I’ve already made twenty liters of delicious homemade apple juice! Here’s how I do it so it lasts a long time.
First, I collect apples that have fallen from the tree, wash them well, and cut them in half. Using a sharp knife, I remove any bruised or wormy parts and anything else I don’t like. Once I’ve filled my 15-liter bucket with cleaned apples, I transfer them into a crusher or an old grater that used to be used for preparing animal feed. Now, it works perfectly for crushing apples.
Next, I press the crushed apples in a small, handmade press similar to a grape press used for making wine. From one batch, I can usually get about 5 liters of juice, often called “apple cider.” Once the juice stops flowing, I open the press, loosen the pulp, and press it again, managing to get around 10.5 liters from two rounds.
Then, I pour the collected juice into a 15-liter pot and heat it on the stove to 81°C (178°F). After reaching the right temperature, I turn off the heat and start bottling. I sterilize 1-liter glass bottles by warming them in the oven. While the juice is still hot, I pour it into the bottles and seal them tightly with bottle caps, just like with beer bottles. Each sealed bottle is placed in a crate, then wrapped in a blanket to cool slowly.
The next day, once the bottles have fully cooled, I unwrap them and store them in the cellar, where they can keep for years. During heating, a few deciliters of juice evaporate, but that’s expected. Over time, a small layer of sediment may form at the bottom of each bottle, which is natural and still tasty, so I enjoy it with the juice.
Now, I’m on the lookout for a better machine for crushing apples more effectively. That’s what brought me here, hoping to improve the process further. For those who enjoy making their own juice, feel free to join the journey!
