Wandering an apple orchard and biting into just-picked orbs of juicy sweetness makes for a memorable autumn adventure. But if you don’t have time for that, pouring a glass of just-pressed apple cider summons fall flavors, too, and that seasonal favorite is stacked on store shelves at this time of year.
Sweet cider — not to be confused with alcoholic hard cider or apple juice made from concentrate — is not only a tangy, fruity treat in a glass, it’s the key ingredient in hot spiced cider, doughnuts, syrups, jelly and other treats.
Before you grab that jug of apple cider, though, it pays to understand what cider is — or should be. Apple cider (and some apple juice) is made from pressed, smashed, pureed or otherwise pulverized apples, nothing more. Cider is typically light brown in color, always cloudy due to apple pectin, and comes in both refrigerated and shelf-stable versions. By contrast, apple juice is typically fully filtered, often made from apple concentrate and may include added sugar.
For this taste-off, we tasted all the unfiltered cider and cider-like juices we could find. All are made from juice, not concentrate, and have no added ingredients. Since fresh, refrigerated cider is limited to just a few varieties, we included pasteurized, shelf-stable versions as well.
Great apple cider is fresh-pressed, pasteurized with UV light and never boiled, steamed or otherwise cooked. It delivers a refreshingly bright punch of juicy goodness, with a touch of tannin. Bad apple cider can be cloyingly sweet, due to over-ripe apples, or it may taste like old, overcooked apples.
Here’s the scoop on the bright, juicy ciders that evoke just-picked apples in the very best way — and the brands that taste like a half-eaten apple … three days later. Nutrition info refers to 8 ounces.
Trader Joe’s Flash Pasteurized Apple Juice
As juicy and fresh as cider pressed at an apple orchard, this jug of apple deliciousness is pressed from six apple varieties grown in the Northern California foothills. The result is a balanced, incredibly quenching blast of fresh apple. 120 calories, 10 mg sodium, 29 g sugar. $4.29 for 64 ounces. (4 stars)
Apple-A-Day Cold Pressed Apple Juice
This deep red-brown juice made from apples grown in Sebastopol tastes like a mouthful of Red Delicious. It’s bright, refreshingly sweet and has a pinch of tannin. 117 calories, 5 mg sodium, 26 g sugar. $3.49 for 16 ounces at Whole Foods. (4 stars)
Barsotti Freshly Pressed Apple Cider
A leader in the category, this company’s cider is luscious and fresh, if a bit too sweet. Incorporating a few more tart-flavored apples in the mash would make it perfect. 115 calories, 7.5 mg sodium, 24 g sugar. $3.49 for 16 ounces at Whole Foods. (3½ stars)
Trader Joe’s 100% Honeycrisp Apple Cider
This is easily the best pasteurized, shelf-stable apple cider on the shelf. It’s made with Honeycrisp apples and has bold, zesty, apple-pear flavor. 120 calories, no sodium, 29 g sugar. $3.99 for 64 ounces. (3½ stars)
Signature Select Honeycrisp Apple Cider Blend
Talk about an outlier. The contents of this plastic jug looks like mass market slosh, but it’s not. The juice is bright, crisp and has a pleasing tang. 120 calories, 15 mg sodium, 28 g sugar. $6.99 for a gallon at Safeway. (3 stars)
Martinelli’s Organic Honeycrisp Cider
This bright, extra-fresh juice is so sweet that it borders on apple syrup. It would be perfect as a cocktail mixer. Note that the company’s apple juice is infinitely better. 140 calories, no sodium, 31 g sugar. $5.28 for 33.8 ounces at Raley’s. (3 stars)
Simply Apple Pure Pressed
While this juice delivers a burst of fresh apple, it’s missing the tart kick of a fresh-picked apple. 110 calories, 5 mg sodium, 25 g sugar. $5.29 for 52 ounces at Whole Foods. (2½ stars)
Nana Mae’s Organic 100% Gravenstein Apple Juice
With so many companies leaning into Honeycrisp, it’s nice to find a juice made from Gravenstein apples grown in Sebastopol. Unfortunately, the juice is watery.110 calories, 10 mg sodium, 24 g sugar. $2.99 for 10 ounces at Whole Foods. (2 stars)
Tree Top 100% Honeycrisp Apple Juice
This super cloudy juice is pleasant and full of rich apple flavor, but it tastes like applesauce, as the refreshing tang of just-picked apples has been entirely cooked out. 120 calories, 10 mg sodium, 27 g sugar. $3.99 for 64 ounces at Raley’s. (2 stars)
North Coast Organic Apple Juice
This tastes like juice for a baby or toddler. It’s like honey flavored water with a hint of apple. 110 calories, 10 mg sodium, 24 g sugar. $3.29 for 10 ounces at Whole Foods. (1½ stars)
Raley’s Organic Apple Juice
Dump this juice straight into the mulling pot and bring on the spices. As is, it’s an extra-sweet, one-note libation that lacks freshness. 110 calories, 10 mg sodium, 24 g sugar. $6.48 for 64 ounces at Raley’s. (1½ stars)
Good & Gather Limited Edition Original Apple Cider
Just because it’s in a farm-style plastic jug doesn’t mean it’s good. Skip this pricey vat of flavor-deprived apple cider. It’s lacking on all fronts. 120 calories, no sodium, 27 g sugar. $7.19 for a gallon at Target. (1 star)
Sun Harvest Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice
Talk about a disappointing pour. This tastes like sugar spiked with tin-infused apple. 110 calories, 10 mg sodium, 24 g sugar. $4.49 for a quart at Smart & Final. (No stars)
Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.
