on "apple juice apple cider difference" and soon learned the core difference. Both drinks are made from 100% liquid from an apple, but the distinction between the two depends upon where you live.

In the United States, apple cider refers to the unprocessed liquid that you get from apples. The apples are washed, cut, and ground into mash before being pressed. The resulting cider usually contains apple pulp and is dark, brown, and cloudy. The beverage is perishable and must be refrigerated. If this liquid is filtered and further processed, the resulting product is apple juice, which has a longer shelf life than cider.

In England, apple cider is an alcoholic beverage that is produced when the juice from freshly pressed apples is allowed to ferment. It's sometimes referred to as "hard cider."

Some ciders and juices have not been pasteurized and may pose a health risk. The FDA requires all unpasteurized drinks to be labeled.

And that, is the final say.

 

[Makura]

cider > juice

 

[Diablos]

Apple Cider > Apple Juice, but it always makes me sick.

 

[mightynine]

This has me thinking: do they still make Ace Apple Cider? It was an adult beverage, and hot damn, was it good.