apple juice / cider

[Anonymous]

What is the difference between fresh apple juice and apple cider?

I just moved here from France. In France apple cider would be an alcoholic, fizzy drink.
Here cider seems to just be apple juice, but not apple juice is cider.
Is it a seasonal thing?

Thank you

[Anonymous]

We have "hard" cider here too, the alcoholic fizzy drink. But our regular cider is unfiltered apple juice. Apple juice is processed to be much clearer.

[Anonymous]

Cider does tend to be a seasonal item.

[Anonymous]

What 12:36 said. "Cider" can either be a clear, alcoholic drink based on apple juice that is available year-round, or a lightly--filtered apple juice, sometimes with pie spices, available in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have "hard" cider here too, the alcoholic fizzy drink. But our regular cider is unfiltered apple juice. Apple juice is processed to be much clearer.

if you juice apples yourself in a juicer, is that cider or juice? tastes lighter than cider to me.

[Anonymous]

Somehow, it's a really different flavor, even though you get it just by crushing apples--nothing more to it than that. The best way to see the difference is just to pick up a half gallon and try it. (The opaque brown stuff, often sold in the produce section.) It's sweet and wonderful. And yes, largely a seasonal thing.

Also try it hot, with cinnamon and a little bit of clove.

Or you can cook with it. It reduces nicely in a pan to make great sauces or glazes, which can either be savory (like with apples, onions and cabbage over pork) or sweet (for any dessert involving apples).

[Anonymous]

^^^
Cider, that is. As PP said, apple juice is just apple juice -- filtered clear.