Homemade apple juice is a delicious treat.You can even make enough to last for a whole year.This apple juice recipe will taste much better,and be more natural than the store-bought kind.Gather the apple juice ingredients and tools and let's get started!

Here's how to make homemade apple juice.

Step 1

Ingredients and supplies:

Apples (see recipe)

Cinnamon (optional)

Sugar (may not be necessary)

Large pot with lid

Ladle

Colander or sieve

Filter- cheesecloth,jelly bag,or coffee filters

For canning process:

Canning jars

Jar grabber

Canner

Step 2

Select the apples.Don't use just any apples for your apple juice recipes.If you choose apples that are naturally sweet,you won't need to add much sugar.These varieties include Red Delicious,Fuji,Gala and Rome.Never use just one variety of apple for your juice- choose a mixture of apples.Make sure that your apples are fully ripe; underripe apples make juice without much flavor.You can make a large quantity of apple juice and then can it,so consider buying by the bushel to save money.A bushel of apples will yield 15 or 16 quarts of juice.

Step 3

Prepare the apples.Wash the apples,and then core them and chop them.Do not peel them.

Step 4

Prepare the jars.Wash the jars,and either run them through the dishwasher,or boil them for 10 minutes to sterilize them before making apple juice.Keep them warm until you're ready to use them,which will keep them from cracking.

Step 5

Cook the apples.Fill a large pot with water up to 4 inches deep.Then,add the apples.Cover the pot,and turn the stovetop on high.Once the water is boiling well,turn down to medium-high,and continue to cook until the apples are soft all the way through.

Step 6

Strain the apples.Now,filter the apples to remove pulp,skins,seeds,and stems.You can run it through a sieve or colander,or refrigerate for a day and then pour out the liquid,leaving the sediment in the bottom to discard.For filtered apple juice,line your colander or sieve with cheesecloth,coffee filters,or a jelly bag,and let the fresh juice drip through it slowly.

Step 7

Heat the juice.Heat it on low until you've collected enough juice to fill the jars.Add cinnamon to taste.You should not need to increase the sugar content of apple juice if you've chosen the right varieties of apples,but taste the juice now and add a little sugar if needed.

Step 8

Can the juice.Now you're about to learn how to can apple juice from scratch.Now,carefully ladle the juice into your canning jars,filling them to within a quarter inch of the top rim,and tighten the lid.You do not need to can the juice,but it will last a lot longer if you do.Canned apple juice can be stored for up to a year.To can the juice,place in the canner,covering with at least an inch of boiling water.Boil for 10 minutes to seal the jars.

Step 9

Cool the jars.Lift them out,and let them cool overnight without touching them.Check that they are sealed by pressing in the center of the lid.Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used quickly.

You can select different varieties of apples to vary the taste of your apple juice.If you choose the right varieties,you won't even need to add any sugar at all.Homemade apple juice has a much stronger flavor than store-bought kinds,which have been pasteu