# Blackberry juice



## Jerry1 (Jul 16, 2013)

I steam most of the fruit I use so I am not dealing with any pulp. I have not steamed blackberries in the past. My question is has anyone steamed blackberries and if so how many pounds of berries did it take to make up a gallon of juice? I know it will vary depending on the juiciness (that a word?) of the berries. The reason for the question is there is a fruit stand not far from me that sold the juice last year. If memory serves it was $32 per gal. I have 6 gal in the freezer that I was going to use for this purpose. Got them from my orchard. Have been informed by the "boss" that I can't have them all. I have made blackberry before from a kit and one time from scratch. I prefer the scratch method. My recipe calls for 5 lbs of berries per gal of wine. There for I'd need 25 lbs of berries. I'm thinking this should equate to about 1 gal of juice. Anybody know?


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 16, 2013)

i am going to juice 100 lbs of blackberries today are tomorrow, i will let you know how much juice i get .


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## Jerry1 (Jul 16, 2013)

Are you going to steam or press? Where did you get 100lbs of berries? That's a heep of pickin'.


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## SBWs (Jul 16, 2013)

I normally get about 1 pint of juice from a pound of wild blackberries.

Steamed 12 lbs got 5 qt & 2 pt jars
Steamed 21 lbs got 9 qt & 5 pt jars
Steamed 26 lbs got 12 qt & 6 pt jars


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 16, 2013)

jerry i am going to cook them down....in a big 35 gallon stainless cooker.
i have a large piece of land on the west end of galveston, we had about 15 acres of blackberries this year..and they were loaded. not really sure how many we got, i would say between 400 and 600 lbs..we let nature have the rest...
i offered them to anyone to come pick for free, how many showed up.
0,
i guess they would rather pay for them rather then work for them.


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## Jerry1 (Jul 16, 2013)

Isn't it miraculous the number of people that will show up for something that's free so long as they don't have to do any work. A little work involved and they no longer want what your giving them. I have a small run of blackberries, two rows that equal approx 120 ft. Use to have both rows full with out any irrigation. Two years ago we did not get 1/2 of our normal spring rains and I couldn't get enough water to them. Lost all but 6 plants. I now have irrigation in and approx 20 plants taking root. Won't get any berries to speak of until next year. Tried to get cuttings to grow, but I guess my thumbs are not green. Had to buy 16 plants. Had four come up voluntarily and I moved them as soon as they were big enough. Don't believe that crap that anybody can grow blackberries. Will be interesting to see what your cook down releases from a lb vs steaming. With the other responses we can have a comparison and maybe work out an average. Later.


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 17, 2013)

when hurricane ike came through we didnt see a single blackberry bush for 3 years...then like magic...thery were taking over...


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## dralarms (Jul 17, 2013)

All mine are dried up around here. I bought blackberry juice from home winery.com. a 1/2 gallon jug that makes 5 gallons is 30.95. Its real blackberry juice and makes great wine and jelly too.


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## Julie (Jul 17, 2013)

James,

I would be leery about cooking the juice down. You are taking the change of creating a pectin haze, plus you are also cooking some of the flavor away.


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## dralarms (Jul 17, 2013)

Julie said:


> James,
> 
> I would be leery about cooking the juice down. You are taking the change of creating a pectin haze, plus you are also cooking some of the flavor away.



Agreed! I did an apple and the flavor is lacking some due to cooking the apples down some. Next time I'll use the steam juicer. I don't seem to loose flavor that way.


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## Jerry1 (Jul 17, 2013)

dralarms, is the juice you buy concentrated? 1/2 gal of juice doesn't seem like much to make 5 gal of wine. I know steamed juice appears to be thicker than pressed. To my eyes anyway. It appears to me that steaming releases some of the moisture from the berries back into the environment. Don't see how that's possible when using steam to extract juice.


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## Thig (Jul 17, 2013)

It would be interesting if someone could take two gallons of berries from the same crop, press one and steam juice the other. I would like to know which one you get the most juice from and if steam juicing decreased the SG below what the pressed one was.


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## Julie (Jul 17, 2013)

Jerry1 said:


> dralarms, is the juice you buy concentrated? 1/2 gal of juice doesn't seem like much to make 5 gal of wine. I know steamed juice appears to be thicker than pressed. To my eyes anyway. It appears to me that steaming releases some of the moisture from the berries back into the environment. Don't see how that's possible when using steam to extract juice.


 
yes the juice he gets is a concentrate. 

dralarms, I buy the blackberry juice from them as well, have you ever oaked your blackberry?


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## Jerry1 (Jul 17, 2013)

Thig, seriously doubt if steaming would change the SG unless my thought is correct about releasing some of the moisture.


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 17, 2013)

ok,...julie dralalrms, you talked me out of it....i am starting this big batch of dragon blood, and no room for a day are two..
i dont have a steam juicer, i can make a press..rather quickly...i will press them.
thanks for heads up...guys and girls....lol


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## Thig (Jul 17, 2013)

Jerry1 said:


> Thig, seriously doubt if steaming would change the SG unless my thought is correct about releasing some of the moisture.



That's possible, that is the reason I would like to see a "controlled" comparison. Everything the same except one pressed and one steam juiced.


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 17, 2013)

i have a home made press that does a good job...when I bagged my berrys for the freezer we weighed 5 lbs and vacuumed bagged so i know my weights are good...
I am running behind..but i just took 20 bags out to thaw..will press on friday.


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## rhythmsteve (Jul 17, 2013)

i wouldn't cook the berries, but if you're going to steam them i'd be very careful, like Julie said your cloud up your juice with Pectin HAze


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## dralarms (Jul 17, 2013)

Julie said:


> yes the juice he gets is a concentrate.
> 
> dralarms, I buy the blackberry juice from them as well, have you ever oaked your blackberry?



No, I haven't yet.


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## Julie (Jul 17, 2013)

dralarms said:


> No, I haven't yet.



Hungarian oak, you will love it!!!!


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## dralarms (Jul 17, 2013)

I'll have try that. Do you use dust or chips?


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## Julie (Jul 17, 2013)

dralarms said:


> I'll have try that. Do you use dust or chips?



Cubes, one package for the 5 gallon batch.


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## dralarms (Jul 17, 2013)

OK, thanks.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 17, 2013)

We get about a gallon of juice from 10 pounds of frozen berries. Do not forget to add pectinase, some people say to add 50% more than normal and your wine will clear. Steaming blackberries is a lot of work, hot juice and steam, have to clean stuff, PIA really anymore. We have just been freezing as we pick, then thaw and crush them in a grape crusher, add pectinase and KM overnight and then press, lots of juice, you can add some water back to the skins, let it soak a little, mix it up good and press again. 100% blackberry wine can be made, its going to be a little acidic, if its to much acid some people add potassium carbonate or just dilute it until they get a good TA.

It is certainly easy either way to deal with just the juice and not all that pulp, sometimes we let it ferment on the pulp 3 days and then press, more like straining it thru a paint strainer bag and squeezing it.

Oak in blackberry is very good, so is honey, and honey and oak is even better together.

WVMJ


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 17, 2013)

hey mountainjack, your talking pectin enzime as pectinase,correct.
i am going to press 100 lbs tommorow to make a large batch ..
your method of adding pectin, and km overnight is a sound idea, let the pectin brake down the fruit, the km keep it from spoiling....press again.
after the pectin has broken the fruit down you get more juice...
i will do that..... good info...thanks.


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## saramc (Jul 17, 2013)

jamesngalveston said:


> hey mountainjack, your talking pectin enzime as pectinase,correct.
> i am going to press 100 lbs tommorow to make a large batch ..
> your method of adding pectin, and km overnight is a sound idea, let the pectin brake down the fruit, the km keep it from spoiling....press again.
> after the pectin has broken the fruit down you get more juice...
> i will do that..... good info...thanks.



James be very careful when noting to use pectin when you mean pectic enzyme/pectinase. There are many new winemakers, with no experience with fruit and its makeup, whom have literally added pectin instead of the enzyme. They thought they were one and the same.


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## dralarms (Jul 17, 2013)

Oh, that would be a mess. 

If the blackberry turns out 1/2 as good as the blue berry, I'd better watch out.


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 17, 2013)

pectinase is pectic enzyme isn't it...not many use the term pectinase


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 18, 2013)

James, crush once, add pectinase and KM, then press. If we can add pectinase to your vocabulary all that much better  WVMJ


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 18, 2013)

thanks jack..will do just that..


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## Jerry1 (Jul 18, 2013)

Hey, I found my old (first) book on wine making. Written by an englishman, C.J.J.Berry. Supposedly one of Englands best at that time. The recipe I used called for 3 lbs of berries per gallon of wine. I remember this wine having a very good and strong flavor. So, if I used SBWs information and do a little tweeking on the numbers to bring them up to 15 lbs for 5 gallon, it would seem to me that two gallons of pure juice would make a very good five gallon batch wine. I tried drinking a little of the straight blackberry juice and it was too thick for my taste. Any thoughts?


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## dralarms (Jul 18, 2013)

Jerry1, not sure what you are drinking but the juice from homewinery.com is concentrated and 1/2 gallon makes 5 gallons of wine. What I do is put the juice in the bucket, add 4 gallons water, add sugar to proper SG, then finish filling to 5 gallon mark ( if necessary).


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## Julie (Jul 18, 2013)

Jerry1 said:


> Hey, I found my old (first) book on wine making. Written by an englishman, C.J.J.Berry. Supposedly one of Englands best at that time. The recipe I used called for 3 lbs of berries per gallon of wine. I remember this wine having a very good and strong flavor. So, if I used SBWs information and do a little tweeking on the numbers to bring them up to 15 lbs for 5 gallon, it would seem to me that two gallons of pure juice would make a very good five gallon batch wine. I tried drinking a little of the straight blackberry juice and it was too thick for my taste. Any thoughts?


 
Sorry but 3# per gallon is not going to give you a strong flavor. Drinking the juice as it is will not give you the correct comparison for when it is wine. What you are drinking right now was a whole lot of sugar and that sugar is going to become alcohol and the only sugar you will be tasting in the end is what you decide to put in. 

I am not telling you to go straight juice if you are leery about that but do at least 5# per gallon.


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