Today, September 23rd, is the first official day of fall. With the change in season comes a change in activities and food options. Some fall activities that have already started are the intensely popular football season, nature walks, and apple picking at orchards.
Apple orchards are becoming more popular as some apples begin to ripen. In the United States there are a total of 2,238 orchards, including 117 in Minnesota and 123 in Wisconsin. At these apple orchards anyone can pick their own apples, buy apple cider, and do various family-friendly activities. Each apple orchard is a little bit different; some have petting zoos, while others have hayrides and various foods for tasting.
As apple orchards and grocery stores in the Midwest are starting to stock up on apple cider again, many wonder what the difference truly is between apple cider and apple juice. The difference between the two is actually very simple, it has to do with the process of preparing these great apple refreshments. According to the website www.mass.org, “Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. It takes about one third of a bushel to make a gallon of cider. To make fresh cider, 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.”
“Apple juice is juice 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.”
Another difference between apple cider and apple juice includes some nutritional values, which include the following, “Although a glass of cider a day cannot guarantee good health, the sweet juice is a good source of potassium and iron. Apple cider is pure and natural with no sugar added. A 6 ounce glass has only 87 calories. Apple cider, like other juices, fruits, and vegetables contains no cholesterol. Pectin, contained in apple cider, has been shown to keep serum cholesterol levels down.” With all these positives, who wouldn’t want to sit and enjoy a nice hot cup of apple cider in the refreshing fall weather?
This season be sure to go outside and enjoy all the exciting adventures that fall has to offer and stock up on some apples and some awesome tasting apple cider.
– Amanda Northwick, JETPUBS Inc.