Apple Juice & Cider

Apple juice is one of the most widely consumed fruit juices in Australia, popular with both children and adults. Most commercial apple juice is made from concentrate — the juice is extracted, concentrated by evaporation, shipped in bulk, then reconstituted with water at the bottling plant. This process is efficient but results in a milder flavour compared to fresh-pressed juice.

Shelf-stable apple juice is pasteurised and packaged in airtight containers that don’t require refrigeration until opened. Many brands add vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which also acts as a preservative to prevent browning. The flavour ranges from sweet and one-dimensional in cheaper products to more complex and balanced in better ones.

Apple cider — meaning unfiltered, cloudy apple juice — has become increasingly popular in Australia, offering a more robust apple flavour. Fermented apple cider is a different product entirely and contains alcohol.