Tude natural apple juices: A more delicious way to keep the doctor away

One of the best things about the northeast this time of year is the abundance of crisp, ripe 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 try 'Tude Natural Apple Juice and put my kids 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 juices don't taste anything like what you get in cheap juice boxes. They've been described as vibrant and I think that's spot-on. You can opt for really tasty combos like cucumber+mint, raspberry+lemon, and the sophisticated ginger+turmeric (so so good), all blended with natural apple juice from the Yakima Valley. There are also more kid-pleasing blends with red and blue berries. But 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 surprising second, then 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 differently than your standard apple juice, they're 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 natural treat, they do inspire confidence considering apples top the list of the most pesticide-contaminated products. So yeah, I can justify the expense next time we see 'Tude juice in a store. In fact, I look forward to it. Find 'Tude Natural Apple Juice nationwide at Whole Foods, or check their store locator for other locations in California, Oregon, and Washington State.  Thanks to 'Tude for sending samples for review.