Home Made Apple Juice

I have a stack of eating apples to use up and providing I can find my bottles this is on the agenda to process at the weekend as long as it is not too warm - I may do it of an evening if the days are warm when everything starts to cool down, as I have a stash of eating apples that I just do not want to waste so turning them into juice appeals to my waste not want not mentality.  The recipe is taken from The Preserving Book by Lynda Brown.  ISBN 978-1-4053-5986-6 produced by Dorling Kindersley and is an excellent little book with lots of little recipes and techniques for the established Preserver and Novice alike.  Even though I have been preserving on and off for years this technique is something new to me and I think will be very useful now that I have the larger preserving kettle to process the larger bottles in.  So here is the technique and process - often in reality though things take a little longer than specified.

"If you have a glut of apples increase the quantities to make as much of this juice as you like.  If you have an electric fruit juicer simply juice the fruit and follow the method from step 3, but ensure that you boil the juice for one minute".

Equipment:

Jelly bag, muslin or scalded linen tea towel (the old way of doing it)

My Bielmier Kettle or

a Large pan for boiling your apple juice in if processing electrically.

Sterilised bottles

Ingredients:

2kg/ 4 1/2lb mixed sweet eating apples (such as Cox's Orange Pippin, Egremont Russet, Gala etc) cut into eighths.  Do not peel or core. (or just make one specific variety)

Method:

1.  Put the apples into a preserving pan or a large heavy based saucepan with 500ml/16 fl ozs of water.  Bring the water to the boil, then reduce heat immediately cover and cook very gently for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until the fruit is really soft stirring occasionally.  The time will depend on the type of apples and the size of the pieces. 

2.  Strain through a jelly bag overnight or through a muslin lined sieve (or use two new clean disposable kitchen cloths) pressing to extract the maximum amount of juice it will be cloudier this way but much quicker.

3.  Place the juice in a saucepan.  Bring to the boil.  Pour immediately into warm sterilised jars or bottles using a sterilised funnel.  Cool seal, label and store in the fridge and use within one week.

4.  For longer term keeping process your bottles for 20 minutes using the hot water bath method then then tighten or put on the screw-band if necessary.  Leave for 24 hours and test for a seal (If using a Kilner jar with a metal lid you will know immediately or soon after processing whether a seal has been achieved  as the lid becomes slightly concave and is firm with no give or movement once pressed.  You may even hear a pop as the seal forms. 

5.  Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.  Once opened store in the fridge and use within one week.

As I have never made this before I am looking forward to trying this.  I love experimenting.

Right had better get a wriggle on.

Catch you later.

Pattypan

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