What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider?!
Cider is a broad term that is often used to refer to a number of different products (apple cider, sweet cider, hard cider and so on). For example, in the United States, the word cider refers to the freshly expressed juice of the apple. In England and Australia, the word is used to describe fermented juice, which Americans actually call hard cider. When cider is allowed to ferment or partially ferment, it has distinct characteristics that many have come to recognize - including tart taste and dark, cloudy appearance.
Whether choosing apple juice or apple cider, consumers are recommended to select shelf-stable, frozen or other fruit juices and ciders that have been pasteurized or appropriately heat-treated for safety. If a juice or cider has not been pasteurized, the Food and Drug Administration requires that it be labeled as such to inform consumers.
Keep in mind, the shelf-stable and frozen apple juices found in your grocery store are pasteurized or otherwise heat-treated (unless they contain the unpasteurized label required by the FDA) and may even carry the label "apple cider" during certain times of the year! It all depends on whether the term cider has more appeal in a particular market area.
Answers: You might be surprised to learn that apple juice and apple cider are technically the same - they are both 100% juice from the apple. Some apple juice manufacturers also use processes to clarify the juice, resulting in a clear appearance. In fact, the greatest volume of apple juice sold in the United States is clarified apple juice.
Cider is a broad term that is often used to refer to a number of different products (apple cider, sweet cider, hard cider and so on). For example, in the United States, the word cider refers to the freshly expressed juice of the apple. In England and Australia, the word is used to describe fermented juice, which Americans actually call hard cider. When cider is allowed to ferment or partially ferment, it has distinct characteristics that many have come to recognize - including tart taste and dark, cloudy appearance.
Whether choosing apple juice or apple cider, consumers are recommended to select shelf-stable, frozen or other fruit juices and ciders that have been pasteurized or appropriately heat-treated for safety. If a juice or cider has not been pasteurized, the Food and Drug Administration requires that it be labeled as such to inform consumers.
Keep in mind, the shelf-stable and frozen apple juices found in your grocery store are pasteurized or otherwise heat-treated (unless they contain the unpasteurized label required by the FDA) and may even carry the label "apple cider" during certain times of the year! It all depends on whether the term cider has more appeal in a particular market area.
There is no difference; they are the same.
1) There is no difference at all. (Source: large midwestern bottler.) Uncle Sam confirms that there is no legal distinction. In other words, it is all marketing booshwa. But see below.
(2) The store-bought stuff is juice, the homemade stuff is cider. (Source: East Coast conglomerate; also, the old edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.) The product you buy from roadside stands usually has not been pasteurized. Consequently, it ferments over time, giving it a mildly alcoholic kick. What you buy in the store, in contrast, is pasteurized soon after crushing, preventing fermentation and resulting in a pleasant but kickless taste. The manufacturers call their product cider in the fall for marketing purposes.
(3) Cider is made from apples that are picked early. (Source: Washington State outfit that claims to be the country's largest maker of juice and cider.) Early-harvest apples supposedly have higher acid and lower sugar content, producing a drink with a tangier taste. Thus true cider remains cider after processing because pasteurization doesn't affect the acid/sugar content. Therefore, the company claims, it's possible to make not only frozen cider concentrate, contrary to your assertion, but also "sludgy"--i.e., unfiltered, hence cloudy--apple juice. The guy I got all this from says his company is quite scrupulous about monitoring the acidity of its product and changing the labels accordingly.
Apple juice is just juice from the apples.
Apple cider has mulling spices in it to give it a spicy flavor.
Depends where in the world you are.
In the UK, and elsewhere in Europe, cider is alcoholic... and usually fairly strong at that... stronger than most beers. Apple juice is more like OJ and usually in cartons in the chiller cabinets in the supermarket. Also, and once again like OJ, this is either fresh or made from concentrates.
In the US I don't think cider is really alcoholic. They tend to speak of Hard Cider for that and even then I am not sure if it is as strong as some of our (UK) stuff. How US style Cider differs from Apple Juice I am unsure. Best to let an American pick that one up.
Edit: plenty above on the difference between cider and apple juice in the US.
Edit: Why the thumbs down? Nothing in what I said was wrong or misleading. I even acknowledged fuller answers given by others on points I was unsure of!
Apple Cider vs. Apple Juice
Apple cider is essentially apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process that removes coarse pulp or sediment. Cider may or may not be heat pasteurized. Apple juice has been filtrated, pasteurized, and vacuum sealed to give a longer lasting, clearer looking product. Most juices add additional water and other ingredients to maintain flavor and clarity. Outside the U.S., the term "Apple Cider" typically means "Hard Cider" while "Apple Juice" usually will get you a sweet cider.
Hard Cider vs. Sweet Cider
When you press apples into a liquid form for immediate bottling and consumption you get Sweet Cider. This cider may or may not be pasteurized. Allowing the liquid to ferment, either naturally or with controlled active ingredients like yeasts, one gets Hard Cider.
They are the same but the big difference is that juice is filtered and cider isn't.
store bought cider is just apple juice with spice
Real Apple Cider tastes like something like champagne, what you buy in the jug at the store is not real apple cider. learnt this a couple years ago when I went to Quebec and found out the truth