Thought I would share the results of my latest home experiment! My partner makes apple presses, so every year about now we start collecting apples, from local parks, friends, neighbours and over freecycle-type groups. Last year we made about 70l, this year so far we have done a bit less. After extracting the juice using the scratter and press we then tend to pasteurise it. If we had a freezer I would be tempted to freeze it, as I have heard that retains more of the vitamins and nutrients, but at the moment a freezer is carbonifically(if that is anything like a real word..) unviable for our household.
Anyway, we pasteurise by one of two methods; first, and least satisfactory, we heat up the juice in a large stainless steel pan to 80 degrees for about 15 minutes, then pour it straight into plastic bottles, and screw the lids on. This is less good as plastic bottles release toxins as they get older, especially if they are heated up! Second method is to pour juice into wine bottles, place bottles in the large pan, fill with water over the liquid level in the bottles, raise temperature to 80, hold it there for 15 minutes and immediately cork with sterilized corks.
This year we had gathered enough wine bottles that we could just use them. This has been the activity in my house for about 5 days, and now my partner has moved onto cider, and I am not well versed in that.
As I spent a whole day pasteurising, I then felt I had permission to experiment with the days leftovers. Now, to get the children to drink enough liquids (they seem to think they are evolved life forms that take on liquids via osmosis, or something), I buy apple juice concentrate, rather than cordial, or that nasty squash with all the sweeteners and preservatives in. Costs a bomb, though, at least £4 for half a pint, and that will barely last a week. Anyhoo, I decided to give it a go, making it at home. I had 2/3 gallons of juice, which over 8 hours of vigorous boiling, has given me 3 pints of concentrate, and a very steamy kitchen. The walls, which have just been sugar-soaped, started extruding tar again!
I have yet to work out the costing on this, but as it is very locally sourced and produced, and our energy, although not home produced yet, is %100 renewable, I would say it was worth it, as a carbon reducing measure. Unfortunately, the amount I would have to produce to keep the household in juice is inhibiting, as is the dampness in the kitchen. It has also been strongly recommended by the other adult in the house that we just drink pasteurised juice, but this is a big space investment.
To make sure your juice is "concentrated", you can use a hydrometer, such as you get for wine making, which kind of floats in you COOL liquid. Compare where it sits in commercial concentrate to your concoction. It went way below the chart on mine, so it took many comparisons to feel satisfied.
Apple juice concentrate is also used in wholefood and healthy children's cookery, as a sugar alternative, and to sweeten soya milk, although a have had no success with that one at home. I also wouldn't put it in tea, as it curdles!! So it would be the closest thing you are likely to get as home grown sugar, unless you keep bees.
The picture is of the children pressing cherry juice. The Man has made several of these presses, for wedding gifts and a local press share group in Leicester. It also goes to several events in the area. It is %75 efficient at the last measure, higher than any other model we have seen! For more info on the press and other interesting woodwork you can email him on rupert.goffeindesignsATgmailDOTcom.
