One of the best things about the northeast this time of year is the abundance of crisp, ripeĀ apples–and the fresh, natural apple juice we can grab at the farmer’s market. My kids are becoming such connoisseurs, they actually know the difference between a Fuji and a Macintosh, are so-so on Red Delicious, and beg for Honeycrisp at the store–at which point I have to explain that they cost twice as much as the others. So I was really psyched to get to tryĀ ‘Tude Natural Apple JuiceĀ and put my kidsĀ and their know-it-all apple attitudes to the test.
Oh and I do mean test.
(Cue evil laugh and that weird cartoony hand-rubbing thing.)
These no-sugar-added, cold pressed, unfiltered natural apple juicesĀ don’t taste anything like what you get in cheap juice boxes. They’ve beenĀ described as vibrant and I think that’s spot-on.
You can opt forĀ really tastyĀ combos like cucumber+mint, raspberry+lemon, and the sophisticatedĀ ginger+turmeric (so so good), all blended with natural apple juice from the Yakima Valley.Ā ThereĀ are also moreĀ kid-pleasingĀ blendsĀ with red andĀ blue berries. ButĀ it’s the single varietals that fascinate me.
My two girls (and a picky friend) took bets on which would be the favorite–Honeycrisp, of course–and every time they tried one they liked in my blind taste test, someone would scream, THAT’S THE HONEYCRISP! I KNOW IT! I’LL BET YOU A MILLION DOLLARS!
So hooray, I’m now a million dollars richer! Because the sweetest, and most prefered juice turned out to be….the Fuji juice. With Gala a surprisingĀ second, thenĀ Honeycrisp very close behind.
For a more tart taste, go for the Cripps Pink, or if you really want to pucker, there’s Granny Smith. While my kids like the real thing, they weren’t keen on the pure juice; or maybe it just tastes so tart relative to all those other sweet apples. Also know this is like actual juicing, so there may be some sediment on the bottom if you have finicky kids.
Not surprisingly, ‘Tude juices not only taste differentlyĀ than your standard apple juice, they’reĀ priced differently–my girls could split a 12-oz bottle for about $3.50. So it’s definitely not your everyday-in-the-lunchbox kind of juice. And it may even be more for you than your children. But I have to say, for a sweet naturalĀ treat, they do inspire confidenceĀ considering apples top the list of the most pesticide-contaminated products.Ā So yeah, I can justify the expense next time we see ‘Tude juiceĀ in a store.Ā In fact, I look forward to it.
Find ‘Tude Natural Apple JuiceĀ nationwide at Whole Foods, or check their store locator for other locations in California, Oregon, and Washington State. Ā Thanks to ‘Tude for sending samples for review.Ā
