How to Can Homemade Apple Juice that is Clear
*Are you searching to learn how to can homemade apple juice that is clear? If so, read on. This simple step by step process is a recipe I learned from my Mother-in-Law.
How to Can Apple Juice that is Clear
Supplies Needed:
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Wide mouth Canning jars, lids, and rings
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Sharp knife
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Large bowl
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Large stock pot
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Canning tongs
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Cheesecloth
Step by Step Instructions for How to make Apple Juice
This method works for any amount of apples that you are working with. You will just need to adjust the amount of jars and containers needed to accomodate your specific batch size.
Step 1.Chop apples into 4-6 pieces each and place in a large container(s).
Step 2. Pour boiling water over the apples until they are almost completely covered. Cover the container and let them sit at room temperature for 24-36 hours. (We have found that even up to 48 hours works fine, too.)
( The amazing science of this method is that the boiling water pushes the juice out of the apples and then absorbs into them. If you take a tiny taste of the apples after the alloted time, it will just taste like water!)
Step 3. When you are ready to can the juice, get your supplies all ready:
- Washed and sterilized jars
- Canning jar lids and seals
- tongs & hot pads
- Big pots
Step 4. Drain the juice from the chopped apples. We first used a strainer to scoop out the large chunks.
Then we poured the juice through a cheesecloth into a pot to catch any extra bits.
{We ended up folding the cheesecloth in half and straining again since this was such a large mesh.}
Step 5. Once the juice is all strained, place the pot(s) on the stove and add sugar to taste.
This is a completely “to taste” scenario based on the type of apples and how sweet you like it. I start with a little and add more if needed.
Step 6. Bring the juice to a boil in order to make the the sugar dissolve. (Then taste to see if you need to add more sugar.)
Step 7. Pour hot juice into sterilized jars.
Step 8. Place a hot lid (that has been in boiling water) onto the jar and secure tightly with the jar ring.
At this point many people recommend doing a “hot water bath” method for canning. Although it isn’t the method I used, please note that it is highly recommended. Here is a great video on canning and how to do a hot water bath:
Step 9.Wait until they cool and listen for the “pop” of the jars sealing.
Step 10. Store in a cool, dry place.
Pat yourself on the back, get yourself and cold drink, and put your feet up. You did it!! Yeah!:)
How I learned to make this homemade apple juice
My mom was a canner. Summertime for her was working in the garden ~ picking beans, cucumbers, corn, peas, & tomatoes. Then she would cut, shell, snap, and blanch until things were ready for canning jars and boiling water baths.
I must say, I did my share of helping (reluctantly, if I’m honest) in those days, but I didn’t grow up to be a virtuous canning woman.
In fact, I might of at one time threw out a whole baby bathtub full of picked beans because I just didn’t have the energy to process them…
I know. Scandelous!!
But, over the years I’ve gingerly dipped my toes into the world of canning. Blackberry jam is my favorite. And, when our son from Alberta was here a few weeks ago, he reminded me of the apple juice we did a few times.
He wanted to take some back to his friends, so he did almost all the work, and we helped at the end and took pictures of the process!
My mother-in-law taught me amazing apple juice recipe. It’s relatively simple, and I love how it turns out pure and clear.
Other canning recipes and resources
- Canning jam :Supplies you’ll need
- Canning recipes perfect for beginners
- You might want to try some blackberry jam (no pectin required…), too!
More Apple Recipes:
- If you have an air fryer, you’ll love these air fryer apple fries!
- Easy apple crisp is a super quick dessert recipe thanks to the convenience of canned apple pie filling!
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Oh my stars. I’m totally doing this.
I have to try this! I have so many apples this year!
How many apples does this take to make a batch roughly please?
Did I miss where you said how many/how many cups of apples to use? Thank you!
We did it and it turned out delicious!
What is the apples to water ratio that you use?
I didn’t see how many apples she used or anything like that so I’m interested in knowing the answer to this.
As she said: : Pour water over apples until ALMOST COVERED” You don’t want them floating
How many apples?
You can do this with however many apples you want to turn into apple juice. Just cover whatever amount you have with boiling water.
What do you do with the apples after you strain the ?
When you make apple juice this way, the apples will become totally tasteless after the juice is extracted by the boiling water. I dispose of them. (Or if you have farm animals, they would probably love the discards – or it would make good compost for the soil.)
I also need to know quantities!
Wondering why no hot water bath?
The recipe I used didn’t call for a hot water bath. I’m not sure why? ~ But I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt if you wanted to do it.
All fruits require hot bath. It is dangerous not to.
Mom didn’t use a hot water bath at all because she just didn’t want to;) She sterilized jars and lids and just did it that way. I have learned since that this is not recommended for most foods. The hot water bath method is much safer.
Regarding quantities, use enough boiling water to just barely cover the cut up apples. The amounts will vary depending on how many apples you use.
Sounds like a great method for getting the juice…..but now how do you use that juice in making jelly? I have no idea how much sugar to add to the already sweetened juice etc. Do you have a basic recipe for that? Thanks so much.
instead of adding the sugar to the juice, measure out the required liquid for jelly in a separate container, then add the sugar that the jelly recipe calls for
Just boil it until it reaches 220 degrees and it’s done.
What’s a good apple to use for this?
what type of apples is best. I tried and maybe I didn’t wait long enough or maybe I used wrong kind of apple but the juice was weak almost no apple flavor.
i have a question ?
wont the juice get bad keeping in room temperature for 24 hours , why not refrigerate for 24 hrs.
I highly recommend waterbath canning this recipe. I know it’s a pain but it really would be the only way to ensure a safe product.
Yes, a hot water bath is highly recommended as the safe way to can items.
What a fabulous way of getting apple juice. I have used this recipe and it is brilliant. Lovely taste and it is clear as. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
Please can anyone show me or tell me what preservatives I can use to make it last longer ? Please help me Please
Canning with sealed jars and putting them in a hot water bath is a method of preserving the juice. No other preservatives are needed.
does this method work for other types of fruit, for example pears?
When you cover the apples/ boiling water, do you snap on the lid of bowl or just cover with a tea towel ?
What do you do with the remaining apples? Can you make anything with them?
Basically this is an apple simple syrup, sugar water, apples. I would assume that if you do a 1:1 apple liquid to sugar and use the hot method that this would last 1.minth in the fridge. If you have 2 parts sugar to 1 part water then it will be good for 6 months. Add a tablespoon of vodka and it should triple the shelf life. In my experience.
Depending on where you live, and your own personal taste, there are many varieties of apple suitable for juicing. Do a little research to find an apple which produces a good, sweet juice.
Thank you for this lovely post, I love people share their new recipe with others and inspire them to eat healthy foods.
You are leaving too much headspace. It is to be 1/4# for juices, and you must water bath.. Apple juice is 20 minutes, but needs to be adjusted for altitude.
Do you peel the apples or not
Why not make green apple jelly with juice??? I do not like mint or pepper jelly, but would love a green apple jelly, by adding a few drops of green color it would be so pretty!! Can you use this to make low sugar jelly??
I just finished making this clear apple juice for the 1st time! I used Harleson apples and needed to add about 1 cup of sugar to taste.
I poured hot boiling water over the top of chopped apples that half filled my 6 gallon crock. I used a trick I learned from my grandmother and mother for how to keep the apples below the surface of the water by using a quart jar of hot water placed on top of a corningware plate. I then placed a flour sack towel over the opening and put it in an out of way spot on my main floor.
About 48 hours later, I begin to process the juice which did not disappoint! I ended up with about 15 pints of clear apple juice with nearly half self-sealed prior to getting into the water bath system. I had the same thing happen while processing my apple butter earlier in the week.Hot jars, hot product and hot seals will do the natural thing as it cools!
I was excited to try this as I’ve never had enough apples in one growing season to venture out from the normal canning of pie filling, apple butter, and applesauce.
Very simple and refreshing recipe.
How do I make this juice into jelly? Also, I have alot of apples and will use 5 gal buckets to steep the apples, but will the buckets retain enough heat? If not what do I do to help this?
Can I leave the skins on if its red apples? Or should I peel? Do I take out the cores?
Do I need to worry about apples browning, or is that ok?
My son and I made the juice! Waited 48 hrs (36 hrs wasn’t enough) Added cup and a half sugar. I used red apples from our tree. Didn’t peel, took out cores and bad spots off apples. Apple Juice is tinted pink, but clear and delicious! Success! Thank you.
Can I freeze this instead of canning it?
I have never thought to make homemade apple juice before! I am sure the flavor is out of this world. I bet the kids would think this is super cool.
I’ve always been intimidated by canning, but I definitely want to try it this fall after we go apple-picking! Is there a particular type of apple you’d recommend using to make apple juice?
If you are looking for a sweet apple juice, the apples recommended for juicing are Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, or Fuji. Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples will give you a tarter apple juice flavor. But having said that, I’m not even sure what type of apples were outside in our yard when I made this juice. It just worked!;)
My kids drink a lot of apple juice and I never thought to process all the apples we get from our trees like this – what a great idea! Thanks for the instructions as I am still new to the canning world.
Is there a particular variety of apples that’s better than others for canning apple juice? This is amazing – I never thought about making it!
To be honest, I’m not even sure what the variety of apples were in our backyard when I made this juice – it just worked! However, a quick search tells me that the best apples for juicing are Red Delicious, Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Gala. If you want a tarter apple juice, Granny Smith and Pink Lady are better for that.
My parents have apple trees. We fill the freezer and can with every version of apples you can think of but I have never thought to make homemade apple juice!
I’m sure you have all kinds of great apple canning recipes with all that experience! Apple juice and freezer apple pies are the only things I tried!;)
The kids were amazed by how the water replaced the apples… and the juice is delicious!
I know! This apple juice recipe is such a fun science experiment! I’d love to know how someone figured out to try it in the first place…
Thank you for the recipe! It was a huge hit! Our kids asked me how apple juice was made, so we searched for a recipe and found yours. It was easy to make and so much tastier than the store-bought kind! I’ll be making homemade juice from now on.
That is so wonderful! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this apple juice recipe.
Brilliant!! Thank you for sharing, I have made rhubarb juice this way in the past and it’s simply delicious,
I use a large clean cooler fill with cut up fruit and hot water, close the lid and let sit for 24hrs I then follow the same steps you have here, my kids loved it!!
Oh, my goodness! I had no idea you could make rhubarb juice the same way as this apple juice recipe! Now I want to try that out. Thank you so much for sharing.
I can’t wait to try making homemade apple juice after we go apple picking this year!
Well, that is wonderful. I hope you enjoy trying your own apple juice recipe. It’s a great way to use apples.
We bought a new house with apple trees galore in the yard. This apple juice recipe has been a life-saver to preserve those apples!
Oh, that is so wonderful to hear, Julie. I know I was at times overwhelmed with the big apple harvest from our backyard. This apple juice recipe was a life saver for me – and the kids love it!
I never put together juicing and canning – I’m totally going to do this! Thank you!
Yes, Cindy, canning can seem intimidating at first, but this apple juice recipe is really easy and fun to do!
Do I use a specific type of container fir the apples and hot water?