Cider vs Apple Cider Vinegar: Difference and Comparison

While apple cider vinegar is made solely using apples as raw materials, cider vinegar – although made with apples- can also be made using other fruits like raspberries.

This means that while apple cider vinegar is always cider vinegar, all cider vinegar may not be apple cider.

Key Takeaways

1. Cider vinegar is vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider, with added sugar and spices; apple cider vinegar is a specific type of cider vinegar made from fermented apple juice.
2. Cider vinegar can be made from various fruit juices, including grapes, pears, or berries; apple cider vinegar is exclusively made from apple juice.
3. Cider vinegar may be pasteurized or unpasteurized, while apple cider vinegar is unpasteurized to preserve its health benefits and flavor.

Cider Vinegar vs. Apple Cider Vinegar

Cider vinegar is a vinegar produced from any apple species, with a distinct sour taste used in culinary and health remedies. Apple cider vinegar is a significant vinegar especially made from fermented apple juice with specific odor and taste. Specifically fermented apple juice manufactured vinegar is used in cooking.

Moreover, several other slight differences in taste, acidity, and nutritional value of each make this seminal difference more pronounced.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Cider Vinegar	Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw Material Used	They can be made from various fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, and apples.	They are exclusively made from fresh apple juice.
Taste	The acidic sour taste of the vinegar is diluted with the flavor of the fruit used. The taste of the cider vinegar will be determined by the fruit used.	The acidic sour taste of the vinegar is diluted with the flavor of the fresh apple juice used. Thus, it tastes like an acidic version of apple juice.
Acidity	Maybe more acidic, depending on the fruit used and its diluting power.	It may be less acidic due to the sweetening impact of the apple juice used.
Nutritional Value	The nutritional value may be altered based on the fruit or raw material used to make the cider.	The nutritional value remains more or less constant because of the exclusive use of apples.
Exclusivity	All cider vinegars are not apple cider vinegar.	All apple cider vinegar is cider vinegar.

What is Cider Vinegar?

Cider vinegars are produced from various fruits like strawberries, raspberries, apples, etc. The most common type of cider vinegar is made with an apple base.

Strawberry and raspberry cider vinegar are also common in the market. The juice of the fresh fruit is fermented using bacteria and yeast.

These agents react with the fructose of the fruit juice to produce acetic acid- which gives the vinegar a sour, acidic taste.

The alcohol produced undergoes further fermentation to produce cider vinegar finally. The secret to a really sour cider vinegar is to boost the fermentation process further by keeping the bacteria in the solution for longer.

Cider vinegar has several health benefits and can be consumed daily -after diluting their acidity with water. Cider vinegar can be used as a wonderful sour addition to salad dressings. It can also be used to preserve and pickle food.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is a cider vinegar made with a fermented base of apples. The dominant flavor in this version of the cider vinegar is apple. Much like cider vinegar, they are made by the same process of fermentation of fruit juices.

However, apple juice or apple cider is used exclusively for fermentation.

Apple cider vinegar can be organic or non-organic. The latter is a clear amber liquid that is pasteurized. Organic apple cider vinegar is made by adding the ‘mother of the vinegar’- a fermenting agent- that produces a congeal appearance.

Multiple nutritional benefits are stored in this cloudy liquid that clarifies when pasteurized.  

They, too, embody the sour taste and medicinal benefits of other cider vinegar varieties. They can also treat arthritis, skin acne, gout, and other ailments.

The organic version is better for these purposes as the medicinal benefits are more pronounced in this version of the apple cider vinegar.

Main Differences Between Cider Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar

1. The main difference between cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar is that the latter cannot be made without a fermented apple base. Cider vinegar can be produced by fermenting apples or other fruits or grains. Apple cider vinegar- as the name suggests- cannot be manufactured without using apples as raw materials.
2. Cider vinegar may taste slightly different regarding the fruit used to manufacture it. Apple cider vinegar always has an overpowering apple flavor added by the invariable use of apples for its production.
3. The acidity of cider vinegar may be more pronounced than apple cider vinegar. This is because different manufacturers may add a variety of sweeteners to liquefy the acidic base of the vinegar. This dilutes the acidic taste to a certain extent.
4. Apple cider vinegar may be organic or non-organic, while cider vinegar does not have this distinction. For ciders, it depends on the kind of raw material used to produce the vinegar base.
5. The nutritional value of apple cider vinegar and cider vinegar may be different. This is due to the additional ingredients added to the processing of the respective vinegar varieties. When brands add certain sweeteners and flavoring material, the product’s nutritional value can get altered.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848619312360
2. https://www.academia.edu/download/35973351/49.pdf

Last Updated : 14 October, 2023