A cloudy jug at the orchard stand, a clear bottle on a grocery shelf, and a pot of mulled cider on the stove all get called “cider.” They don’t all belong in the refrigerator. The answer changes with the type, so here is each one with its source.
Does apple cider need to be refrigerated?
The short answer: Fresh, unpasteurized cider does. FDA says untreated juice should be kept under refrigeration, and Iowa State says traditional cider should always be refrigerated. A sealed shelf-stable bottle doesn’t, according to Martinelli’s, which says to store it in a cool, dry place, but any cider goes in the refrigerator once it’s open. On the table, USDA’s general rule gives it 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
For a complete pantry storage reference, see our Food Storage Guide.
Does Apple Cider Need to Be Refrigerated: At a Glance
Fresh, unpasteurized cider
Yes. FDA says untreated juice should be kept under refrigeration. Ritter’s says to treat it like milk
Jug from the refrigerated case
Yes. Keep it cold from the store to your kitchen
Shelf-stable bottle, unopened
No. Martinelli’s says to store it in a cool, dry place
After opening
Yes, any type. Martinelli’s says opened products must be refrigerated
Fresh or opened cider on the table
2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, per USDA’s rule for perishable food
Hot or mulled leftovers
Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking
Key Takeaways
It depends on the type. Fresh, unpasteurized cider needs the refrigerator from the day you buy it, and FDA requires a warning label on most of it. A sealed shelf-stable bottle does not need the refrigerator.
Once any cider is open, it goes in the refrigerator. Martinelli’s says opened products must be refrigerated.
The 2 hour rule (1 hour above 90°F) is USDA’s general rule for perishable food, not a cider-specific number.
A mill’s jug, a grocery refrigerated case and a pantry bottle can all say “cider.” Read the label. If it is sold by the glass, ask the seller whether it is treated.
A porch, a garage or a car trunk isn’t a refrigerator. Use a cooler with ice for the ride home.
Check the Label, the Shelf and the Seller
FDA’s juice safety page says to look for the warning label on untreated juice. It says untreated juice is most likely sold in the refrigerated section, but treated products are sold there too, in frozen cases, and in non-refrigerated bottles, boxes and cans. It also says juice or cider poured by the glass, at an orchard, a farmers’ market or a roadside stand for example, doesn’t need the label. Its advice is to ask whether the product is treated when the labeling is unclear. FDA’s juice HACCP questions and answers adds that calling UV-treated juice “pasteurized” is misleading, so a treated cider may not use that word at all.
Which Apple Cider Needs the Fridge?
Where cider is
Needs the fridge?
Source or reasoning
Fresh, unpasteurized
Yes, from purchase
FDA, Ritter’s
Fresh, with a preservat
