Apple Juice

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Apple Juice

Apple Juice
© Denzil Green


Apple Juice is the juice extracted from apples.

Rather than being pressed, as the apples are for apple cider, the apples for juice are usually put through a spin extraction process. The resultant juice is then filtered, clarified, pasteurized and heat treated so that it will be shelf-stable. Apple Juice is usually sweet and relatively cheap, making it an easy favourite for parents to give to kids. In fact, it's surprising that Apple Juice in North America makes up only 9% of the juice market in North America (as of 2004.)

Debate rages over whether Apple Juice is better for kids, because it has fruit in it, or diet soft drinks, because of what they don't have: sugar to rot kids teeth. It's your call as a parent, but if you decide in favour of Apple Juice, check the can to see what that bargain juice is actually made from. There has been some concern about how much apple is actually in Apple Juice. In 1987, one American company was even convicted for making Apple Juice made from apple concentrate that turned out to be essentially corn syrup; most of the apple flavour in the resulting juice was synthesized. Labelling laws won't help you when someone sets out to deliberately deceive; but they will usually.

Cooking Tips
You can use Apple Juice to glaze hams or poultry with, poach fish in, or as a more flavourful substitute for water in many bread, cake and muffin recipes.

Substitutes
White grape juice or orange juice (for cooking)
Apple cider or beer

Literature & Lore
"Civilised adults do not take Apple Juice with dinner." -- Fran Lebowitz, Metropolitan Life (1978)

Also called:
Jus de pomme (French); Apfelsaft (German); Succo di mela (Italian); Jugo de manzana, Zumo de manzana (Spanish); Suco de maçã (Portuguese)

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