How is apple cider made?
Fresh US-style apple cider is made by milling apples and pressing the pulp so the juice stays cloudy and unfiltered. Many mills pasteurise or UV-treat the juice; that process is not the same as fermenting hard cider. At home, some cooks also simmer chopped apples with water and spices, then strain a soft "cider".
Updated
Key facts
- Press cloudy juice. Fresh cider is typically unfiltered.
- Not hard cider. Fermentation is a separate step — how cider is made.
- Safety. FDA juice-safety guidance covers untreated juice risks and refrigeration. [1]
How do commercial mills make fresh cider?
Apples are washed, milled and pressed. The juice is often left cloudy. Many mills pasteurise or UV-treat before bottling. Storage and untreated-juice questions belong to what sweet cider is and how long apple cider lasts.
How do you make soft apple cider at home on the stove?
A common cook's method: simmer chopped apples with water and spices, then strain. That yields a flavoured soft drink, not fermented hard cider. For fermenting juice without owning a press, see make cider without a press and cider from apple juice.
How is this different from hard cider?
Hard cider is fermented until alcoholic. Fresh cider is juice. Naming: apple cider vs apple juice and is apple cider fermented.
Guide: what is cider. Glossary: cider.
Related answers: what sweet cider is · what a cider mill is
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Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.
Questions
Is fresh mill cider filtered?
Often not — US grocery cider is typically cloudy and unfiltered versus clear apple juice. [1] Naming detail: apple cider vs apple juice.