Homemade apple juice should preserve its nutritional and beneficial properties as much as possible. This task is feasible if you choose juicy ripe fruits for making juice, but not overripe and stale ones. Process apples as quickly as possible, use only enamel and glassware, do not boil for a long time and close hermetically immediately after pasteurization.
What is needed
For apple juice, choose ripe apples of juicy, non-acidic varieties.
For the conservation process you will need:
- juicer;
- cans for 1, 2 or 3 liters and lids;
- seaming machine;
- two small pots and a stand for sterilizing cans;
- towels or large napkins;
- glass or enameled container for collecting juice;
- enameled container for juice pasteurization;
- an enameled ladle for pouring juice into cans;
- seaming machine;
- detergents or baking soda for washing cans;
- a blanket or blanket for wrapping juice cans.
Apple Juice Preservation Process
Wash the apples chosen for juice in a deep bowl, after washing, transfer to another bowl or saucepan. Let the water drain off the wet apples.
Wash the cans inside and out with detergent or baking soda. Rinse them thoroughly and place them neatly down on a towel spread on the table to let the water drain off.
Install and connect the juicer. Electrical or mechanical will do. You can use a press. Place an enamelled container under the juice channel to collect freshly squeezed juice.
Cut the apples into quarters. It is better to remove the stalks. Along the way, clean areas with spots of rot or spoiled by falling apples on the ground. Cover the sliced apples with a towel or napkin. Work quickly as apples tend to oxidize quickly in air.
Start juicing. Follow the instructions for the juicer. In a standard juicer, place the quartered apples in the tray, press down with a special plate and squeeze the juice.
Put the collected juice on the stove in an enamel pan and heat to a temperature of 70-80 degrees. Fill a separate small saucepan halfway with water, bring to a boil and lower the lids for rolling the cans into boiling water, turn off the heat after a minute or two.
While the juice is heating, place a small pot of water and a rack on top of the stove to sterilize the cans. Place the jar on the stand and keep it for a couple of 1-2 minutes, until the jar warms up and becomes transparent from the condensation flowing down the inner surface.
Place the sterilized jars on a dry table surface or dry towel with the neck up. As soon as the juice heats up to a temperature of 70 degrees, turn off the stove and start pouring the juice into cans.
Place the jar on a flat surface, preferably on a stool. Pour the juice with a ladle, close with a sterile lid and roll up with a sealer. Place the rolled up jar on the blanket-covered floor. To do this, turn the jar upside down. Place a blanket over the top of the jar.
Proceed to pour the juice into the next can. And so on until you have processed all the juice. The blanket can be removed from the cans in a day. Transfer the cooled juice jars to your cellar or closet.
If desired, and in the presence of other berries and fruits, spicy herbs (mint, lemon balm), you can add sprigs of mint or lemon balm to the prepared juice before sterilization. You can also add berry juice. Chokeberries, plums, grapes, pears, pumpkin are suitable.
