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Apple Juice

Mon 23-Aug-10
1:45 pm

wendyjh

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My Bramley is resplendent with lots of apples and I am investigating making my own juice. I have borrowed a Vigo macerator and press from a friend, but two questions remain

how do you prevent discolouration - I recognise that commercial producers add citric acid - but I cant see how this is done before you start the maceration process? Any ideas?
I am looking into how to pasteurise the juice - cant afford a pasteuriser and heard that you might be able to do it via your dishwasher! (sounds improbable?). I dont have much freezer space, so freezing is not an option

Any advice gratefully received.

Mon 23-Aug-10
7:46 pm

Toffeeapple

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I just found this Wendy, I hope it helps, says you can keep the juice for 18 months to two years.

I'll try that again!

Tue 24-Aug-10
8:11 pm

JoannaS

Latvia

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Oooh thanks for that TA. I made apple juice last year but it only lasted a month but I just put the unopened bottles in a large pan, just finding out about sealing things first and then heating. I always thought they would explode but now I know better. cheers

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Wed 25-Aug-10
11:43 am

Toffeeapple

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I'm glad you found it helpful Joanna. I do love Google. whistle

I'll try that again!

Sun 29-Aug-10
12:21 pm

Tim

Salisbury, Wiltshire

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On a slightly different note and not wanting to frighten anybody but do any of you know, or indeed care(!), when mincing apples for juice does the cyanide in the pips become a danger? Or are the levels so low that it really doesn't matter. I have about a hundred-weight of crabs that I want to cider but not having a press I thought mince them but now I'm worrying about the pips

Well, that didn't go quite as expected

Sun 29-Aug-10
10:43 pm

brightspark

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Just a thought - if it were a problem, how do the apple industries cope with it?

Sorry, Tim, I've had a scout around on Google, but I can't find anything definitive.

Good luck with your cider, though.

brightsparklystuff

Women are like tea bags. . .

you never know how strong they are

until they're in hot water.

- Eleanor Roosevelt -

Mon 30-Aug-10
9:40 pm

Tim

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You see that's what I thought but then it struck me, all the blooming additives they stick in it must neutralise the cyanide.

But no you're right, I'll stop worrying, mince the damn things and enjoy drinking the end product. Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

Maybe I'll just make will first.................. medicine

Well, that didn't go quite as expected

Tue 31-Aug-10
10:25 am

Toffeeapple

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Tim said:

Maybe I'll just make will first..................

big_laugh I'm sure you won't need to do that Tim!

I'll try that again!

Tue 31-Aug-10
11:54 am

Aunt Iffy

Cambridgeshire

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Tue 24-Aug-10

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Hi Tim

We minced our windfalls last year (using a pulpmaster, which is just a blade that fits unto an electric drill and a bucket) - and ended up making 96 pints of cider of varying quality. We had a cider making day, with a few friends - cutting, mincing and pressing takes a lot of man-power. I am happy to report that during the cider drinking evenings which followed a few months later no-one died from cyanide poisoning, although as the cider tasted fairly benign and was at least 7.7% it might have been a good idea to make a will before drinking too much.

Have fun with the cider making (and drinking wink )

Wed 1-Sep-10
11:31 pm

Tim

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Thanks I will no longer be afraid of minced apple pips, I must remember that they're not coming to get me.

The wife has a hand mincer which clamps onto her worktop or something, I'll get her on the case when she's finished hoovering my van out and put all the tools back. There's a lot of apples to get through so I'll keep her at it. Afterall I want to be drinking it at Christmas

Also Miss E Rutherford of Northumberland on page 267 of Farmhouse Fare says that a slice of beetroot improves the colour, I wonder if this true of apple juice as well as cider? confused

Well, that didn't go quite as expected

Thu 2-Sep-10
9:33 pm

Ecosse79

Poitou/Holland

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Wendy,

I also have only heard of adding 1 tbsp. lemon juice (citric acid) to the pressed juice to avoid oxidation.

Also some good info here on the apple juice process.

But, just watched episode 2 of the programme on E Numbers tonight on BBC 2, which covered the problem of apple discoloration. You might want to check it out on iPlayer. Didn't answer your question directly but was one of the most fascinating programmes I have seen in a while.

Paul

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