Difference Between Apple Juice and Apple Cider

Apple Juice vs Apple Cider
Most of us often get confused between apple juice and apple cider. Though both the drinks are made from apple, the primary difference depends on the place you live, and how it is being called there.

If you live in the United States, you will know that over there apple cider is what you refer to the unprocessed liquid obtained from apples. To get this liquid, you wash and cut the apple into pieces and then mash it out for the liquid. So the obtained liquid or apple cider contains the liquid and some mashed pulp of the apple which is brown and cloggy in appearance. It must be refrigerated if being kept for long. Other wise the taste changes as well as the color. Now if you filter this apple cider and remove the pulp of apple in it, it becomes apple juice.

In England, apple cider is known more as an alcoholic drink. After the liquid is extracted from the mashed apple, it is allowed to ferment, which gives the cider the alcoholic property. The fermented apple cider is known as hard cider, while the traditional cider is known as soft cider. In commercial apple ciders, yeast is added to enhance the fermentation rate. The cider is also checked for the balance between the nutrients, sugar content, yeast, and acids.

Apple juice has longer shelf life than apple cider. The reason for this is that apple cider contains the pulp of mashed apple which makes the liquid easily and quickly perishable, while as apple juice is devoid of the pulp, it stays good for longer.

When you buy commercial apple juices, the color is different from the original home made apple juice. The reason is that several filters are used to remove any particles in the cider. During this time, the color of the cider changes from brown to yellow. If there is any difference in taste between apple cider and commercial apple juice, it is due to the addition of chemicals which prevent the fermentation of the liquid.

When you buy apple cider, always make sure that you are buying a pasteurized one, as the unpasteurized ciders can have bacteria and fungi in it. And if you are making apple cider at home, the addition of a preservative and refrigerating it can inhibit the growth of any bacteria or fungi.

Summary:
1. Apple cider is the unprocessed liquid obtained from mashed apple while apple juice is the filtered liquid obtained from cider.
2. Apple juice has more shelf life period than apple cider.
3. In United States, apple cider is a non-alcoholic drink, while in England; it is fermented to make it alcoholic.
4. Apple cider is known by different names like hard and soft cider depending on the alcohol content.
5. Apple juice is clearer than apple cider as it undergoes the filtering process.

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