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Home made apple juice with and without a cider-press

This year I have moved to a house backing onto quite a wild area of land that has a huge apple tree growing about 30 yards from my house.. I decided to make the most of it and strip it of as many apples as I could carry to not only make cider but also apple juice. After a bit of experimentation I discovered there are two ways to make apple juice one with a cider press and one without. Both are quite long and drawn out but it’s worth the effort as you will be blessed with and apple juice that simply doesn’t compare with the flavourless concentrated apple juice you might buy in a supermarket. It would be quite an expensive venture to buy in the apples to make juice so try to ask a neighbour with a tree or find one growing wild and fill-up a large back-pack.

Non-cider press method.

You’ll need –

A bucket large enough to get both your feet – I used a wine fermentation bucket

A cotton shopping bag – it will stain the bag so bear this in mind before using your favourite shopping cotton bag

Apples – can use windfalls but cut out any rotten parts as this impairs the flavour

A Funnel – can be made cutting the top of a large plastic milk carton

Bottles

Method

1. Roughly cut the apples and put them in the cotton bag – it will need to be about half filled and no more
2. Tie the bag at the top put it in the bucket and stamp on it with clean bare feet until all the juice is released
3. Remove the resulting pulp from the bag; drain the juice from the bucket into a bottle using a funnel – this can get messy so pour slowly and carefully
4. Repeat steps one to three

- Note – The resulting juice can still be quite thick and pulpy at this stage so either put it through a sieve or water it down a little.

Cider press method

This puts the strain on your arms rather than your feet but the benefit is the pulp is separated from the stalks and skin so can be used to make chutney.

You’ll need –

A cider press

A cotton bag – may or may not need depending on the quality of the press

Apples – can use windfalls but cut out any rotten parts as this impairs the flavour

A Funnel – can be made cutting the top of a large plastic milk carton

Bottles

Method

1. Quarter the apples and then crush them roughly with your hands, a large meat cleaver or a potato masher
2. Place them in the cider press and turn
3. You may end up with juice at this stage depending on your press but if the result is still a little pulpy then place the pulp in the cotton bag along with the fruit pulp from the press (not the stalks and skins).
4. Discard the stalks and skins and compost
5. Place the cotton bag, full of pulp, into the press and turn again until all the juice is released
6. Remove the pulp and repeat steps 1-5 until you’ve used up all your apples.

- Note – The resulting juice can still be quite thick and pulpy at this stage so either put it through a sieve or water it down a little.

As the pulp doesn’t contain any stalks or leaves it can be used on it’s own as an apple sauce or add a little vinegar, some spices and honey or sugar to make chutney. The chutney will keep in sterilized jars for months.

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