Apple juice is one of the best ways to use extra apples before they go bad, and also is a delicious beverage to serve to guests or just to keep on hand for yourself. Apple juicing can seem like an intimidating process, but don’t worry! This post has everything you need to know about how to make apple juice, from what apples to use, the supplies you’ll need, recipes for making juice with or without a juicer, and ways to store juice.
Read on to learn how to make apple juice!
The Best Apples for Apple Juice
The first step to making apple juice is choosing your apples. Almost any apple will work for homemade juice. However, different varieties will lead to a different taste in the end. There are three main types of apple juice: sweet, tart, and balanced.
Many are concerned about homemade apple juice losing its color and turning brown. Don’t let that stop you from making delicious homemade apple juice! Tarter fruits usually have higher acid content. That means they won’t oxidize as quickly and will keep a natural light color for a long time. However, sweet juice doesn’t have to be brown. Add a bit of citric acid, lemon juice, or a crushed vitamin C tablet, and the apple juice will keep its color. You can check out this science experiment to discover why.
Still feeling overwhelmed with all the apple variety options? Here I’ve listed all the best varieties of apples for juice to make the decision is easier.
The Best Apples for Sweet Juice
- Red Delicious Apples will make a sweet juice with a classic appley flavor.
- Golden Delicious Apples will yield a mellow juice with notes of melon and vanilla.
The Best Apples for Tart Juice
- Granny Smith has a high juice content and wonderful sour flavor.
- Sweet Tango will produce a tangy juice that leaves a sweet flavor in your mouth after a sour start.
- Pink Lady will make a refreshing and bright tart apple juice.
The Best Apples for Balanced Juice
- Gala Apples will produce a light, floral juice.
- Honeycrisp will make a delicious juice that is sweet and tart and not very acidic.
- Braeburn will make a classic, balanced juice that tastes fresh.
Why Make Apple Juice from Scratch?
Homemade apple juice is a delicious and natural beverage option. Making apple juice from scratch allows you to experiment with more complex and full juice flavors by mixing and matching your favorite apple varieties. If you grow apples, it’s a great way to use up some of that fall harvest.
In fact, juicing apples is a great way to make sure that imperfect produce doesn’t go to waste. Apples that are slightly bruised, lopsided, or otherwise blemished still make delicious apple juice. No one will ever be able to tell once it’s fresh juice in their glass.
If you come across an end-of-fall apple sale at your local orchard, making apple juice can be very cost-effective, too. Instead of buying juice from the grocery store, make your own and freeze it so that you can enjoy it throughout the year!
Supplies You Need to Make Apple Juice
To make apple juice, you’ll need several things. Don’t be intimidated; most people have all of the supplies somewhere in their kitchen! If not, the supplies are easily purchased.
You can make apple juice in several ways. If you have a juicer, it cuts out some of the steps. If not, it’s still pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
Here’s what you need to make apple juice with a juicer:
- Apples (of course!)
- Juicer (use our advise to pick the best juicer on the market)
- Peeler and corer
- Cutting board
- Juice filter
- Lemon juice or citric acid
Here’s what you need to make apple juice without a juicer:
- Apples
- Peeler and corer
- Cutting board
- Juice filter
- Lemon juice or citric acid
- Fine mesh strainer
- Potato masher and a large pot or pressure cooker, or a blender
How To Juice Apples
Apple juicing is pretty easy once you have everything you need. The total time should take about 10 minutes of active work. An apple juice recipe is pretty straightforward to follow. After a few times, the juicing process will become second nature.
Here are some simple recipes for homemade apple juice. If you’re making apple juice with a juicer, use the first recipe. If you’re making juice without a juicer, use the second apple juice recipe.
Recipe 1: How To Make Homemade Apple Juice with a Juicer
Makes about half a gallon, and it takes about 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 10 pounds of apples (about 40 apples)
- 1 tablespoon of citric acid or lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
- Wash the apples.
- Peel and core the apples. This way, you won’t get the seeds and peel in the juice, which causes discoloration and bitterness. Throw away or compost the peels and cores.
- Slice the apples so that they fit in your juicer. Follow the juicer instructions for processing the apples. Save the juice in a pitcher and set aside the pulp, which is just apple puree (you can use it to make other apple products later).
- The apple juice will likely have foam on the top. It’s completely edible, but some people don’t like it. You can strain the apple juice through a filter or cheesecloth to get any leftover pulp out, or you can skim it off with a spoon.
- You can stir in the citric acid or lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Serve your homemade apple juice or store it in the refrigerator. If you want it to keep for long periods of time, you’ll have to pasteurize it.
Recipe 2: How To Make Homemade Apple Juice Without a Juicer
Makes about half a gallon, and it takes about 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 10 pounds of apples (about 40 apples)
- 1 tablespoon citric acid or lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
- Wash the apples.
- Peel and core the apples, so you don’t get discoloration or bitterness in the juice. Throw away or compost the skin and cores.
- Put the apples in a large pot with just enough water to cover the bottom. Put the lid on. Cook the apples and water until they are soft enough to poke with a fork, or cook in a pressure cooker for about 1 minute.
- Use a potato masher or a blender to puree the soft apples and the leftover liquid.
- Cover a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Put the strainer over a bowl. Put the apple puree and liquid into the strainer and press it. The juice will run into the bowl. You may need to repeat this step several times.
- Set aside the puree and strain the juice into a pitcher.
- If you want, mix in the citric acid or lemon to avoid browning.
Note: If you want to make raw apple juice without a juicer, just skip step three above and use a blender or food processor to puree the apples as finely as possible.
What to Do With Leftover Apple Puree
Nobody wants to throw away perfectly good apple puree. Good news: you can salvage all the apple goodness left after juicing, and feed it to your chickens, or add it to your compost!
How to Store Apple Juice
Once you’ve chosen your apples, found a good recipe, and made fresh apple juice, you might wonder, how do you store this juice? You can store apple juice in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
For a more long-term storage option, freeze the juice in freezer pouches. The juice will stay good in the freezer for up to 12 months if it is well-sealed. Just be sure not to freeze it in a glass container or fill a plastic container to the top. Liquids expand as they freeze, and you could end up with a broken container and juice all over your freezer.
Apple Juice Versus Apple Cider
One common question is, what’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider? Simply put, apple juice is the filtered or pasteurized juice from apples. Apple cider is the raw juice that has not undergone processing to remove pulp.
Furthermore, cider is often spiced. Because cider is unpasteurized, it can begin to undergo fermentation over time. Whether you end up making apple juice or apple cider, both beverages are sure to delight. Learn more about the difference between apple cider and apple juice.
Now You Know How to Make Apple Juice!
Now you’ve learned everything you need to know to make apple juice. Remember that the types of apple you choose are important for the flavor of your juice, and that juicing can be done with or without a juicer! Get some apples and start juicing.
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