Home Made Apple Juice

Does anyone on here make their own apple juice? Having read up a bit on the web, it appears you need about 200€+ equipment just to get started - crusher, presser etc. After all that, it will only keep about 3 days. Has anyone got any tips about where to buy s/hand gear at a reasonable cost, please? I would be grateful for advice from people with experience of keeping apple juice in store - e.g. What do you do to prevent fermentation? Do I need a pasteuriser? etc etc

......or is it not worth all the expense and aggro; am I better off nipping down to Leclerc and buying it off the shelf? Thanks for any help.

We used to make apple wine when in UK. All the gear (crusher & press) is in the barn awaiting the day when we have the time and fruit to do it again. If you add Camden tablets to the juice it will sterilise it so it keeps longer and doesn't start to ferment, but personally we don't like using chemicals. You could freeze it, possibly even bottle it in preserving jars the way you do with bottled veg or fruit i.e. sterilise using heat?
We're still in favour of alcohol as the best preservative!

Hi twointheeye
Thanks for the reply. That's very helpful.

Hi, have you thought about an electric juicer ?
Not had any experience of them, but might solve you problem?

Regards

Chris

Hi Chris
What an excellent idea! Together with Twointhe eye's suggestion of freezing the juice, it would solve the problem of spending silly amounts of money, surmount the issue of using chemicals and enable me to store copious amounts of fresh apple juice.
Many thanks to you both - a great outcome and one which others may well find useful.

Hi Tocyvi please be aware re the juicer, you can only use them for a few minutes at a time unless it very expensive or an industrial one , but it will do the job perhaps if you find a use for the pulp you could post it here for us to use!! good juicing:bounce: 

Hi Lady of Leisure
Thanks for that. I had a quick look online to see what was on offer in juicers and I could spend anything between £20 - £200+. There are lots in the middle/lower range. There are a few good reasons why I fancy having a go: 1) I hate to see all the apples going to waste and it's been a cracker of a year for them; 2) we drink about 2/3 litres of apple juice per week, usually mixed half & half with fizzy water; it's crazy to be buying apple juice at Leclerc or wherever, when there's loads just rotting on the ground & 3) I would know that it's pure juice from my garden and that gives me a certain smug feeling of self-satisfaction.

If I spent, say, £80-90, would that count as a semi-industrial one, bearing in mind that I'm not going to be producing hundreds of gallons?

I looked into buying a juicer several years ago as a present for one of our sons and what struck me was that the lower price range seemed to deal mainly with citrus fruits and you needed to spend well over £100 for one that will give you an apple juice worth drinking.

As you have a 'permanent' supply of apples might it be worth biting the bullet and investing in a second-hand apple press? There are quite a few advertised on-line on places such as Le Bon Coin.

Hi Amber. Thanks for your reply. I looked at Le Bon Coin in the earlier stages of my "investigation" and was staggered at the prices people were asking for a second-hand pressoir. There was virtually nothing under 150€ and so the idea of spending £100 or so on a new stainless steel juicer is becoming more & more attractive. The s/steel ones will also be a lot more hygienic and easier to clean.

Hi,

I just bought a second hand juicer through another site && love it. My youngest is addicted to apple juice & this means it is pure apple & tastes just like it. The one I bought was a Jack Le Lanne brand (from a TV shopping channel) but it is an absolute dream to use & wash!!! It even goes in the dishwasher!!! I have frozen some of the pulp to add to crumbles, cakes etc but I also use it for the compost heap if I have too much, hth