Bad apple cider can be cloyingly sweet, due to over-ripe apples, or it may taste like old, overcooked apples. It delivers a refreshingly bright punch of juicy goodness, with a touch of tannin. Great apple cider is fresh-pressed, pasteurized with UV light and never boiled, steamed or otherwise cooked. Since fresh, refrigerated cider is limited to just a few varieties, we included pasteurized, shelf-stable versions as well. All are made from juice, not concentrate, and have no added ingredients.

By contrast, apple juice is typically fully filtered, often made from apple concentrate and may include added sugar.įor this taste-off, we tasted all the unfiltered cider and cider-like juices we could find. Cider is typically light brown in color, always cloudy due to apple pectin, and comes in both refrigerated and shelf-stable versions. Apple cider (and some apple juice) is made from pressed, smashed, pureed or otherwise pulverized apples, nothing more. Sweet cider - not to be confused with alcoholic hard cider or apple juice made from concentrate - is not only a tangy, fruity treat in a glass, it’s the key ingredient in hot spiced cider, doughnuts, syrups, jelly and other treats.īefore you grab that jug of apple cider, though, it pays to understand what cider is - or should be. But if you don’t have time for that, pouring a glass of just-pressed apple cider summons fall flavors, too, and that seasonal favorite is stacked on store shelves at this time of year.

Wandering an apple orchard and biting into just-picked orbs of juicy sweetness makes for a memorable autumn adventure.

Santa cruz apple juice