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Preserving juice at home can be easy and economical if the fruit is obtained at low cost. Home preserved fruit juices can be used as breakfast beverages, soft drink substitutes, bases for punch, or for making jelly.
There are two kinds of fruit juices:
- Those that are strained and clear (like grape, berry and cherry juice)
- The nectars, which are whole fruit juices usually made from peaches, apricots and pears. The nectars are thickened with fine sieved pulp.
Store home-canned fruit juices in a dark, cool, dry place so the color won’t fade or change.
Preparing fruit juice
Select fully ripe fruit for best flavored juices. A combination of fruit can be used to make interesting flavors. Follow one of these methods to extract the juice: drip method, steam juicer or electric or manual fruit extractors.
Drip method
Prepare fruit by washing and sorting, then either crushing or grinding.
Place the fruit pulp in a large aluminum* or stainless-steel pan. Add a little water to prevent sticking. Bring to a boil on high heat stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer until fruit is soft and juicy. Avoid over‑cooking because it destroys the fresh fruit flavor. Juices should be extracted at simmering temperatures (185oF.‑210oF.).
Pour hot prepared fruit pulp into a jelly bag or through several layers of cheese cloth. Let drip for several hours or overnight, if necessary. Do not squeeze the bag. Squeezing the bag will result in cloudy juice.
*Note: Aluminum can cause a slight color change.
Steam juicer method
One of the easiest ways to extract juice is by using a steam juicer available at many hardware and variety stores. This unique piece of equipment allows you to conveniently extract juice by steaming the fruit which is held in a retaining basket. The juice drops into a reservoir which has a tube outlet for removal. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for using a steam juicer.
Manual or electric juice extractors
These extractors extract juice from raw fruit. Once extracted the juice needs to be heated to boiling before putting into jars to can. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for using fresh juice extractors.
Preserving the juice
To can
Sterilize jars by placing right side up on rack in boiling water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes. If juice has cooled, heat to simmering.
Pour into hot, sterile jars leaving ¼ inch head space. Process in a boiling water bath: 5 minutes for pints and quarts; 10 minutes for half gallons. At 1,001-6,000 feet, process pints and quarts for 10 minutes and half gallons for 15 minutes. At the end of processing time, remove the canner from the heat and let it set for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner.
To freeze
Cool juice, pack into moisture vapor‑resistant containers. If using glass or plastic jars, leave 2-inch headspace.
Making and preserving apple cider
Sweet apple cider is made from fresh crushed apples. It is not cooked or chemically preserved. When fermented, “hard” cider (an alcoholic beverage) is produced.
Selecting the apples
Select apples that are just ripe for eating. Most ciders are made from a blend of different varieties. Delicious, McIntosh, Rome, and Gravensteins are commonly used. Tart apples should be used in small proportions; they are a good source of tannic acid that keeps the cider sweet longer, but they also affect the flavor.
Grinding the apples
Wash and rinse the apples before grinding. Grinding is necessary to release the juice from the apples. For small batches, quarter unpeeled apples and run through a kitchen food grinder or chop in a food processor. For large batches, it is faster to use a cider mill with crusher or grinder attached. These can be rented or borrowed.
Letting the crushed fruit stand for 30 minutes to an hour will yield more cider from the apples.
Pressing the apples
The cider can be pressed from the crushed apples in a cider press. These presses can be rented, purchased, or built at home. Most home presses employ a heavy screw for pressure. Pressure should be applied slowly and evenly. Fresh pressed cider has a cloudy appearance. It should be strained through a clean cloth as it drips from the press into the reservoir pan.
A homemade press for small batches can be made using a strong jelly bag and a rolling pin. The bag should be pressed slowly and steadily to avoid bursting the bag. The process requires more strength and is very slow for large batches. The bag can also be squeezed by hand. Be careful not to break the bag.
Pasteurizing the cider
Unpasteurized (unheated) apple cider has been linked with illness caused by E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria. If these bacteria are in the feces of deer or cattle, apples that fall on the ground could be contaminated.
Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria. Heat the juice to at least 160⁰F and hold for 6 seconds. If you don’t have a thermometer that registers in that range, heat the juice until it simmers (when bubbles appear on the surface).
Preserving the cider
Pasteurized cider can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. For longer storage, freezing is recommended. When freezing, be sure to allow at least a 2-inch head space since the cider will expand during freezing and can rupture the container.
Apple cider may also be canned. Heat the juice to simmer. (185⁰-210⁰F). Pour hot juice into hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch head space. Process in a boiling water canner: 5 minutes for pints and quarts; 10 minutes for half gallons. At 1,001–6,000 feet, process pints and quarts for 10 minutes and half gallons for 15 minutes. After processing, take canner off heat. Remove lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
Source: OSU Master Food Preserver Program
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