Introduction
Apple cider is known as an alcoholic beverage which is the result of the fermentation of crushed apples with yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. Since the base ingredient is fresh apples, drinking apple cider brings many health benefits for the body similar to when you eat apples.
It is loaded with abundant vitamins, antioxidants and minerals that are the main support for heart health, lower cholesterol, blood sugar levels and even help prevent cancer. Especially, belly fat is an enemy of many people and apple cider is also helpful in reducing fat and losing weight.
Due to the diverse benefits of apple cider, plus it tastes really good as well, many housewives tend to purchase a lot apple cider every time they have a shopping time in the supermarket. The result is when looking at their pantries, there are a large amount of apple cider cans sitting there to wait to be used.
When reaching this part, we bet there must be so many questions appear in your mind like how long the shelf life of apple cider is and how to preserve it so they can maintain the best quality for a while. Don’t worry, this article is for you and we will help you have all answers for those concerns.
How long does apple cider last?
Apple cider is usually packed in bottles at the grocery and once you take them home, just throw in the fridge to maximize their shelf-life time. Normally, unopened apple cider can be consumed after a week after the expiration date if you store it in the refrigerator and up to a year when being frozen.
Once you open the bottle of apple cider, it will last 7 to 10 days in the fridge and similar to the unopened one, the shelf life in the freezer is 8 to 12 months for peak quality. Beyond that time, it’s still safe for you to consume your apple cider but maybe the flavor is much diminished than the original.
How to tell if apple cider goes bad?
Opened apple cider will be easier to get ruined if you don’t store it properly since the content once exposed to the moisture in the air can cause the bacteria growth.
So if your apple cider converging all the following spoilage identifications, you should discard it right now: develops an off odor, becomes darker in the color or tastes weird and tend to turn into vinegar.
How to store apple cider?
As mentioned, the best place for apple cider are a refrigerator or a freezer if you want to extend the life span of this beverage. After having apple cider on hand, you better store it in the fridge in the original bottle if unopened and no damages.
When it’s opened, you need to cover tightly or transfer to another container before refrigerating or freezing.
Can you freeze apple cider?
Yes, you can freeze apple cider to make it last up to a year. We will guide you how to do that properly in the detailed step-by-step instruction below.
How to freeze apple cider?
Now you are going to learn how to freeze apple cider in an appropriate way in just some simple steps.
Tips to freeze apple cider
- Make sure to leave about 1 to 2 inches head space of the container since the apple cider will expand during the freezing time and can rupture the container
Things you’ll need to freeze apple cider
- A freezer-safe container
How to freeze apple cider in just 2 steps
- Transfer the leftover apple cider in the opened bottle to an airtight freezer-safe container (if you haven’t opened it yet, just pop it directly to the freezer)
- Label the container with storage date and stick in the freezer
How to defrost/ thaw apple cider?
Now you must be wondering what to do if you want to use your apple cider after freezing it. Let’s check the defrosting process we suggest below for more information.
Tips to defrost apple cider
- After thawing, it’s better to shake or stir your apple cider before drinking since the freezing and thawing process can make the texture of the cider change a little bit and the flavor is not spread evenly
- If the apple cider is thawed in the fridge, it can be kept for an additional 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator before using, but you should use it immediately if thawing in a microwave or in cold water is your choice
- Thawing in a microwave is the last resort and not recommended as we all know beverage is best served cool or a bit cold rather than being warm or hot
Things you’ll need to defrost apple cider
- A refrigerator/ microwave
- A bowl of cold water
How to defrost apple cider in the fridge
- You can simply transfer the freezer container to the fridge and let the apple cider gradually thaw for several hours or over night
How to defrost apple cider in cold water
- Instead of defrosting in the fridge, you can return the bottle right to your kitchen, but not in the counter or pantry, but in a bowl of ice cold water
- Let the apple cider thaw completely before using per your recipe
How to defrost apple cider in a microwave
- Put your frozen apple cider in a microwave
- Choose the defrost setting and microwave for about 10 seconds or until your cider is completely thawed
- Remove the apple cider from the microwave to use
