An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A glass of apple juice helps, too.
Apple juice is the second most popular juice in America. But many people ask, “How is apple juice made?” They assume their local farm presses apples until juice squirts out.
Apple juice processing is more elaborate than that. Once you know about it, you can get the best brands for you. Here is a quick guide to it.
The First Steps
Apple juice begins at the apple orchard. Workers pluck apples off trees, then place them into storage. Though a few big companies use machines, the expenses are too high for small orchards.
Most apples are ripe in the fall months. But orchards can harvest McIntosh and other popular varieties in mid-August.
Apples that fall to the ground are not juiced. These apples often contain microbes that cause food poisoning. Workers leave these apples to rot and produce seeds.
If a supplier needs to store apples, the supplier places apples in refrigerators at low temperatures. Special storage methods include controlled temperature (CA). CA creates a low oxygen and carbon atmosphere, preventing apples from rotting.
Workers wash the apples to remove dirt and pesticides. They then crush, cut, and pound the apples to a fine consistency. Unbroken apples resist pressure, even from hydraulic presses.
Some apple mash turns into applesauce. The rest continues down the assembly line to become apple juice.
How Is Apple Juice Processed?
Once the workers crush apples, they then press them. Traditional presses use cages with wooden pistons. The workers turn the pistons down, forcing the juices out through gaps in the cage.
Most juice suppliers then pasteurize the juice. Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria and fermentation. Most suppliers then filtrate their juice, removing small pieces of apple from it.
Suppliers create concentrate by running apple juice through evaporating systems. The systems remove the water in juice, creating a more intense flavor and smell.
Apple cider uses juice concentrate. Cider makers do not filtrate the juice, giving cider its dark color and strong flavors. Suppliers pasteurize cider, but you can drink apple cider untreated.
Once the juice is pasteurized, suppliers fill the juice into cans and bottles. The bottles are sterilized, then cooled. Trucks take the cans and bottles out to grocery stores.
Most small suppliers use manpower to process juice. The modern juice filling line relies on machines during every stage of the process.
Machines sterilize the juice and put it inside bottles. Many juice filling lines contain cleaning machines that wash and recycle glass bottles.
How Is Apple Juice Made?
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But many people wonder where the apple juice comes from.
How is apple juice made? Workers harvest, wash, and mash apples. Some apple mash becomes applesauce, while the rest turns into juice.
The mash is pressed in a wired cage, creating juice. The juice is pasteurized, killing harmful bacteria. Some juice is strained, while others are left unstrained for apple cider.
The juice industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the food sector. Follow our coverage for more business information.
