Apple Juice

I went to a demonstration this week on "All Things Apples" - in particular, the guy showed us how he makes apple juice. I'd never seen his method before, so I thought I'd share his way, and my way.

His way: He used a cider press. He took raw, whole, washed apples and threw them into his press. He said freshly picked apples gave more juice. He showed us how to run the press - squeezing juice out the bottom of the press. It was all very interesting. Then he dumped the juice into a large pot and boiled it. He scooped the foam off of it - said it didn't taste good at all - and then put it into bottles that he had been heating (boiling) and put a lid and a ring on the jar. He said that pasturized it and then he put it on a table to seal.

My method: Wash, quarter and trim apples for worms, blossoms and dirt (stems), throw into a steamer/juicer and cook the apples down. Juice comes out the bottom of the juicer. Pour juice into heated bottles and top with a lid and ring. Water bath 10 minutes in a water bath canner.


The best apple juice I have tasted comes from a mixture of apple varieties - not just one variety, so don't be afraid to "mix it up." This is also true (usually) for applesauce. (Although, I really like the Summer Red applesauce I made this year all by itself.)

Also, check out this post from last year: Apple Juice, Show and Tell