|
What is the difference between Apple Cider and
Apple Juice?
SOURCE: U.S. Apple Commission
(Oct 2007).
"The definitions of
"juice" and "cider" vary from region to region. Apple
cider is freshly pressed, not-from-concentrate juice
that may or may not undergo a filtration process to
remove coarse pulp. Most cider is pasteurized but
perishable and is often found in the refrigerated
section of the supermarket. Apple juice may be from
concentrate and has been filtered, pasteurized, and
vacuum sealed to give a longer lasting, shelf-stable,
clear product."
Barsotti uses the
terms "cider" and "juice" interchangeably ... because we
can! Where some juice companies filter, cook, and
preserve their products until they're bright yellow ...
all we do is press fresh apples and flash pasteurize our
juice before bottling. That's it! There is
definitely a big flavor and nutritional difference.
Though there is absolutely no difference in the the
processing or quality of our juice during the year,
folks seem to prefer buying cider in the Fall and juice
during the rest of the year. So ... we change our
labels to appeal to our audience.
Back to the top ^
What varieties of apples does
Barsotti use in their Apple Juice/Cider?
Barsotti's presses a
proprietary blend of fresh apple varieties from right
here in California, and from Washington state. To ensure
your Barsotti juice experience is always fresh and
satisfying, we never use apple concentrates ... and we
never use apples from far away lands. Our favorite
varieties include Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith,
Gala, Gravenstein, Macintosh, Mutsu, Red Delicious, and
Pink Lady ... and others. Unfortunately, the exact ratio
of each pressing is a well guarded secret. That's what
makes us so special!
Back to the top ^
How many apples do we press to
get a gallon of juice?
It takes roughly 12
pounds of apples to produce one gallon of fresh juice.
That means you're getting almost one pound of apples in
each serving. We differentiate ourselves from
other companies by only pressing our apples once.
We don’t press the daylights out of the apples to
increase volume like they do. Though over pressing and
running produce through a centrifuge may yield a higher
volume per ton, in our opinion it also compromises the
flavor of the juice.
Back to the top ^
How many fruit servings are in
each half gallon of juice?
1/2 cup of 100%
apple juice or cider counts as one fruit serving
according to the CDC and Produce for Better
Health foundation. (http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/health_professionals/program_guidelines.html).
Therefore, each half gallon of Barsotti apple
juice contains 16 fruit servings ... and about 6
pounds of apples.
Back
to the top ^
What happens to the leftover
apple and carrot skins after pressing?
The pulpy material
remaining after the juice has been pressed from fruit,
such as apples and carrots, is called "pomace". Several
times each week a truck pulls into the Cider Mill to
cart our pomace off to a cattle and pig farm where it's
eagerly consumed by the livestock. Loaded with
nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, farms often augment
their animal's diet with pomace.
Back
to the top ^
Why are Barsotti juices found in
the Produce Section?
Barsotti's led the
industry in putting fresh juice in the Produce Section
of your local market. When we began making apple cider
(initially for Raley's) years ago, the decision was made
to think outside the dairy section. It just made sense
to put our freshly pressed fruits and veggies next to
their whole fruit kin right there in produce. Since our
juice is not shelf stable ... meaning we're not
over-pasteurized and loaded with preservatives ... this
made perfect sense. We're happy to be found where
freshness is the most important quality. Our
competitors have apparently followed suit.
Back to the top ^
What is flash pasteurization and
why do we use it?
Federal law requires
that all wholesale juice be pasteurized before it can be
sold to the public. To ensure the best tasting
juice possible, we (unlike many juice providers) have
chosen to Flash
Pasteurize (FP) our juices prior to bottling. Also called "High Temperature Short
Time" processing, this is a method of heat pasteurization
where we heat the juice up and quickly cool it down in
order to kill microorganisms that could spoil it.
FP makes the products safer and extends the shelf life
without compromising taste and quality.
Back to the top ^
Why do some of our juices separate in the bottle?
Most unfiltered
fresh juices will separate in the bottle ... usually
leaving all juice on the top and bits of the fruit mixed
with juice on the bottom. It's just natures way of
letting you know we left some of the good stuff behind
for you to enjoy. Simply shake it up and enjoy!
Back to the top ^
What is the shelf life of our products?
Barsotti's always hedges on the side of flavor ... and
safety. Consequently, we don't over-pasteurize our
juices so they taste funny but can stay on market
shelves forever. We make everything in small
batches that are quickly sent to your market. It
costs us a bit more in shipping but we firmly believe
that's the ONLY way to make freshly pressed juice! Our
products currently carry the following "ENJOY BY"
timeframes ... carrot = 24 days, apple = 32 days, and
lemonades = 35 days from the day we press them.
Back to the top ^
How long does the product last once it’s been opened?
It's best to consume
the juice within 7 days after opening the bottle.
Keep in mind that our freshly pressed juices must be kept
refrigerated.
Back
to the top ^
How cold should you keep our juices?
All of our juices must
be kept refrigerated at all times. As a general rule,
it's best to keep our freshly pressed juices below 38
degrees. It's also OK to freeze our juice (especially
if you're making popsicles or "juice-cubes") but we make
no guarantees about quality, taste, or safety beyond the
"ENJOY BY" date on each bottle.
Back to the top ^
What happens if you don't refrigerate our juices?
Unrefrigerated freshly
pressed
juices can spoil and become unfit to drink.
Bringing our products home from the store is certainly
no problem (depending how long and how hot
the drive is). As a rule, if your bottle has become
bloated ... or if the juice is discolored or strange
smelling ... it's best not to consume it. In these
cases, contact us and let us
know where you bought it and what the "ENJOY BY" date is
on the top part of the bottle. We'll go out of our
way to make sure your Barsotti experience is first rate!
Back to the top ^
What does "No Sugar Added" mean?
Simply put, we
never add any sugar to our 100% juice blends.
Fruits and vegetables have their own natural
sugars which make the juice so tasty. The only
exception is our Lemonades where we add organic
cane sugar to freshly squeezed lemon juice to
give them that wonderfully fresh, old school
lemonade taste. Take our word for it ... you
wouldn't like them if we didn't! Think lemon
juice. Yuck!
Back to the top ^
Can you buy Barsotti juice online?
Unfortunately,
our juices
are only
available at
your local
supermarkets
and cafes.
While we
could ship
the juice to
you, the
shipping
expenses
would be
more than
the juice!
The big
issue is
keeping it
cold
throughout
its
travels.
Since our
freshly
pressed
juice is
perishable,
we would
need to
overnight
the juice in
an insulated
box with
cold ice
packs. This
makes for
very
expensive
shipping
costs that
we’d have to
pass on to
our
customers.
And so we’re
doing our
best to get
Barsotti’s
juices,
lemonades
and ciders
into your
local
supermarket
– so it’s
easily
accessible
for you. We
spend a
great deal
of time and
energy
making sure
your
neighborhood
store
provides
only the
best we have
to offer.
Back to the top ^
What products does Barsotti Juice currently sell?
All of our juices
can be found at the "Our Juices"
link on this website. Be sure to check out the
Seasonality Calendar
at the bottom of that page to find out which varieties
might be lurking in the Produce Section of your nearby
store.
Back to the top ^
Do we use concentrates in our juices?
Let's get one thing
clear ... we NEVER use apple juice concentrate in any of
our juices. Our apple juice is always freshly pressed
from apples found right here in Apple Hill®,
other orchards in
California, and just north in Washington state. We
do use a cranberry concentrate for our Cranberry Apple
Cider to help boost the flavor and to help maintain a
consistently tasty product.
Back to the top ^
What is a puree and why do we
occasionally use it?
Purees are
essentially fresh fruits that have been run through a
blender to make them into juice that has the consistency
of a smoothie. We add some puree to our Apple
Raspberry to help thicken the juice so that its texture
is more enticing.
Back to the top ^
Why are some of our juices only seasonal?
Some juice
varieties, like Spiced Apple Cider, Caramel Apple
Cider, and Cranberry Apple Cider, are specifically
developed for the Fall and Winter. These are favorites
that fit in perfectly with the change in the seasons and
always crowd pleasers when brought to holiday parties
... or just sipping hot, by a crackling fire!
Lemonades, on the other hand, are the perfect summer
refreshers! And so, when the weather starts warming up,
usually around May, we bring in our seasonal lemonades
... Sweet Pink Lemonade and Tropical Lemonade. Due to
popular demand, we make our freshly squeezed Original
Lemonade year-round. Bottom line - we enjoy ringing
in each season by filling the shelves with the most
flavorable fare for that time of the year. Our true
fans have come to expect it!
Back to the top ^
Are our juices gluten-free?
All of our juices are
gluten-free - with the exception of our Caramel Apple
Cider.
Back to the top ^
What is a "baby carrot" anyway?
The baby carrots we
use are actually "baby cut" carrots and not actually
immature carrots. A baby cut carrot is created by
skinning a fully grown carrot and cutting it into
several smaller pieces. This makes for a fresher,
sweeter tasting carrot juice.
Back to the top ^
|
