Apple cider is made from whole fresh apples that are washed, cut, ground into a mash, and then pressed to extract the juice. Unlike apple juice, cider is unfiltered and usually unpasteurized, which is why it has that characteristic cloudy, opaque appearance. At its simplest, apple cider contains nothing but pressed apple liquid, including tiny particles of peel and flesh that remain suspended in the drink.
From Whole Apple to Glass
The process starts with milling. Whole apples, including the skin and flesh, are ground or chopped into a coarse pulp sometimes called pomace. That pulp is then loaded into a hydraulic press, which squeezes out the liquid. The leftover solids, a mix of peel, flesh, seeds, and stems, account for roughly 25 to 30 percent of the original weight of the apples. Because the juice isn’t filtered afterward, fine particles of fruit stay in the drink, giving cider its thick, slightly grainy texture and deep amber color.
This is the key distinction between cider and apple juice. Apple juice goes through both filtration and pasteurization (heat treatment), which removes solids, lightens the color, and extends shelf life significantly. Cider skips one or both of those steps, so it tastes richer, more complex, and more “apple-forward,” but it also spoils much faster.
Which Apples Go Into Cider
Not all apples make good cider. Cidermakers categorize apples into four groups based on two characteristics: tannin (the drying, slightly bitter sensation you feel in tea or red wine) and acid (the sharp, tart bite).
- Sweets: Low tannin, low acid. These provide the base of sugar and body.
- Sharps: Low tannin, high acid. These add brightness and tartness.
- Bittersweets: High tannin, low acid. These contribute depth and a fuller mouthfeel.
- Bittersharps: High tannin, high acid. These bring both complexity and bite.
Most ciders are blends. A single apple variety rarely has the right balance on its own. Cidermakers mix sharps and sweets and bittersweets together the way a chef balances salt, acid, and fat in a dish. Some heritage varieties like Harrison or Gravenstein work well as single-variety ciders, but even then, makers often adjust acidity or sweetness before the final product.
If you’re buying fresh cider from a farm stand in the fall, it’s typically pressed from whatever dessert and cooking apples the orchard grows: McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith, often in combination. Craft cidermakers working with fermented (alcoholic) cider tend to seek out the more specialized bittersweet and bittersharp varieties.
What’s in a Typical Serving
An 8-ounce cup of sweet, non-alcoholic apple cider contains roughly 105 to 120 calories and 20 to 30 grams of sugar. All of that sugar comes from the apples themselves, primarily fructose, glucose, and sucrose, the same sugars naturally present in a fresh apple. No sugar is added to traditional cider. For comparison, an 8-ounce glass of apple juice contains a similar amount of sugar, so the nutritional difference between the two is minimal. The advantage cider has is that its unfiltered nature means it retains more of the fruit’s original compounds, including traces of fiber and antioxidants from the pulp and skin particles.
Preservatives in Store-Bought Cider
Fresh-pressed cider from a farm stand or orchard is usually just apples and nothing else. Bottled cider sold in grocery stores, however, often contains one or two preservatives to prevent spoilage: potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. Both are used in tiny amounts, typically less than 0.1 percent of the total volume. These compounds stop mold and yeast from growing, which is important because unpasteurized cider naturally contains wild yeasts that will start fermenting the sugars if left unchecked. You’ll find these preservatives listed on the ingredient label, though testing by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found that some brands didn’t always disclose every preservative they used.
Some commercial ciders are also pasteurized with heat or treated with other methods to kill harmful bacteria. The FDA requires any juice or cider sold in the U.S. to either undergo a process that eliminates 99.999 percent of dangerous pathogens or carry a warning label stating: “This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.” If you see that label at a farmers market, the cider inside is raw and untreated.
Non-Alcoholic Cider vs. Hard Cider
In the United States, “apple cider” almost always refers to the sweet, non-alcoholic version. “Hard cider” is the fermented, alcoholic drink, typically around 4 to 5 percent alcohol by volume, similar to beer. In most of Europe, the word “cider” means the alcoholic version by default.
Hard cider starts with the same pressed apple juice but undergoes a fermentation step where yeast converts the fruit sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Some hard ciders use naturally occurring wild yeasts already present on the apple skins, while others use commercially added yeast strains for a more predictable result. The base ingredient is identical. The only difference is whether the sugars stay as sugar or get turned into alcohol.