Any homemade product has advantages over store-bought products. They are healthier, tasty, and contain only natural ingredients. The same applies to homemade apple juice, which is prepared for the winter. In cold weather, such a drink will delight you with a summer, fresh taste and fill the body with vitamins. But in order for it to be well stored and contain more useful components, you need to choose a suitable recipe and adhere to the proposed algorithm.
Subtleties of cooking
Apple juice is often prepared at home, but is usually a drink intended for direct consumption. As for preparing it for the winter, it is necessary to take into account some features:
- the most interesting taste can be achieved by using apples with other vegetables and fruits, or adding spices;
- the foam formed during the cooking process must be removed - this will make the liquid lighter and reduce the amount of sediment;
- homemade juice will not be as clear as store-bought juice, but it can still be clarified with citrus fruits.
What varieties of apples are best to choose?
The following types of fruit are suitable for making juice:
- Anise;
- Antonovka;
- Grushovka;
- Semerenko;
- Strey fling.
Mixing several varieties is encouraged; this allows you to achieve an interesting, blended taste and aroma of the drink. Autumn fruit varieties are more suitable for winter preparations.
Preparation of the main ingredient
There is nothing complicated about preparing apples. It is enough to sort through the fruits, removing completely spoiled ones. They should be washed under running water and rotten areas should be cut off. And then cut into pieces, removing the core.
Recipes for making apple juice at home
There are many recipes from which apple juice is prepared. Some require time and skill, while others are suitable even for inexperienced housewives.
A simple recipe for the winter
You can make apple juice for the winter, preserving maximum nutrients, using this recipe. It requires fruits and granulated sugar, which is added to taste.
Cooking method:
- the juice should be squeezed out in any suitable way - using a juicer or manually, straining from the pulp or leaving it;
- add sugar to the liquid and place it on low heat until it boils;
- when the juice boils, it should be removed from the stove and poured into pre-sterilized jars;
- it is necessary to sterilize jars of juice for 20 minutes over low heat by placing them in a pan covered with a cloth;
- The jars should be rolled up, turned upside down and left for a day.
You can preserve the drink without sterilization, but then it should be boiled for 5 minutes.
Through a juicer
With this device you can get large volumes of juice without much effort. The drink will require fruits and sugar to taste. The cooking algorithm is as follows:
- peeled fruits should be passed through the device;
- freshly squeezed juice can be filtered by straining through several layers of gauze or cotton cloth;
- the liquid is sent to low heat and heated to 80-85 degrees, it is important that it does not boil;
- The drink can be poured into prepared containers and left for 20 minutes for sterilization.
Thus, preservation can also be prepared from juice with pulp; for this, the liquid is not expressed or passed through 1-2 layers of gauze.
With pulp
You can make this drink from any apples, but it is better to use sweet, juicy ones. You can give it a spicy taste with the help of cinnamon, which is added based on your own preferences.
Cooking method:
- pieces of fruit should be grated, without removing the peel;
- the resulting slurry is placed on multi-layer gauze and squeezed out;
- the liquid is placed in a saucepan and simmered over low heat for a quarter of an hour, but without boiling;
- spice is added to the juice and poured into sterilized jars;
- containers can be rolled up and placed under a warm blanket for 10 hours.
In a juicer
This kitchen appliance allows you to make excellent juice, which requires only apples. However, if the fruit is sour, it is recommended to add sugar.
The drink is prepared as follows:
- the juiciest and ripest fruits are selected, they should be peeled from the core and roots;
- Water is poured into the juicer, and after it boils, the fruits are placed on the upper tier;
- softened fruits need to be covered with granulated sugar, the amount depends on the sweetness of the fruit and the taste preferences of the cook;
- the device hose should be lowered into a sterilized jar in which it will be stored;
- As they are filled, the containers should be changed, and when they are all filled with drink, they must be closed with a sealing key.
In a slow cooker
This device will not help you make juice from fruits, but it allows you to cook it in 5 minutes. The cooking algorithm is as follows:
- apples are cut into pieces, the core is removed;
- The juice is squeezed out of the fruits - you can grate them and squeeze them, or use a juicer;
- the liquid should be poured into the bowl and set to “Soup” mode;
- the drink is brought to a boil, boiled for 5 minutes and poured into jars;
- containers with cooled juice should be closed.
Sugarless
According to classical technology, the fruit drink is prepared without additional sweeteners. However, for this you should use fruits of sweet varieties.
Cooking method:
- containers and lids are prepared - they must be sterilized;
- apples are peeled - from rot, cores, petioles, and cut into 4 parts;
- Juice is extracted from fruits using any available method and filtered through gauze folded in several layers;
- the container with liquid is sent to the stove and heated to 90-95 degrees;
- the hot drink is filtered through cheesecloth; if it is too sour, add sugar and put it back on the stove;
- it must be heated to 80-85 degrees, poured hot into sterilized jars and immediately rolled up;
- The containers are placed upside down and wrapped in a blanket.
With cherry
Apple juice is good on its own, but the drink with the addition of cherries is also delicious. It requires:
- cherry – 1.2 kilograms;
- apple juice – 2 liters.
Prepare as follows:
- cherries should be washed and pitted;
- the raw materials are passed through a meat grinder, the juice should be squeezed out and strained through cheesecloth;
- two drinks are mixed in a saucepan and sent to the stove until boiling;
- in order to preserve maximum nutrients, taste and aroma, it is not recommended to boil the liquid;
- The drink should be poured into containers, rolled up, turned over and covered with a blanket until it cools, this will allow you to preserve the preparation in the winter.
With pumpkin
Apple-pumpkin juice is a drink with a rich taste, natural sweetness and a lot of vitamins. To prepare it at home, you will need:
- apples – 1 kilogram;
- pumpkin – 1 kilogram;
- sugar – 0.4 kilograms;
- water;
- citric acid – 20 grams.
Cooking method:
- pieces of peeled pumpkin should be grated and then boiled with water for 3-5 minutes until softened;
- it is rubbed through a sieve, sugar and lemon are added to the pulp;
- peeled apples also need to be grated and squeezed;
- both juices are combined and boiled for 5 minutes;
- The hot drink is poured into jars and rolled up.
With pear
You can make a delicious drink from pears and apples, for which these components are taken in any proportion.
The cooking algorithm is as follows:
- the fruits are peeled, filled with water and boiled over low heat;
- sugar is added only if necessary;
- the workpiece should be cooled, passed through a sieve and squeezed out the liquid;
- the juice is boiled for a quarter of an hour and poured into containers.
With grapes
There are many recipes, but the most interesting taste of the drink is obtained by combining apples with two varieties of grapes at once. For 4 kilograms of juicy apples, take 5 kilograms of pink grapes and 1 kilogram of blue ones.
Cooking method:
- all components should be washed, the apples should be cut into several parts; and the branches are removed from the berries;
- the fruit is passed through a juicer, the liquid is boiled for 5-7 minutes in a thick-walled container, avoiding boiling;
- The juice is poured into jars and rolled up.
Storage Features
During the first 2 weeks after preparation, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the preparations. At the first sign of fermentation, the jars are opened and the contents are boiled. Such a product will no longer be stored, so it is better to use it for preparing other dishes - jellies, marmalades, compotes.
If the juice looks good, after a couple of weeks it can be stored in a dark, cool place.
