JUICING UP THE INVENTORY

[Waldo]

I bet a Blueberry/Black Currant would make an awesome wine

 

[Cracked Cork]

NW, how do you know when to stop trying to get more juice from the steamer? Do you just look at the berries or the amount of juice coming out? Thanks, Crackedcork

 

[NorthernWinos]

NW, how do you know when to stop trying to get more juice from the steamer? Do you just look at the berries or the amount of juice coming out? Thanks, Crackedcork

I put the fruit in the top basket and steam it for one hour...drain the juice....add another pot of water and watch it...when the juice slows down I dump the pulp in a large SS bowl.
Then I do another batch the same way....when no more juice come out of that pulp I add the two batches of pulp together and steam it for awhile, turn off the heat and let it drip for a couple/few hours.
I usually do two baskets full in one day...sometimes more, depending on the fruit.
If they are really precious berries/fruit I will let it drip overnight.....sometimes you get a few cups full of juice.

Most people just steam for an hour. I found I do get more juice if I steam a little extra and put the two batches of pulp together. Some fruits are more 'giving' than others.

I am a really 'thrifty' person and try not to waste my precious fruits.

 

[smokegrub]

NW:

Do you have any concerns about picking up bitterness from the seeds of fruit such as blackberries with the longer steaming time?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Unfortunately I have only done Blackberries once....
I do lots of Raspberries and haven't noticed any bitterness.

 

[smokegrub]

Thanks for the feedback re: your experience with raspberries. I asked because I have had some issues of bitterness with blackberries and decided to steam-juice them this year in an attempt to avoid that issue. Mehu Liisa advises not to steam blackberries for more than about an hour or bitterness might arise. I steamed some longer than that before I saw that advice.

 

[NorthernWinos]

That is real interesting what your manual said about Blackberries....

The manual with my Back to Basics steamer is from 1985...so am sure a lot of research has gone on since then.

I will keep that in mind when I do segmented berries in the future.

 

[smokegrub]

NW:

I apologize to you and others who visit this board. I was incorrect in attributing a steaming period longer than 60 minutes and potential bitterness to Mehu Liisa recommendations. I rechecked that source and they actually recommend 60-80 minutes and do not make mention of bitterness. I don't know where I saw this, but I recall it vividly since I read it during the time-frame I was juicing my berries and, of course, it may be concerned that I might be dealing with a bitterness issue again. Again, I apologize for this error.Edited by: Smokegrub

 

[NorthernWinos]

It's near 40* cooler outside than yesterday...plus kind of drizzling and muddy after last nights 2.37" of rain....

So...a good day to take care of some of the inventory out of the freezer....

Western Sandcherries on today's agenda...

They grow easily, produce profusely and make a nice mild wine...They are like a mild Chokecherry.

 

[Aaronh]

Sand cherries, sounds interesting. Do they grow up here in MN or were they a gift of sorts?
<DIV id=ms__id37>
<DIV id=ms__id38>Got my juicer a few days ago, just waiting on my electro PH tester before I start the choke cherry project.
<DIV id=ms__id39>
<DIV id=ms__id40>

Edited by: Aaronh

 

[NorthernWinos]

Nice looking juicer...so shinny and bright. Which brand did you get???

The first Sandcherries we got came in a wildlife tree assortment sold through the county.....They were suppose to be for the birds to eat.

Since then they sprout up seedlings everywhere...plus I bought some to share with friends this spring...I needed some windbreak/snowfence hedges....so will have plenty around....They will probably take over the county and become invasive....

 

[Aaronh]

It is a NORPRO 18/10 stainless
<DIV id=ms__id29>
<DIV id=ms__id30>

 

[joeswine]

waldo,even though the mix sounds good i think the current with its deep flavors and power will overwhelm the softness of the

blueberry's,just my oppion....................

 

[NorthernWinos]

Yesterday I juiced up the last of the Raspberries and Strawberries from out of the freezer.....Going to make some pancake syrup with those two....Never tried that before...want it to be like IHOP some Sunday breakfast.

Today was sweetcorn freezing day....

I only needed half our sweetcorn patch for our needs...anyone ever made sweetcorn wine???

 

[corn field]

yes I have and it has to age at the least 1 year before it is good. I will have to look up the recipe and post later it is some where in my wine logs.

 

[corn field]

<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER>CORN WINE 2</CENTER>
<UL>
<LI>4 to 6 ears of freshly picked corn
<LI>2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
<LI>1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
<LI>1-1/2 tblsp acid blend
<LI>1/8 tsp tannin
<LI>1 tsp yeast nutrient
<LI>water to 1 gallon
<LI>Sherry wine yeast </LI>[/list]


Put a large pot containing half the water on to boil. Meanwhile, clean the corn and cut it from the cobs. Cut cobs into 2-inch sections and put the cobs and corn in the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain into the primary and add 1-1/2 pounds sugar to it, stirring until dissolved. Add remaining water to make up a gallon less one cup. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When at room temperature, add pectic enzyme, acid blend, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Recover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover. Stir daily for 7 days. Boil one cup of water and dissolve one pound of sugar into it. Set sugar water aside to cool, covered. Rack wine into secondary and add sugar water. Fit airlock and set aside for 30 days. Rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 60 days, rack, top up and again refit airlock. Set aside for 4 months, checking fluid in airlock from time to time. Wine should be clear. If not, treat as for starchy haze. Rack into bottles and set aside for 3 months. Will improve with further aging. [Adapted from Dorothy Alatorre's Home Wines of North America]

This is a recipe from Jack Kellers web site. My recipe was a small veration from this one but could not find it in my logs hope this helps

 

[NorthernWinos]

Thanks for Posting this recipe....

It is interesting....wonder why you put the cobs in there too?

So many wines...so few carboys!

 

[corn field]

I am guessing they are in there for the flavor.


Sorry for being slow to answer you but my son has come back to the states. He has been in the Grand Camons for 2 years. Boy have we hit my inventory hard while he is here. He will be moving to Layfette IN. next week while his wife does her internship as a vet at Purdue. The list of wines we sampoled is too long to post.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Rain today...a good day to do some juicing and other indoor chores....

Some of the apples had been falling from the winds.... the seeds were brown, so guess it was time to take care of the early varieties...

I juiced up the 'free-falls' that were on the ground and Jim went out in the rain and picked a few more....

Apples are about the least rewarding of the steam juicing process....Berries and grapes juice so fast...apples are slow.

I went out this morning before the rains and harvested a basket of bell peppers.... sliced and chopped them and froze for later use....Need something to do while tending the juicer...other than washing jars....

Tis the season to take care of the produce.....That is a good thing!!!

 

[Wade E]

I bet when that juicer is steaming up all that goodness it makes you hunry for some pie as just looking at what you have going on in there is doing to me right now.