Who doesn’t love apple? None. Apple is the most preferred and vastly taken fruit across the world. A bite on a piece of red apple is always a pleasant experience. Apart from that, there are a lot of recipes made of apple that are highly regarded by everyone. Apple pie, apple sauce, apple butter, apple muffins, apple cakes, apple crisp are among some of them that are liked by everyone. Besides, there are two more things used as liquid and beverage also have a lot to say in their favor. These two things are Apple Cider and Apple Juice. Generally, these two beverages are prepared by the fresh apples. So it means, if you have an apple orchard or if you own a grocery shop, then no wonder if you’re tempted to prepare these two delicious things. Now let’s have a look to know what these two things are.
What is Apple Cider?
Apple Cider is not new in the business. It is introduced by the Romans back to about 55 B.C. Again in colonized America, many of the invaders believed that taking Apple cider in place of drinking water is safer in this continent. In this way, apple cider came to light. Apple cider is made of apples that are chopped, mashed, and pressed to extract the liquid of them. This liquid turns into a dark and cloudy, caramel-colored drink with a sweet and tart flavor. You can pasteurize or unpasteurized this thing but should be kept in cold and drunk within a week.
What is Apple Juice?
Apple juice is nothing but a kind of cider that is heated to 190°F and preserved hot in sterilized bottles. This high temperature is the main cause of changing cider’s color, flavor, and texture. As a result, you may find a transparent sweet flavored drink with a smooth texture for not having any apple pulp. This drink always needs to be pasteurized and some kind of preservatives like potassium sorbate and a sweetener is also added with this liquid. All these help to keep the drink for months without fermenting or any kind of bacterial infection that may harm your health.
Let’s Find The Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice
Usually, it is not difficult to find out the differences between two foods despite having almost the same ingredients. But to make the difference between apple cider and apple juice is quite tricky. If you’re keen to know the differences then you have to give a close look at these two.
Preparation
Both of them are made by the mashed, chopped, and pressed apples, but there is a difference between them in making. Apple cider doesn’t need to pasteurize always and even suspended particles of apples are also found in cider. On the other hand, pasteurization is essential for apple juice and it goes through an enzymatic process so that all the apple pulp, starch, and pectin are needed to remove.
Outlook
As the preparation differs you may find these two things look a little different from each other. For the presence of apple pulps, cider have a dark and cloudy look but without any particles present, apple juice has a rather clearer look.
The Taste
Apple cider is prepared by varieties of apples. Actually, it is a blend of sweet and tart qualities apples so that you may get a different kind of taste in it. On the other hand, apple juice doesn’t require the blend; it may change the taste of the juice which sometimes is not welcomed by the users.
Filtration
This probably one of the vital points that makes the difference between these two. Apple cider doesn’t require filtration and this makes it a pulpy and concentrated shaped drink. But the apple juice always requires one more step of filtration which gives this drink an amazing golden color and this exotic look certainly may set the mood of the desire of your mind. Besides, apple juice is always lighter than apple cider.
Preservation for Durability
Apple cider should be kept in cold and pasteurization is not necessary here. You have to drink cider within a week unless the cider may lose his freshness and will be damaged soon.
On the other hand, apple juice needs high temperature and here you have to pasteurize it anyway. For this reason, apple juice can be protected from bacteria and you can keep the juice for even months. You have to drink cider within a week but you can keep apple juice even for months.
Classification
In most of the countries down Europe, apple cider is considered as an alcoholic beverage. Because while preparing cider apples are allowed for fermentation which commonly produces alcohol. But as the apple juice is pasteurized before use, therefore, here apples do not get a chance to be fermented.
Popularity
Both apple cider and apple juice are preferred by almost every person across the world. Apple juice is a kind of drink that can be taken any season of a year, any time of the day without having much worry. But apple cider usually is taken during winter especially on the days of Christmas.
Which One to Buy
Now it is time to choose which one of these two you need to buy for your home use. Well, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to have a drink of sweeter taste and cleaner look then you should go for filtered apple juice. But if you want to get a home-made and robust flavor that comes from unpasteurized, orchard-fresh apple then you can’t help but go for apple cider. Most of the time you can’t find apple cider at the store. Don’t worry; just find out the unfiltered or unpasteurized apple juice which means the same to an apple cider.
Benefits of Apple Cider
Apart from an excellent flavor and taste apple cider has some great health benefits and nutritional value that gives you an excuse to have it on a regular basis. It contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid, and acetic acid, etc. Having all these valuable things apple cider works well for weight loss, control blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels, improve skincare.
Moreover, regular intake of apple cider may speed up the metabolism rate and also provide you relief from high blood pressure, inflammation, diarrhea, depression, and asthma. Besides, apple cider contains a small amount of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. All of them work jointly to provide you the energy and strength that you need to keep yourself active and fit for day-long hard work.
Conclusion
Apple cider and apple juice like twin babies with whom you cannot differ so easily. But if you’re watchful then you’ll find few differences between the two. The same thing you can see in these two also. But one thing is common between them, and that is both are equally delicious, tasty, and nutritious and never make you disappointed. All I can ensure you about that.
John DiBella is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, a cooking enthuthiast and a writer. When he’s not writing blogs about home kitchenware, he enjoys hiking, camping, sailing and cooking.