Have you ever tried drinking an apple cider? If you have, do you know what exactly an apple cider means and how it differs with apple juice? These two beverages are both beneficial to our health and they look similar too, however, how does one differs from the other?
So, what is apple cider?
A cider is typically a signature beverage of autumn, especially when it is made out of apples. It wards off the evening chill and cider preparation has historically taken advantage of all those windfall apples that drop from the trees before harvest time. 
An apple cider is made up of raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediments. To make one, apples are washed, cut and ground into a mash that is the consistency of applesauce. Layers of mash are wrapped in cloth, and put into wooded racks. A hydraulic press squeezes the layers, and the juice flows into refrigerated tanks. This juice is bottled as apple cider. It takes about one third of a bushel to make a gallon of cider.
Cider makers are most particular about concocting a blend that will create the desired flavor and produce the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness.
An apple juice, on the other hand, is basically the juice of the apple that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer. Vacuum sealing and additional filtering extend the shelf life of the juice.
Unlike apple juice, the apple cider needs constant refrigeration because it is perishable. It will stay sweet and unfermented for up to two weeks.
Image Credits: wikipedia, howstuffworks, fox32chicago
