Is Out-of-Date Cider Safe to Drink?

In most western countries, Cider is an alcoholic beverage everyone would love to have. It comes from the British tradition of fermenting apple juice and making it a slightly alcoholic drink for social consumption.

Some countries like the United States call it hard Cider to distinguish it from regular apple cider that has no alcohol inside. It has a smooth and light taste to ensure that you can drink it neat or with ice.

Today we will learn more about the expiry date of Cider and how you can possibly know about it.

Most manufacturing companies bottle the Cider and write the potential expiry date on the bottom of the bottle.

It’s best to know what Cider is first and then decide for yourself what to do with an expired bottle.

Most people believe that there is no harm other than taste imbalances, but it’s up to you to decide what you like the most.

What Is Cider Drink?

Cider drink comes from the apple juice that used to be abundant in western countries, especially England and Ireland. These are the homelands for European Cider with alcohol inside.

When you want to make alcoholic Cider, you simply add some yeast and ferment the apple juice.

All the sugars in the apple juice can easily transform into alcohol, and that’s a slow process that you need to monitor constantly.

When the alcohol reaches 5% of the concentration per volume, you need to stop the fermentation process as the Cider is finally ready for bottling and consumption.

In European nations, Cider’s name is enough to designate the presence of alcohol in apple juice.

Other jurisdictions like the United States used the term hard Cider to make a difference from apple Cider which is meant for a kids’ beverage.

How Do You Know If Cider Is Expired?

There is no specific test to perform and check if Cider has expired. You simply need to check the expiry date on the bottom of the bottle of Cider you intend to consume.

Most bottles have an expiry date, while some others don’t. However, you can tell if the Cider you have in your hands has expired long ago simply by smelling it.

It will surely smell like vinegar, and that is the same taste it will have when you taste it in the first place.

Can You Drink Cider That Has Already Expired?

Many people have tried to drink expired Cider, and they had no issues at all. Besides the fact that the expired Cider is not as tasty as the original one, there is no other health issue you may experience by drinking it.

The taste will sound funny in the beginning, but as you keep on drinking, alcohol will make it a lot better.

So you don’t need to perish and discard the Cider you have at home simply because it has expired.

The best solution would be to try it first, see if it’s bearable to drink, and then decide as you like.

How Long Does Bottled Cider Last?

Bottled Cider usually has the same qualities as wine. You can keep it in storage for approximately two years without facing any issues with taste as soon as you open it.

However, that depends on the quality of the storage and how keen you are on preserving it the right way.

For instance, it’s fundamental to keep Cider away from sunlight exposure and extreme temperatures.

Provided that you have kept your promise and had the Cider stored for two years in a controlled conditions environment, then you can be sure to enjoy it.

Can Cider Turn to Vinegar?

There is no chance your Cider turns to vinegar as long it’s sealed in the bottle. However, when you open your Cider and start drinking it, the air contamination helps oxidize its substances.

For that reason, if your Cider is open for more than one month opened in the refrigerator, there is a good chance it can start reacting with the air molecules and produce acidic substances.

If you leave it that way, you will end up with your Cider turned into vinegar after several months. So you need to drink Cider fresh and ensure you keep it in the best possible conditions.

Can Out-of-date Cider Make You Sick?

Out-of-date Cider itself cannot make you sick. However, if Cider gets contaminated with germs and bacteria after the pasteurization process, you can get sick by drinking it.

There is no chance your Cider can get contaminated after bottling.

For that reason, you can go on and drink out-of-date Cider if you like the taste without any fear that you will be sick for a reason.

Does Leaving the Cider Bottle Open Make it Go Off?

Leaving the Cider bottle open could easily make the content go off. It’s the oxidizing power of atmospheric air that could react with the Cider molecules and give them a funny taste.

In the end, Cider will retain all the alcoholic concentration, but all the other flavors substances could get dissolved.

That way, you will have a Cider of inferior quality, and you may decide to discard it.

Drinking such a Cider will not make you sick, but the content will go off and give you a bad scent in your mouth. So you better seal the bottle or drink Cider as soon as possible after opening it.

Final Words

Cider is one of the most favorite alcoholic drinks in the world. It’s light and crisp, having a taste that allows you to drink more and reach the optimal buzz to be social and happy.

Out-of-date Cider bottles will cause you no harm as long as you know what you are drinking and you have no other underlying diseases.

There is no reason to discard expired Cider bottles as they can smell and taste as good as the original freshly bottled Cider. Tasting it will give you the evidence you need to continue drinking the content!

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