Apple cider is made from apples that are picked and stored for at least one week and up to ten days. This process is called “seating.” Then, after careful scrubbing, they are ground to a pulp and strained, resulting in juice with a special woodsy taste and aroma that is far superior and more complex than commercially prepared apple juice. The brown color is not due to any added spices or sugar but from oxidation, which occurs naturally when the juice is exposed to air without the protection of a preservative. More perishable than regular apple juice, cider must remain refrigerated. An opened jug will last for about two weeks and will then begin to produce small foamy bubbles on the surface of the remaining juice. This indicates the production of alcohol (thus hard cider) and has a stronger taste with an assertive tang.