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For me, September marks the beginning of fall and we love to kick off the season with an easy and cozy recipe that also makes our home smell Ah-mazing! This fresh, homemade apple juice recipe is quick and simple and it will give you all the fall feels. I promise you’ll love it.
If you love this recipe, you will also want to try my from-scratch rhubarb juice. You can also use this apple juice to make homemade hot apple cider too!
The Benefits of Apple Juice
Apple’s are enriched in vitamins and other essential nutrients that go a long way in aiding in a healthy body and mind. They are rich in rich in vitamins like A, B-12, C & D and have a high amount of dietary fibre. Apples are also a good source of iron, calcium, potassium & magnesium among and are packed with good amount of antioxidant properties.
Drinking a glass of fresh, apple juice is completely calorie free and can help to clean your veins and lower cholesterol! Apples are also extremely hydrating as they are made of approximately 88% water. There is so much truth to the old saying of an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
Be aware that your juice has a much higher concentration of nutrients and sugar than eating an apple. You wouldn’t sit and eat 3 to 4 apples in one sitting so drink the juice in moderation.
Best Time To Drink Apple Juice
Apple juice is best taken in the morning on an empty stomach as this will allow all the amazing nutrients to absorb into your system better and faster! A simple routine of a glass of apple juice every morning before breakfast will help with all the above health benefits.
The Best Apples to Make Juice
There are so many different types of apples in the world and each variation has a slightly different taste! Some apples are crisp, some are very sweet, whereas others are a softer texture and some can be very tart! Deciding the right apple for your apple juice completely depends on what flavour you are wanting. For a sweeter flavour, choose a Red Delicious, Gala or Golden Delicious. If you crave an apple juice that has a bit of tartness to it, use the Ambrosia, Granny Smith or Pink Lady apple variation.
Best Apples for a Sweet Juice
Red Delicious Apples
This apple is deep red in color and has a crunchy texture. This is the perfect apple to pair with a more tart variation of apple to make juice. It is high in sugar and will balance out a tart flavour from another apple variation.
Golden Delicious
This delicious apple is a crisp texture with greenish yellow color and has amazing flavour. This apple makes amazing flavoured juice.
Gala Apples
A delicious flavour of sweet apple, the Gala apple is a round apple that is high in natural sugar. Feel free to slightly cut the sugar in this recipe when you are using this type of apple.
Best Apples for a Tart Juice
Ambrosia Apples
A delicious red and yellow colored apple that has a firm texture and an amazing crunch! This apple is perfect for juicing as it has just enough sugar content and tartness for a juice.
Granny Smith Apples
A bright green coloured apple that makes for a delicious, refreshing juice due to the tartness of this apple. It has a firm crunchy texture as well.
Pink Lady Apples
A very round apple with a rosy, red and green color. The texture is very crunchy and the sweet flavour of these apples makes them perfect for making apple juice.
Crab Apples
Almost any variation of crab apples will do for making a delicious juice using this method. No matter the color, they will always make for a refreshing drink! Crab apples are also perfect to mix with a sweeter variation of apple to make the yummiest juice.
Depending on the type of apple you choose for juice, the color may vary. A red apple will produce a juice with a soft red tone where a yellow or green apple will produce a brown or yellow toned apple juice.
Organic Apples vs Non Organic
Organic apples are grown without the use of pesticides and waxes. Apple peels are very thin and absorb more from pesticide exposure than a fruit like watermelon or even an orange. Although most organic apples are not as attractive as non organic apples, they are a better option to use if you are drinking your homemade juice on a regular basis.
From Scratch Juice
The best part about this amazing recipe is that you can use it for almost any type of fruit or veggie that you are wanting to juice! It works like a charm and tastes great every time! If you are wanting to can the juice afterwards, simply use a simple canning process and then store your juice in a dark, cool space for up to a year!
Types of Apple Juice
Like most fruits and vegetable’s, there are a few different ways and variations of juicing you can do for apples. Some will produce a slightly different type of juice then others and some are more time consuming and difficult than others.
Blended Apple Juice
Blended juice is a process of juicing that is done by using your blender. Blending your juice is an excellent method as this allows the apples to keep a high amount of nutrients and can produce a fairly large amount of juice at one time. It is however, more difficult to remove unwanted pulp using this method.
Cooked or Boiled Apple Juice
This is my preferred method of juicing apples as it leaves a large amount of the apple to be used for other things like apple sauce and leftover apples for baking. Boiled juice allows you the ability to produce very large batches of juice at one time.
Canning your juice to store for later is very easy to do this way as the juice can be heated prior to canning and then you simply need to pour your juice into the jars and seal them up tight.
Apple Juice Using a Juicer
Apple juice done in a juicer is probably the easiest way to juice your apples as the juicing machine does most of the work, however it is harder to produce a large batch of juice using this method.
How to Make Apple Juice
Ingredients
- 5 cups of apples. Cut or if you are using crab apples, you can simply add these to the pot with stems and all.
- 2 tsp of cream of tartar
- 10 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup sugar as desired
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash the apples and cut into 1″ pieces. If you are buying store bought apples, make sure you throughly check if your apples have a wax coating on the peel. If there is, make sure you soak your apples in a warm water bathe with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and wipe them dry.
- Add the apple pieces into a pot with boiling water.
- Mix in Cream of Tartar.
- Cover the pot and turn down the heat!
- Simmer the apples for 15 minutes.
- Let it sit and cool for 24 hrs. You don’t want to rush this process as the longer the apples sit, the tastier your juice will be.
- Strain the liquid into a jar, then press down on the apple pulp to extract as much juice as possible.
- Add sugar and lemon juice.
- Chill until you use it! Enjoy!
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Removing Pulp from Apple Juice
There are a few different methods that can be used to remove the pulp in your juice. Some are more time consuming than others and some people enjoy the pulp too. It is after all, full of so many of those amazing nutrients that provide so many health benefits from apple juice.
- After you have poured the juice into the jar, put the jug in the fridge and allow the juice to settle. The juice will separate with some sludge on the bottom and a dark rich juice at the top of the jar. Pour the juice into another jar and discard the sludge.
- Use a coffee filter or cheese cloth to strain the pulp from the juice as you pour it into the jar. This process can be a bit time consuming and make sure you attach an elastic band around the top so that the filter doesn’t fall into the jar.
How to Properly Store Apple Juice
Most fresh juices can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week or so once they have been made. If you do choose to can your juice, it can be store for much longer like other canned goods. Canned juice will store 6 to 12 months and should be kept in a cool, dark and dry location. A cold room or cellar works perfect for storing your juice.
You can also freeze your juice and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. This is a great alternative if you don’t love the canning process and will still allow you to make your juice in large batches.
Apple Juice Tips and Tricks
- Use the leftover pulp and apples to make a delicious apple sauce by adding cinnamon and maple syrup.
- Try different types of apples to produce different flavours of apple juice.
- Use this same recipe with other seasonal fruits to make different types of fruit juices!
Quick, simple and all the cozy fall feels. The perfect way to enjoy the changing seasons. If you try this homemade apple juice recipe for yourself, let me know what you think in the comments below! Of course, you can always find me over on Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube too!
Looking for another fall inspired recipe? Check out our perfect pumpkin cookie recipe.
Frequently Asked
There is some concern that apple seeds contain cyanide and can potentially be poisonous. Studies have shown that you would need to consume 200+ seeds for them to be lethal. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry so if you do drink apple juice daily, it may be a good idea to core the apples first.
Peeled apples will have a slightly sweeter or crisper taste as the peel can sometimes taste a bit bitter. There will also be fewer vitamins, minerals, and fiber (and color, too). Some apple peel may have a wax coating so be sure to always soak and remove this prior to making your juice. I love to include the peels when I make juice but it is completely a personal preference.
Pin for Later
Homemade Apple Juice
Ingredients
- 5 cups of apples
- 2 tsp of cream of tartar
- 10 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup sugar as desired
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash the apples and cut into 1″ pieces.
- Add the apple pieces into a pot with boiling water.
- Mix in Cream of Tartar.
- Cover the pot and turn down the heat!
- Simmer the apples for 15 minutes.
- Let it sit and cool for 24 hrs.
- Strain the liquid into a jar, then press down on the apple pulp to extract as much juice as possible.
- Add sugar and lemon juice.
- You can seal your juice at this point by simply adding a sterile lid to canning the jar or go on to the next step if you don't wish to have it canned.
- Put the jug in the fridge and allow the juice to settle.
- The juice will separate with some sludge on the bottom and a dark rich juice at the top of the jar. Pour the juice into another jar and discard the sludge.
- Chill until you use it! Enjoy!
Just made this yesterday and realized I forgot to add the cream of tartar. What purpose does this serve and is the juice still safe to consume without it?
No you will be fine. It just helps to pull out the flavor of the juice, however as long as you canned it or consume it in the next few days, it will still taste great! Thanks so much for trying the recipe