Among the large number of fruit drinks, apple juice is the most affordable and popular. According to the vitamin-mineral composition, scientists call it “living water”, because it not only rejuvenates our body, but also prevents various diseases, especially if the drink is freshly squeezed.
Home or packaged: advantages and disadvantages
In supermarkets and small stores you can see apple juices from different manufacturers. If you look at their composition, you can conclude that many of them are far from natural.
In any packaged drink, there is necessarily a preservative and sugar is added in various quantities, it increases the caloric content of the drink and thereby adds extra pounds, and the content of a large amount of preservatives can cause the development of various diseases. It is possible to consume such juices in small quantities without special benefits for the body. 
The best and right solution is juice made from high quality home-made raw materials. To obtain it you have to spend time and effort, but this natural product will allow:
- due to the large amount of antioxidants to maintain normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
- speed up metabolic processes and, as a result, will help in the fight against extra pounds;
- elderly people to maintain clarity of mind and memory and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease;
- avoid problems with skin and hair, as it has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect;
- women carrying a child will replenish the body with vitamins and minerals (contains more than 30 micro and macro elements) and reduce toxicosis, which occurs in many pregnant women;
- avoid problems in the bowels. Pectin, which is a part of apples, forms a jelly mass, which absorbs all toxins and improves intestinal function;
- remove asthma attacks in patients with asthma;
- clean the liver and bile ducts from toxins that accumulate in them.
Learn more about the beneficial properties of apple juice, as well as ways to make juice without a press and juicer.
Product Harm:
- chemical additives can contribute to the development of gastritis, stomach ulcers;
- high sugar content with regular intake of the product can cause the development of diabetes mellitus;
- Preservatives and stabilizers act on the principle of antibiotics - they destroy harmful microorganisms and do not spare useful ones, violating the intestinal microflora.
Did you know? In the old days, some Slavic peoples handed the bride an apple before the wedding, which she had to throw behind the altar in order to have children.
How to choose apples for recipe
To get a tasty drink, you need to choose good juicy fruits without any signs of spoilage and damage. Best suited apples collected in late August and early September. It is at this time that fruits become the most juicy. The following varieties are suitable: Antonovka, white filling, "Anuksis" and others. Apples should be large and solid, overripe will not give a lot of liquid.
You can save the apple harvest in many ways: fresh, frozen, dried, soaked; cook jam and jam, compotes, apple cider vinegar, cider, moonshine.
Step-by-step recipe for homemade apple juice for the winter
Getting juice at home is not a complicated and time consuming process. The time spent (at 6 kg of apples will take about 1.2 hours) will reward you with an excellent vitamin drink. 
What you need: kitchen appliances and equipment
To complete the process you will need:
- juicer;
- knife;
- container for apples;
- pan for the resulting drink;
- skimmer;
- kitchen thermometer;
- glass jars or bottles with screw caps;
- ladle to spill the resulting product.
Required Products
To prepare 1.5 liters of juice you need 5 kg of apples and sugar (to taste). Fruits should be firm and unripe, sweet in taste.
Cooking process
The sequence of execution:
- Wash the apples well in running water.
- Cut the fruit into pieces. If they are collected from the ground, you need to remove the wormhole, the core and all damage. Apples collected directly from the tree must be cut with a core.
- Skip the fruit through the juicer. You can add a little citric acid to the juice does not change color, because under the action of air iron oxidation occurs in apples.
- The resulting drink is poured into the pan and let stand for a while. When squeezing a thick foam is formed, which must be carefully removed from the surface with a slotted spoon.
- Put the pot on the fire, and stirring its contents, heat to a temperature of +80 ° C. Monitor the temperature with a kitchen thermometer. Remove container from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Then put the pot back on the stove and heat it a second time to +97 ° С.
- Juice pour into prepared sterilized jars. It is necessary to fill in slowly, in parts, so that the containers could warm up evenly and not burst.
- Banks cork sterile lids, turn them down and check that there was no leakage.
- Wrap well and allow to cool completely.
Important! You can make jam from the collected foam by adding sugar and boiling it to a thicker consistency.
Terms and conditions of storage of apple juice
During long-term storage, many nutrients are quickly destroyed, so the ideal option is fresh juice, consumed within 15 minutes after preparation. But there are times when a lot of drink is obtained from a rich apple harvest, and immediately the question arises about how best to save it in order to get the maximum benefit from the product in the future. There are several storage methods:
- freshly squeezed juice should not be left in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours. Store in a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid so that there is no air access. From contact with oxygen, the destruction of some components of the vitamin and mineral composition of apples occurs and the drink becomes brown. At the same time, with prolonged exposure, the juice becomes softer, which is good for people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- Pour freshly squeezed product into plastic containers and send to storage in the freezer. This type of storage does not require boiling of the product and, as a result, the vitamins and minerals are fully preserved and the taste qualities remain unchanged. Defrosting occurs at room temperature, and to speed up the process, the container can be placed in a container with warm water;
- canned drink for long storage. This method is stored boiled product with the addition of preservative (sugar) in hermetically sealed containers. When heated, a certain amount of vitamins and minerals is destroyed, but in winter, with their lack of a liter of juice per day would be a good help to maintain immunity in normal conditions.
Important! To slow down the oxidation and destruction of iron in the drink, it is necessary to acidify it with a small amount of lemon juice.
Little tricks: how to make the juice more transparent
The resulting drink can be clarified by doing the following:
- squeezed juice you need to defend a little, and then strain through several layers of gauze, also squeeze the thick of the filter;
- pour the drink in a small container and put in a water bath. To sustain 4 minutes after boiling water and remove the formed foam with a slotted spoon;
- cool quickly by putting in a pan with cold water for 3 hours. During this time, the juice will be divided into a clear liquid and a sediment that will sink to the bottom of the container;
- gently drain the upper transparent layer. For better clarification procedure can be repeated.
About the benefits of the product
With a rich vitamin and mineral composition, the drink has a low calorie content and is equally beneficial for everyone.
It is interesting to read about the benefits of apples: dried, soaked, baked.
For men
The benefits of the product for a strong half of humanity:
- normalizes the blood, strengthens bones and increases the body's endurance to physical exertion;
- strengthens the immune system;
- reduces the risk of asthma, cancer problems and Alzheimer's disease;
- strengthens the cardiovascular system;
- restores male hormones and potency.
Did you know? The American Norman Walker, who lived 99 years, always had 1 cup of apple juice in his daily diet, which allowed him to maintain a healthy heart, good memory and mental clarity until the end of his days.
For women
A variety of vitamins and minerals will help:
- strengthen the immune system;
- renew blood and increase hemoglobin;
- avoid depressive and depressed state;
- to be on guard of female beauty - to strengthen teeth, nails, hair.
For kids
After a year, babies are advised to drink 200 ml of freshly squeezed drink daily. This will allow:
- avoid hypovitaminosis and anemia;
- develop mental abilities;
- easy to carry a cold.
More about healthy juices
In addition to apple, carrot, pumpkin, grape and other juices are beneficial to the body.
Read also about the benefits of pomegranate, sea buckthorn, viburnum, beet, birch juices.
Carrot
Juice obtained from carrots, perfectly tones and strengthens the body, good effect on vision. Its use is maintained only for 30 minutes after the spin, so it should be prepared in such an amount that can be consumed at a time.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin juice contains a large amount of fiber, the main function of which is to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract. Also, daily intake of 0.5 cups of juice twice a day will help maintain blood sugar at the proper level, reduce “bad” cholesterol, increase blood clotting, and speed up metabolic processes in the body and improve immunity.
Grape
Juice from grapes is so useful that there is even a whole therapeutic direction called ampelotherapy. Grape juice treats inflammatory processes in the kidneys, anemia, tuberculosis at the initial stage, as well as nervous disorders and inflammatory processes of bone tissues.
Find out what is useful and how to prepare grape juice for the winter.
Apple juice cooking recipe
Housewives Reviews
When choosing juice, if possible, it is better to give preference to a home-made product, the daily consumption of which will benefit your body, especially during the cold season.
