It is possible to make fruit juice concentrate at home.
This is ideal for people who have a bumper crop of fresh fruit and are looking for a new way to use it or for those who drink a lot of fruit juice throughout the year.
What Is Fruit Juice Concentrate?
Simply put, a fruit juice concentrate is simply frozen juice from fresh fruit that has had all the water removed from it.
When you use it, you dilute it with water just as you would a can of frozen orange juice from the grocery store.
Fruit juice is a beverage that contains mainly water and natural sugars.
The Benefits Of Fruit Juice Concetrates
There are many benefits to drinking fruit juice, but the most significant benefits can be linked to it being a nutrient-rich beverage.
Fruit juices contain nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and folate.
Concentrated fruit juices are another option for people who do not like the taste of overly sweetened beverages but also want the health benefits that come with drinking fruit juice.
Depending on how the fruit juice is pressed out of the fruit, it can retain the natural goodness of the food, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and phytonutrients.
Squeezing the juice by hand or using a method that does not heat up the juice is always best, however sometimes that is just not an option especially if you are juicing a large amount of fruit.
PrintFruit Juice Concentrate
Learn how to make your own fruit juice concentrate at home using fresh fruits from your garden or the farmers market.
Ingredients
- fresh fruit such as oranges, limes, lemons, grapes or apples
Instructions
- First you must remove the juice from the pulp. This is done either by squeezing the juice out by hand, using a juicer or a steamer.
- Once you have separated the juice from the pulp, put the juice into a freezer-proof bottle with a narrow neck.
- Leave enough empty space in the top of the bottle for the liquid to expand as the juice turns to ice.
- Once the bottle is filled, sit the bottle in a freezer bag just in case it bursts or the liquid overflows as it freezes and then place it in the freezer.
- Once the liquid is completely frozen, turn the bottle upside down and place the neck of the jar with the frozen liquid inside a larger jar and let the liquid thaw.
- You will notice that the frozen sugary, colored sugars will drip out first.
- When all you see is a white mass of ice, remove the bottle.
- The remaining ice can be set in a refrigerator while it finishes thawing and once it is in a liquid form again, drank.
- Repeat the freeze, thaw, freeze process three times.
- The liquid that is left after the third time should resemble store bought juice concentrates.
- Bring this liquid to a boil and ladle into pint size canning jars.
- Another way to do this if you prefer not to freeze your juice is bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer it until it is reduced by two-thirds, then ladle it into canning jars.
- Wipe jar rims, put lids and bands on making sure they are fingertip tight.
- Process for twenty minutes in a cold pack canner, remove and tighten lids.
- Allow to cool, then check the lids to make sure they sealed.
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