Topic: Pressed Apple Juice

[Jesse]

Does anyone press their own apple juice? I have been thinking of buying an apple press to make my own apple and pear juice. Can anyone recommend a small press for home use? How do you preserve the apple/pear juice once pressed, is there something you can add or can it be frozen successfully.

[Mrs Ava]

Dunno Jess, but am looking forward to the replies.  As we have 2 apples on our allotment, and there are loads of fruit trees in the neighbourhood and the fruits all just go to waste, it would be great to harvest the juice.  Come on some one....some one must have a clue.

[john_miller]

One of my numerous winter jobs away from my sort of farming was working on an orchard that was primarily engaged in production of 'apple cider' (non-alcoholic), as it is called over here.
Googling 'home apple presses' quickly brought up this:
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/cat28_1.htm.
There are probably others. Potassium sorbate is commonly added as a preservative by 'natural' food processors, including cider producers, but, because most nowadays is synthetic, it is not organic. Can you not just press it as needed rather than attempt to preserve it?

[Jesse]

I tend to get a glut of apples in autumn (not this year though  :'() which don't keep very well so was hoping to make apple juice to store by preserving or freezing.

[Wicker]

Have tried putting apples (bought) thru my juicer and results were tasty but not attractive - very pulpy and discoloured quickly, think it would need to sit and then strain - great deal of effort!  Also needs to be drunk within a few hours if I remember correctly.

this is an American site I think but interesting suggestions for preserving/using apples if you are lucky enough to grwo your own.

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3120.htm

[Yarwooda]

Does any one have a good cider recipy. Medium Sweet)
After reading this I might give it a go . Ive got  an apple tree at home full of apples.

Alan

[Jesse]

Alan there is a previous thread about cider making. The recipe is for dry cider but there is advice about making it sweeter. Here is the url:

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=2447

Left husband alone on the computer last night for 10 minutes and he bought a juice extractor for my Kenwood. (And he complains I have no control over my spending!). Anyway not complaining because a juice extractor looks easier and more versatle than a press. Am going to try adding a little lemon juice and freezing to see if that will preserve it. Wicker I may put it through a fine sieve to see if I can get a less pulpy juice, the lemon juice may help to prevent discolouration? Any ideas what I could use the left over pulp for?

[Wicker]

Jesseve I put all pulp on my compost - nice and moist and well "pulpy".  You can add water or bottled water if you prefer to the apple juice. I freeze berry juices in cubes and add water (hot or cold) and a little honey/sugar when I want to use it.  If you freeze immediately not too much nutrition is lost I believe.  Mine is a Kenwood too have ro rinse out a couple of times during use tho.

Quite a few sites on-line with suggestions for juicing mixtures.

[tim]

If you have a 'Magimix' type extractor - rather than a liquidiser - you can produce wonderful juice which will freeze OK. Yes - always a bit of lemon juice to prevent discolouration. = Tim

[Wicker]

Tim, it is a separate bonafide juicer I have but thanks for the tip about the lemon juice - another thing which seems so obvious now when you say it! ;)

[Jesse]

Well I got my Kenwood juicer and tried it out this morning on some apples and it works beautifully. Was surprised how much juice comes out of so few apples. But never got to taste it because the glass jug that I was pouring the juice into got knocked over and smashed onto the kitchen floor  :'(

Will have to try again when I can get my hands on some more apples. I cored my apples but didn't peel before juicing, do you think it's necessary to core them first or will it taste okay to juice them seeds and all?

[tim]

I'm sure it's preferable to core them.

As for 'sieving', I use filter papers on the circumference of the centrifuge, so no need to sieve. = Tim

[Jesse]

Tim, where do you get your filter papers from and I guess they can be composted along with the pulp?

[Wicker]

Am I missing something here ??? I don't sieve or use filters in the juicer  Maybe we were talking about different equipment  Ooops  ::)

Anyway whatever way we do it - it's good for you - especially berries according to the latest newspaper reports.  I shall feel all selfrighteous sipping my black/red/rasp juices now ;)

[Jesse]

Wicker I've got a Kenwood Juicer and haven't been sieving or using filters but I know you can get filters for the Kenwood. Perhaps the filter simply takes out a little more pulp than if you use without. The Kenwood I'm using does have a "mesh" thing that sits around the circumference of the juicer and this does filter a lot of the pulp, probably most of it because the juice that was coming out seemed pretty good.