Apple Cider / Juice

[aceplace57]

I’m surprised Cecil didn’t discuss Cider and Hard Cider. Hard Cider is always alcoholic. Hornsby’s is one of the more popular commercial brands. Cider is non-alcoholic.

Cider and Juice…

Cider is unfiltered apple juice and it contains some pulp. That’s why it’s brown and cloudy.

Apple juice is filtered. Pale yellow and looks like the stuff that was in your bladder.

I found Cecil’s column somewhat confusing. He never mentions that cider is unfiltered or uses the term “Hard Cider”. He also doesn’t mention that apple juice/cider gives you the runs. :eek: One small glass every week or so is my limit.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/391/whats-the-difference-between-apple-juice-and-apple-cider

[John_W.Kennedy]

A further point of confusion not addressed in the column is that, in British English, “cider” always means what Americans call “hard cider”.

[SiXSwordS]

@aceplace57

He also doesn’t mention that apple juice/cider gives you the runs. :eek:

…although it looks like Slug captured the idea.

[qazwart]

@aceplace57

Cider is unfiltered apple juice and it contains some pulp. That’s why it’s brown and cloudy.

Apple juice is filtered. Pale yellow and looks like the stuff that was in your bladder.

That ain’t it either. It is all filtered.

The cloudy stuff didn’t have an enzyme added to it that causes the pectin to congeal before filtering as stated in Wikipedia:

The resulting expelled juice may be further treated by enzymatic and centrifugal clarification to remove the starch and pectin

Apparently, either can be called Cider or Apple juice.

Here’s Martinellis Unfiltered Apple Juice for sale.

And here’s Martinellis Clear Apple Cider.

According to one source, cider isn’t pasteurized (unless it is). According to another source cider is taken from the earlier ripe apples that are more tart (unless it isn’t). According to the FDA, as long as there is no alcohol, there is absolutely no difference. If there is alcohol, it is hard cider.

Other countries take a different view. Cider in England and New Zealand is always alcoholic, and hard cider is distilled into Apple Brandy or Apple Jack.

Interesting history of the Apple and Apple Cider in the book Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.

[aceplace57]

Apple cider (sometimes soft cider) is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage produced from apples. It is opalescent, or opaque, due to the fine apple particles in suspension

The quote is from the first two lines of the wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_cider

My grandad pressed cider in his barn and sold it fresh at a road side stand for at least 25 years (1950’s-mid 70’s).

Apparently, commercial companies do whatever they want and call it cider or juice. It does seem pretty confusing. I’ve never cared much for grocery store cider. Once in awhile I find a farmer that still presses his own. It’s getting to be a lost art.

[NDP]

@qazwart

Other countries take a different view. Cider in England and New Zealand is always alcoholic, and hard cider is distilled into Apple Brandy or Apple Jack.

Interesting history of the Apple and Apple Cider in the book Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.

Also interesting is this recent Slate article on the popularity of hard cider during the 19th century, its decline, and re-emergence from obscurity.

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

This has been noted before, so here’s more comments if you’re interested: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=311547

[John_W.Kennedy]

Well, I don’t know about legalities, and I don’t know about the rest of the country, but in the US northeast, cider is not clarified and apple juice is. Moreover, apple juice is mostly sweet and a little sour, almost like liquid apple candy, while cider is less sweet and adds a little bitterness to the mix. Lastly, apple juice is mostly served in small glasses and cups to little children and blood donors, while cider is served as a normal, albeit seasonal, drink.