If your household is anything like mine, you have probably purchased more apple juice than you might want to admit. When you have kids in the home, apple juice is a grocery list staple. But what if I told you it is practically FREE to make your own homemade apple juice? Crazy right?

Using Apple Discards for Homemade Apple Juice

When I was planning my canning schedule I wanted to make apple juice, but when I searched for recipes I was a little thrown back by how many apples you needed and how wasteful it is. I know you can use the remains for apple butter, but the process seemed messy and a bit of a waste.

When I started my first batch of Homemade Apple Sauce as I was boiling the apples in the water, I tasted the water. It tasted just like apple juice but a little bit diluted. This gave me an idea. What if I saved the water from the apple sauce and added it to the cores and peels I had in a bowl from slicing the apples for the apple sauce? So that’s exactly what I did. I saved all of the cores and peels, as well as the water from the process of making apple sauce to make apple juice. In my mind, this is free apple juice since the apple discards would go in the compost and the water would be strained down the drain.

Why Make Your Own Apple Juice?

Who doesn’t love saving money, and no waste?! I’m not sure I would purchase or pick apples just to make apple juice, but I would certainly use the discards and any apples that needed to be used up!

When we buy apple juice from the store I always try to buy the one in the large tin can. That apple juice tastes more authentic and less factory processed. This recipe is as close to that as you can get! Fresh, hand-picked apples, and with a little more effort you can water-bath can it and enjoy it for months.

Ingredients

1. 14 lbs of apples or apple discards
2. sugar
3. water (water from boiled apples)

What You Need:

1. Apple Peeler
2. Canning Kit and Water Bath Canner
3. Mason Jars and Lids
4. Canning Funnel
5. Stock Pot

How to Make Homemade Apple Juice

So these steps will vary with your situation, but I will tell you exactly what I did to make this homemade apple juice.

1. Set smaller stock pots and even the inserts for crock pots aside and fill them 3/4 of the way with the cores and peels from the apples.
2. Once finished with the boiled water, carefully dump the water into the pots until the discards are just covered with water. Cover with a lid, and let sit for 2-3 hours.
3. Add 2-5 cups of warm water to each pot and stir. Let sit for another hour or so.
4. Strain all pots into a larger stock pot with a strainer and cheesecloth to keep the pulp out.
5. Bring to a boil, and add sugar to taste. Boil for 20-30 minutes.
6. In the meantime get your water bath canner ready.

Canning Apple Juice

1. Wash your jars, lids, bands, and canning tools in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Set aside to air dry on a clean kitchen towel.
2. Add your jars to the water bath canner. Bring the canner to a simmer (180˚F) for 10 minutes, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them
3. Lay a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove a jar from the canner, drain, and place it on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner, so they stay hot.
4. Using a ladle and funnel, add the apple juice to your warm jars leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
5. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel. Center a lid on the jar, and screw on the band until it is fingertip tight. Do NOT overtighten.
6. Use the jar lifter to place the full jars back into the canner, and repeat with the remaining jars. Try to leave some space in between the jars.
7. Once the jars are all in the canner, adjust the water level so it is at least two inches above the jar tops.
8. Cover the canner and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water boils continue boiling pints for 30 minutes at altitudes of less than 6,000 ft. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary.
9. When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat, remove the cover, and let the canner cool down and settle for about 5 minutes.
10. Lay a dry kitchen towel on the counter and begin removing the jars carefully from the canner, placing them on the towel. Leave about 1 inch in between jars. Keep the jars upright, and don’t tighten bands or check the seals yet. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours to cool completely.
11. After the jars have cooled for at least 12 hours, check to be sure the jar lids have been sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid pops up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate the applesauce and use it within a week.
12. Remove the bands and wash the jars well with warm soapy water to remove any residue. Label, date, and store in a cool, dark place. Use within 12 to 18 months. Refrigerate the apple juice once opened and consume it within a week.

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