Today, the battle royal! I scoured the mean streets of Milwaukee to ask the question, apple cider or apple juice? I asked one person, myself and this is what I discovered...
Apple cider is made from apples that are washed, cut and ground into an "apple mash" similar to applesauce. The mash is then wrapped in cloth and pressed into fresh juice. The official description from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture says cider is "raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment."
On the other hand, apple juice undergoes filtration to remove pulp and is then pasteurized to extend the shelf life. Vacuum sealing and additional filtering help it stay fresh even longer.
Apple juice can sit unopened in your cabinet for months, but apple cider is perishable and should be refrigerated. Unpasteurized cider can even start to ferment and turn into hard cider over time.
People tend to think of apple juice as something you drink from a sippy cup whereas, cider, a drink to be enjoyed heated up with some cinnamon or mixed with some rum or brandy. The nutritional value of each is about the same. Apple juice tends to cost less and is available year round. Outside of the United States, cider usually refers to a fermented, alcoholic beverage.
Let's do a side by side comparison. I will try them straight, with booze and heated up with cinnamon.
Straight up, cider has a lot more character than juice and is much more enjoyable to drink. Cider tends to be thicker and the flavor varies more than that of juice.
With booze: I mixed cider and juice with Captain Morgan Sherry Oak Finish Spiced Rum. I love mixing booze with cider. I have also used brandy, apple brandy, sour apple liqueur and whiskey. This is my first time mixing alcohol with apple juice. As expected, the spiced rum mixes better with the cider. It is dangerously good! The rum seems to enhance the taste of the cider whereas, it takes away from the taste of the juice.
Heated up with cinnamon: This is a great way to enjoy cider, often with some spirits added. This is my first time trying apple juice heated up. I think the flavor of both was enhanced by heating up and adding cinnamon but the cider reigned supreme and is my choice for WINNER!
Next time, I review Fulton's Harvest Apple Pie Liqueur. Apple cider may make an appearance. Get yer drink on and crunch on people!
No comments:
Post a Comment