After a hiatus of several years and with the urging of our youngest son, we decided to make apple juice again this year. We started making apple juice very early in our marriage with Harv's parents. The first year we borrowed a press and after using it Dad and Harv thought they could build one themselves with a few improvements of course. Instead of hand cranking the drum that chopped up the apples, they added an electric motor and instead of winding the press down by brute strength, Harv designed a hydraulic press. (After all what more would you expect from a hydraulics expert)
These Klassen men will always find a way to mechanize and improve. This year was no exception. Rick jokingly suggested we run the juice through a heat exchanger and in the midst of laughing about it, Harv got this arrested look on his face and voila! Another time and mess saving innovation to the process. So over the years we have streamlined and have become pretty efficient at juice making.
The Juicing process starts with a visit to a farm in Keremeos where we go to get apples. It is owned by a Swiss juice maker who told us we'd have the best juice ever this year using his recommended mix of Jonagold, Cox Orange and Ambrosia apples.
Harv and I always enjoy the day trip to get the apples.
Apples are grown on smaller trees now - not the huge old trees we knew as children.
The apples were dumped into our truck.
It takes about 2 1/2 totes to fill the long box on our pickup.
We we get the apples home we choose a day and get everything set up. The press is pulled out of storage and washed, it's hooked up to an electric source and the hydraulics are put into place, the heat source and juice dispenser set up and the tables arranged. All available jars are gathered up and washed, lids and rings rounded up and everything taken to the shop.
In past years our parents and siblings from both sides helped but with 3 parents gone and our siblings with other obligations it was just our family and one niece this year but Dad came to watch and had the privilege of dropping the first apple into the hopper.
We're in business!
The whole family gets involved - 
even the little ones. The grandkids get into the back of the truck and help Aunt Adele fill the wash tub with apples. I don't think I want to know how many apples are eaten in the process.
Adele washes the apples
Monica guides them a few at a time, into the hopper and watches that it doesn't plug up.
An electric motor spins the chopper which is a drum fitted with many rows of nails. As the apples are channeled into the hopper, the nails chop the apples into small pieces.
even the little ones. The grandkids get into the back of the truck and help Aunt Adele fill the wash tub with apples. I don't think I want to know how many apples are eaten in the process.
Adele washes the apples
and then loads them onto the ramp that funnels the apples into the hopper.
Monica guides them a few at a time, into the hopper and watches that it doesn't plug up.
An electric motor spins the chopper which is a drum fitted with many rows of nails. As the apples are channeled into the hopper, the nails chop the apples into small pieces.
The chopped apples fall into an oak barrel. When it is full it is slid forward under the press and a second barrel is placed under the chopper.
Dad and his friend keep an eye on it all over coffee and fresh platz.
Harv was always in charge of pressing the juice until this year when the torch was passed to Rick. He has to control the press carefully so that the juice comes out in a steady flow and to prevent "auspoofs"(a "klassenism" coined to describe the way the apple pulp comes flying out when the apples are pressed too quickly)
As the chopped apples are pressed, the juice flows through the slats into a bucket.
When the bucket is full, the pressed juice is poured through a screen to filter out any pieces of apple and then the bucket of juice is taken to the juice dispenser where it is heated using that handy dandy heat exchanger.
Tim checks the temperature of the juice. It has to be brought to a minimum of 160 degrees and held there for 15 seconds to pasturize the juice before it can be bottled and sealed.
My job is to fill the jars and top them with hot lids and rings.
We use an old coffee dispenser to fill our jars. It consists of two pots which we fill with juice inside a hot water jacket that keeps the juice at the right temperature as we fill the jars.
We used to have to heat the juice in canners on camp stoves. It would take so long for the juice to heat and then sometimes it would boil over making a sticky mess. Then we'd have to dip a pitcher into the hot juice and pour it into jars. The Juice dispenser makes it so much easier!
The finished juice - naturally sweet, no water or sugar added and absolutely delicious!
It was fun having people drop by to watch - Judy and her grandson from
Harv was always in charge of pressing the juice until this year when the torch was passed to Rick. He has to control the press carefully so that the juice comes out in a steady flow and to prevent "auspoofs"(a "klassenism" coined to describe the way the apple pulp comes flying out when the apples are pressed too quickly)
As the chopped apples are pressed, the juice flows through the slats into a bucket.
When the bucket is full, the pressed juice is poured through a screen to filter out any pieces of apple and then the bucket of juice is taken to the juice dispenser where it is heated using that handy dandy heat exchanger.
Tim checks the temperature of the juice. It has to be brought to a minimum of 160 degrees and held there for 15 seconds to pasturize the juice before it can be bottled and sealed.My job is to fill the jars and top them with hot lids and rings.
We use an old coffee dispenser to fill our jars. It consists of two pots which we fill with juice inside a hot water jacket that keeps the juice at the right temperature as we fill the jars.
We used to have to heat the juice in canners on camp stoves. It would take so long for the juice to heat and then sometimes it would boil over making a sticky mess. Then we'd have to dip a pitcher into the hot juice and pour it into jars. The Juice dispenser makes it so much easier! 
The finished juice - naturally sweet, no water or sugar added and absolutely delicious!
It was fun having people drop by to watch - Judy and her grandson from
http://judys-front-porch.blogspot.com/2010/10/applicious.html ,
Dad and his friend and Tim and Dulci's friends from Seattle.
The last thing to do is clean up and Grandson N and Grandprincess E were more than willing to man the pressure washer.
The last thing to do is clean up and Grandson N and Grandprincess E were more than willing to man the pressure washer.A big job done and lots to show for it!
500 quarts of juice to share and enjoy this winter!
13 comments:
WHAT AN EVENT!!!!
gosh that is a lot of apple juice, so glad you had so much help with that. i don't know if i would have the patience, but then again, i might change my mind after "schmecking" some of that juice!
you do this every year?
i missed the first line saying, after a few years of hiatus....so of course you don't do this every year, i can understand why, but i can also understand why your family would want to do this as well....good family time!
Wow - what a harvest. Reminds me of the days when we had apple trees and juiced them - but with a hand-crank, and ladles, and canners, and.... We didn't do nearly this much, but it sure was nice to have the juice over the winter. Blessings, Peg
'Wow' comes to mind and in the next breath..'please pass the juice'. This juice does does look delicious.
Thanks for sharing the process with us, Bev..a great family tradition to carry on.
Oh now that is one amazing process and I can see why it's great to have just the right equipment. Well done family!! I bet remembering the experience even makes the juice taste better!
Oh how fun! I seem to remember you having a recipe for soup made from that juice? I think I had it at an MCC sale many years ago.
What a great family time...and look at all those jars that came from team work. You guys do things in a big way....and find fun doing it.
Bev, that is amazing. I had no idea that fresh pressed apple juice is made this way. Next time you do this. . I'm going to be stopping by. .you made it look like such fun.
That is a huge undertaking!! We used to have a little press and we'd make cider from the apples in the orchard on our old farm property. But just a few quarts and I don't recall that it tasted all that good. Maybe I need to head out West for a lesson or two!
Ohh ..I am soo impressed! I would love to come watch next time and bring my grandgirls. Looks like you have the process down pat!
500 jars - that's a lot of apple juice!! But how beautiful the jars look all lined up with the lovely coloured juice!
My mouth is watering as I type ! smile..
Bev, that is a LOT of juice! Our family has done it, but without the hydraulics and heat exchanger etc., we use the kitchen stove. It is a rewarding day, isn't it! Wonderful pictures you've shared. Dairymary
You guys take apples juice making to a whole different level! E & V told us about this at dinner last night, having seen the finished product and the guys tried guesssing how many apples you would need ... I just had to call my H in now to see.
It sounds like a lot of work, but so neat to do it as a family event.
this has blown me away...what a procedure...I used to make all my own juice...but not quite like that.
That would make a fantastic MGCC activity...Get all the ladies involved.
500 quarts of juice...where on earth did you get all the jars.
Trust Bev and Harv to put this together and of course have some fun.
Post a Comment