Nothing tastes better on a crisp winter day than a glass of fresh apple cider.
Yet, once again we hear the news that an old favorite may be hazardous to our health. It's true that the risk of apple cider becoming contaminated from foodborne pathogens is low. Harmful bacteria may live and grow on the ground and contaminate apples when they fall. The bacteria will then pass into the juice during pressing if a cider producer uses these apples. The second cause, contaminated water, can contaminate the cider if a producer uses water from a contaminated well or lake to make cider.