Freezing apple juice

[Rob G]

Three apple trees + lots of waste in past years = buy large juicer = now significant volumes of apple juice from windfalls = even greater volumes when the the apples are picked !!

Two buckets of windfalls have produced something like 12 pints of juice which at the moment is copable with, but "full scale production" is going to create a storage problem. Will the juice freeze successfully (4 pint milk containers) and will there be any deterioration in it's nutritional value ?

I'm putting a review of the juicer (Breville JE16) in the Recommendations pages

Thanks

Rob

[shirlthegirl43]

You could make cider

[moggssue]

Oohh, cider .... any good recipes out there??!!

[shirlthegirl43]

Apple juice and yeast should do it - works that way with value apple juice from a well known supermarket

[skegblade]

My OH found this method; pasteurisation. Pour the juice into sterilised bottles and heat in a large water filled pan to 72c/160f for about 20 minutes. Use strerilised stoppers to seal the bottles and after filling them lay them on their sides to cool. If kept in a cool place the juice should last for many months; so the book says.

Phil

[muckdiva]

I've found the juice freezes very successfully. Did both methods - freezing and sterilised bottles and the frozen stuff was easier on balance. I seem to remember we heated the juice to a certain temperature (not too hot) and added some sugar and then froze quantities in plastic milk bottles. A little bit of 'separation' seems to occur during the freezing, but it all amalgamates again once thawed. Good luck with it.

[Rob G]

OK thanks - the first 4 pint milk container is in the freezer. I'm not too sure just how many of these I will get in but as the veg haven't been too good this year, there's a bit more capacity.

One thing I did forget is that water expands as it freezes !! Actually to be technically correct, from my memory of school physics it's maximum volume is at +4 deg C - anyway it's just as well I put it in a plastic cointainer which is looking distinctly plump because I filled the container right up!

Cider - yes. And I'm going to get some champagne yeast today. And possibly some other things as well as I gather the sloes are excellent this year and I have very fond memories of a batch of sloe wine I made a lot of years ago. I'm not in Carl's league though - 60lbs of sloes is really a bit too much enthusiasm.

Rob