How do I preserve apple juice?

[Chris]

Hi

I bought a reasonably heavy duty juicer earlier in the year (about £100) which has been fine for small quantaties that are used within days.

But the apples outside are nearly ready and I plan to produce a lot of juice. What is the best way to preserve apple juice and to prevent it turning brown? Parteurisation? Citric acid? Or even ascorbic acid (which is on the list of ingredients for some of the the juice that you can buy)

Your advice would be really appreciated.

Chris

[alan refail]

Chris

At the risk of sounding flip - you don't!(at least not at home) There are two traditional ways of preserving apple juice: cider and leaving it in the apple.

If you try to preserve fresh apple juice, there are two major problems:
oxidisation - it turns brown almost immediately, though this can be controlled by acid such as lemon juice
fermentation - the natural yeast on the apple will begin to ferment the sugars into alcohol (hence cider) and the only way to prevent this is by heating the juice

I do not suggest that you go in for cider making. But remember, apples will keep for a fairly long time, depending on the variety and how well you store them.
Why not drink real (unprocessed) juice by juicing them as you want the juice for drinking immediately.
Our annual crop of apples lasts us for juice 5 mornings a week from mid/end August until New Year.

Try googling preserving apple juice and if you decide to give it a try, I would suggest that you do a small batch to see how it works, rather than possibly wasting a whole crop.

[Tigger]

We produce apple juice for the year by using a Mehu Maja to steam the apples, thereby extracting sterilised juice and we bottle it and put them in a domestic pasteuriser (less than £30 from Lidl).

A friend of ours makes cider and he also bottles enough apple juice for the year as well as some to sell locally. I'll ask him what method he uses.

[Chris]

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

Tigger - I would love to get a pasteauriser from Lidl - but they don't seem to get up to our store. I guess that it can be done with a lsrge pan and thermometer? I'd be interesed in your friend's method. Thanks.

Alan - yes I agree that there is no need to preserve immediately those apples that can be stored - but the bulk of the crop is Discovery which unfortunately don't keep long enough to juice as needed. The Granny Smiths will be fine for months. I have tried the google you suggested but can't find the answer - hence my appeal to the forum. I'm not sure about how much lemon juice or citric acid nor about the pasteurisation process. I guess like most new things it will be trials and success.

Thanks

Chris

[Primrose]

Chris - I don't know whether it will work with apple juice but I use Campden Tablets to preserve and sterilise the fruit syrups I make from my soft fruit. One table, crushed well, and mixed in with each litre bottle will stop fermentation. Possibly worth experimenting with, although Campden tablets are now quite difficult to get. Boots used to stock them when they sold winemaking equipment, but possibly other good chemists, health food shops or Wilkinsons may sell them.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Vigo have a juice extractor with a pasteuriser on it. This is brilliant for doing your bottled fruit, fruit juices and everything. I actually used my fruit press to extract the juice and then pasteurised the juice in the bottles after adding citric acid. Ascorbic acid is vitamin C, so not as nasty as it sounds.

The resulting juice is a nice clear yellow, but you always get some deposit in the bottom of the bottle (I do anyway) so you just have to be careful not to disturb it when you pour it.

I also make cider. It is a lot of work for a little juice, unless you have the more industrial type of processing kit, but it tastes delicious and a very good way of using up all the apples.