What is the Difference Between Cherry Juice and Cherry Concentrate?
Aug. 16, 2021
Everyone has enjoyed a glass of juice with a hearty breakfast or as a fresh pick me up in the heat of summer. You may have seen fruit juice bottles that say “100% fresh juice,” or “made from concentrate.” But what do these really mean? What is the difference between tart cherry concentrate and tart cherry juice? Let’s learn about the differences and the benefits of each!
Cherry Juice
Juice, or as you might see on a grocery store shelf, “100% real juice,” is a bit of a misnomer when compared with its cousin, juice concentrate. Juice is made from pressing the fruit and collecting the juice. Juice may be made from fresh fruit or from fruit that has been frozen (to prevent its deterioration) before it is made into juice.
You may see “Not from concentrate” on a bottle of juice. This does not necessarily mean that the juice is any purer than juice made from concentrate, it just means that the juice has not been dehydrated (turned into concentrate) before being bottled. Depending on the process, juice that is not made from concentrate may have a fresher taste. Shoreline’s 100% pure tart cherry juice is not from concentrate and, we think, is the best tasting cherry juice around!
Cherry Concentrate
Concentrate is juice that has had some or all of its water content evaporated. This makes the liquid more dense (think of a thick liquid). Because there is less water, concentrate takes up less space (more cherries fit into every bottle) and is less expensive to ship. The process of concentrating the juice also makes it shelf stable so that it does not spoil as easily as fresh juice would.
Shoreline’s tart cherry concentrate is ready for you to reconstitute with water or other beverages at home (or we recommend using it in the concentrate form as an ice cream topping!).
What is in Cherry Juice and Cherry Concentrate?
While some juice in grocery stores is blended with other products or has additives, here at Shoreline, we only sell cherry juice and cherry concentrate that are made of 100% pure cherries and have no added preservatives, food colorings, sulfites, or sugar.
It is also important to consider where the fruit comes from. Shoreline Fruit is a grower-owned company and we use only U.S. grown tart cherries.
Cherry Juice vs. Cherry Concentrate
Cherry juice and cherry concentrate are very similar. If you mix cherry concentrate with water in the recommended amount then you have cherry juice! There is little to no nutritional difference or taste between concentrate and juice. Watch out for products that contain only some juice or that have other additives as those will change the nutrition and taste. Shoreline is proud to offer only 100% pure tart cherry juice and cherry concentrate with no additives.
If you’re making a recipe that calls for cherry juice, you can use either product (just mix the concentrate with water first). Some recipes may call for cherry concentrate specifically so as not to disrupt the overall balance of the recipe.
We hope you enjoy the many health benefits of tart cherries, whether they are in juice, concentrate, or some other form!
