Apple Juice

This refreshing fruit juice is made from the pressing or cooking of apples.

History
The apple is one of the oldest fruits cultivated in the world. Apples originated in the Middle East more than 4000 years ago and have been grown in the UK since Roman times. Specially cultivated varieties spread across Europe to France and arriving in England at around the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Thankfully, in time for young Isaac Newton to be hit by an apple from a tree and then discover gravity!

How to make your own
You can try making your own apple juice at home, and the easiest way is to get your hands on a juicing machine. You will need roughly 2.5kg of apples to make 1 litre of apple juice.

Here’s a cool recipe we found:
• Start by washing and then coring 18 apples to remove seeds. Cut the apples into slices. There is no need to peel them.
• Add the apples to the pot and add enough water to just cover.
• Slowly boil the apples for about 20-25 minutes or until the apples are quite soft. Place a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth in your fine mesh strainer and place over a bowl.
• Slowly ladle the hot juice/apple mixture into a fine mesh strainer and gently mash the apples. The juice will be filtered through the bottom into your bowl while the apple mush will be left behind. Place the mush in a separate bowl for later. Repeat this process until all of your juice is in the bowl.
• Taste the juice after it’s cooled for a bit. You can add additional sugar or cinnamon depending on your preferences. If the flavor is too strong, you can add water a little bit at a time to weaken it.
• The apple mush you collected can easily be turned into applesauce by pureeing and adding a smidgen of sugar and cinnamon to taste.
• Keep in mind your homemade apple juice doesn’t have any preservatives so be sure to keep it refrigerated and to use it within a week!