I have just bought a fruit press and had my first go at making apple juice with a bucket full of wind fall apples. The tree is an early variety and the apples are all lovely and red.
I'm not sure if i've done it right though, so if anyone who makes apple juice could be so kind as to read thru the following and give me some helpful tips or advice..
I started by washing the apples and taking off any bruised bits or bits with holes in. I then tried bashing them unsuccessfully into a pulp and then used my food processor to pulp them which seemed to work. I put the pulped apples in the press and began with the press. The juice only trickled out but i did get 2 pints from a bucket full of apples....is this a normal amount of juice or should there be more juice.
I poured the juice into small plastic bottles and popped it in the freezer so i can put one in my DD's lunch box each day......should i have pasterised it first?..or will it be ok just with freezing?
It's the first time i've tried to juice apples but the taste was lovely.
Any help would be really appriciated
Hiya, Kipper, we chop the nasties off, core and freeze for a few days, the apple bits press easier that way, we're looking at getting a larger press and, also, a pulper next year, our discovery produces hundreds of pounds of apples and they don't keepso, making juice is a great way to use them up..I just freeze it and defrost to drink ;D
I never thought to freeze the apples first. I pulped the apples, core and all in the food processor first, is there any reason you don't throw in the core as well as this seems quicker to prepare the apples?
you wouldn't want the cores of some of these apples,full of maggoty stuff,just something I've always done ;D
the apples are not ripe yet so they are probably a bit too hard.
Patience perhaps. I am using Bramley windfalls to cook with and they are almost brittle they are so hard.
The thing that I am finding is that the windfalls seem to be discarded by the tree because they have been invaded with bugs.
I suppose some may say that is added protein but it is up to you.
The mushy cooked bramleys with the blackberries/brambles which are already ripening, I think too early, make a lovely combination as a pie or crumble filling.
I just cook the apples until soft and squishy with sugar to taste then add the berries stir and leave til cold.
Raspberries go well too and the mix of all three is also good.
Hot with custard. Cold with cream or ice cream.
Warm with a bit of each.
20 minutes after eating take the dog for an hours walk.
some varieties are 'drier' anyway..and you do not get as much juice out of them. Do you know what apples your early ones are?
If you were to store your juice in 'room' temp or even in fridge,,then you need to pasteurize the juice for keeping..but as you freeze it..well that is fine..it will keep ;)
You can bottle the juice for keeping too.