CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE CIRCULAR 65 MAY, 1932 Preparation of Fruit Juices in the Home W. V. CRUESS Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, College of Agriculture, University of California, and United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. B. H. Crocberon, Director, California Agricultural Extension Service. THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY. CALIFORNIA CONTENTS PAGE General principles 3 Varieties of fruit for juice 4 Directions for preparation of the juice 5 Metal poisoning 5 Thermometer 5 Red grapes 5 White grapes 6 Blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries 6 Strawberries 6 Plums 8 Apples 8 Pomegranates 8 Citrus fruit juices 8 Tomatoes 8 Preparation for bottling.. 10 Mixtures of juices 10 Straining and filtering 10 Addition of sugar 11 Bottling and pasteurizing 11 Pasteurizing bottled juice H Pasteurizing jars of juice 12 Serving fruit juices 14 Use in frozen desserts 14 Use in jellies , 15 Other uses 15 PREPARATION OF FRUIT JUICES IN THE HOME W. V. CRUESSi The commercial preparation and preservation of fruit juices is described in Circular 313 of this Station; the present publication is confined to their home preparation. GENERAL PRINCIPLES Fruit juices are most pleasing when freshly expressed and usually lose much of their freshness of flavor and color when preserved by heat or other means available in the home. This deterioration in quality increases with length of storage. A principal object to be attained in preserving any fruit juice is retention of as much of the fresh flavor and color as possible. Other things being equal, undesirable changes in flavor occur in proportion to the severity of heating used in preparation and preser- vation. For this reason the temperature of pasteurization should be as low as will prevent molding and fermentation. Addition of sugar to the juice before bottling retards undesirable changes in color and flavor. This is particularly true of citrus, berry, and pomegranate juices. Ripe fruit yields juice superior in quality to that from immature fruit. Navel oranges early in the season yield a bitter juice, even long after the earliest date on which the government allows the fruit to be picked for market. Therefore, navel oranges must be thoroughly ripe when used for juice. Valencia oranges are not so subject to this defect. Fruit -juices are valuable in the diet, largely for two well known properties. Many of them are naturally good sources of vitamin C and practically all are rich in basic mineral elements (chiefly calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium). By improper methods of preparation all of vitamin C may be lost and the juice become worth- less as a source of this vitamin. Aeration (oxidation) of the juice is a common cause of loss of vitamin C. However, the value of fruit juices in counteracting acidosis from acid-forming foods is not affected by oxidation. A diet consisting largely of meat, bread. 1 Associate Professor of Fruit Products and Chemist in the Experiment Station. 4 California Agricultural Extension Service [C^R- 65 cereals, rice, and eg:gs, and which is deficient in fruits, vegetables, and milk, may reduce the alkaline reserve of the body. Grape juice, orange juice, and tomato juice are particularly good sources of the alkaline elements. Bottled fruit juices, when imperfectly preserved by pasteurization or other means, may become moldy or may ferment. If they become moldy the juice should be discarded. If fermentation occurs, the bottle will burst and the contents will be lost. Both forms of spoiling are caused by minute microorganisms always present on fruits, uten- sils, the hands, and in the air. Fresh juices are, therefore, always infected with them and pasteurization by heat must be sufficiently severe to destroy them; otherwise, they will grow in the bottled juice and completely spoil it. If the juice is preserved by addition of a food preservative such as sodium benzoate, instead of by pasteuriza- tion, enough of the preservative must be used to completely prevent growth of yeast and mold. Because of their high acidity, fruit juices are unfavorable to Bacillus hotulimis and so far as known have not caused botulinus poisoning. Nevertheless^ spoiled juices should he discarded without tasting and shoidd not he consumed as heverages, because there is a remote possibility that such juices might be poisonous. VARIETIES OF FRUIT FOR JUICE Of the grapes commonly grown in California the Pierce Isabella is best for home preparation of juice. However, any of the common so-called juice grapes, such as the Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Carignane, etc., can be used for preparing red juice, and the Muscat is excellent for white juice. Other white varieties suitable for juice are the Semillon, Sauvignon, and Riesling. The Valencia is better than the navel orange for juice. Grape fruit and lemons can be used, but since they are in season most of the year there is little need to preserve their juices. Moderately tart apples are best for juice. The Winesap, Northern Spy, and Gravenstein are very good and the Yellow Newtown is of fair quality for this purpose. It is considerably superior to the Bellflower. Apples should be used for juice before they have become mealy ripe. Of the common berries, the loganberry yields the most desirable juice because of its rich color, pronounced and pleasing flavor, and high acidity. The juices of blackberries, raspberries, and young- 1932] Preparation of Fruit Juices in the Home 5 berries, however, are also very satisfactory. Strawberry juice soon turns brown after bottling, although a blend of three parts of strawberry juice to one of blackberry gives a juice of satisfactory color and flavor. Red or black plums give refreshing juices that retain their flavor well after bottling. One of the best juice fruits is the pomegranate. Properly pre- pared, its juice is deep red and not astringent; but care must be taken in extracting the juice to avoid dissolving the ''puckery" tannins of the rind. Tomato juice has greatly increased in popularity in recent years, owing to the fact that it is a good source of vitamins A and C and like orange and grape juices, it counteracts the acidosis caused by acid-forming foods. DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF THE JUICE The operations of crushing, heating, and pressing vary with the different fruits and, therefore, the directions for each will be presented separately. Metal Poisoning. — The zinc or galvanized sheet metal buckets and pans dissolves in fruit juices, rendering them poisonous. Use only glass, agateware, tin coated or aluminum utensils. Thermometer. — A thermometer is almost necessary. An inexpen- sive dairy thermometer can be purchased through any hardware store or druggist for less than $1.00. Red Grapes. — As previously recommended, use grapes that are not overripe, preferably those testing 19° to 21° Balling. If only a small quantity of juice is to be made, crush the grapes with the hands in a large agateware or aluminum pot or dish pan. If a larger quantity is to be prepared, the crusher shown in figure 1 will be found useful. Remove most of the large stems because they impart an astringent taste to the juice during heating. Heat the grapes, stirring them, and testing the temperature frequently with a thermometer, until the temperature reaches 160° F. Pour the juice and hot grapes into a cloth bag such as a clean flour bag (do not use a grain sack as the burlap imparts a disagreeable flavor). Allow the juice to drain into an agateware or aluminum vessel. When the fruit has cooled sufficiently to permit handling twist or press the bag with the. hands to secure the remaining juice. 6 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 65 White Grapes. — Use Muscat, Chasselas, Riesling, Sauvignon, or other variety of pronounced flavor. Crush with the hands or with the crusher shown in figure 1 into an aluminum or agateware pot or pan. Do not heat the fruit and do not remove the stems. If the crusher is used, all that need be done is to strain the juice through a cloth bag to remove pulp, bits of skin, etc. If crushed with the hands, place the grapes in a strong bag, for example two thicknesses of flour bag. Press out the juice with the hands. If a larger quantity is made, the small hand press shown in figure 2 or in figure 3 will be useful. After securing as much of the juice as possible, stir the pressed fruit with the hands and press again. Fig. 1. — Small combination crusher and press. Blackberries, Raspberries, and Loganberries. — Use well ripened berries. Crush them with the hands or with a wooden or glass potato masher in an aluminum or agateware pot or pan. Avoid contact with other metals. Heat to 175°-180° F. Drain and press in a bag as described for red grapes. The juice must be sweetened; see section '' Addition of Sugar.'' Strawberries. — Remove the stems from the berries. Wash thor- oughly. Mix with the strawberries approximately one-third their weight or volume of blackberries. Crush. Heat to 175°-180°F; strain and press in a bag. See section ''Addition of Sugar." 1932 Preparation of Fruit Juices in the Home Fig. 2. — Expressing the juice. At left, pressing crushed white grapes. In center, citrus juice extractor. At right, small hand press. In using the hand press, enclose the crushed fruit in several layers of cloth before applying pressure. Fig. 3. — Homemade fruit juice press. It is also suitable for pressing olives for oil. A, Heavy wagon or automobile jack; B, light steel cable or one-inch rope; C, two pieces 2x24x24 inches; D, tin-lined sheet metal pan 30x30x3 inches with juice spout as shown (or wooden trough of same dimensions) ; E, heavy cloth to hold fruit; F, floor of 2-incli or preferably 3-inch material; G, frame of 2x6 inch lumber, preferably hardwood. 8 California Agricultural Extension Service [C^R- 65 Plums. — Use ripe plums with ample color such as the Satsuma, Santa Rosa, Blue Diamond, or Damson. Crush with the hands in large aluminum or agateware vessel. Add about one quart of water to each two pounds of fruit. Pleat to 175°-180° F until soft — usually 10-15 minutes. Strain and press as described for red grapes. See also section "Addition of Sugar." Apples. — The press shown in figure 1 is recommended for apples. Cut the fruit in halves or in quarters, and pass it through the press; the juice flows through perforations in the bottom of the press. No additional crushing is required. Or grind the apples coarse in a kitchen-size food grinder and press as directed for white grapes. This method is laborious, how- ever, and gives only a low yield of juice. For larger quantities use a large-sized food grinder and press the apples in the hand press shown at the right of figure 2 or figure 8. Pomegpanates. — The hand press shown at the right in figure 2 is recommended for pomegranates. Place the whole fruit in the press and express the juice without previously crushing the fruit. Do this quickly in order to avoid extracting the astringency from the rind. For the same reason never grind the whole fruit. Or, if only a little juice is to be made, roll the fruit under the palm of the hand against a table top until the little juice sacs (''seeds") are crushed. Then squeeze the juice from the fruit. This must be done quickly and too severe crushing of the rind must be avoided. A third method is to ''shell" the red juice sacs from the fruit and crush and press these separately from the rind. Avoid contact with iron as it will turn the juice black. See section "Addition of Sugar." Citrus Frniit Juices. — The glass or poreclain juice cone shown in figure 2 is satisfactory for preparing a small amount of citrus juices. For larger quantities, use a mechanical juice extractor such as is commonly used in soda fountains. The extracted juice should be strained to remove seeds and coarse pulp. It is recommended that to each three parts of orange juice one part of lemon juice be added. See section "Addition of Sugar." Tomatoes. — Use well ripened tomatoes of deep color. Place them in an agateware or aluminum pot. Place about % to 1 inch of water in the pot and cover it. Heat to boiling and boil until the tomatoes are soft. Boiling for approximately 10 minutes will kill the enzyme that is desructive of vitamin C. 1932] Preparation of Fruit Juices in the Home Rub the hot, softened fruit through a fine colander or through a fine copper screen tacked to a wooden frame in order to separate the juice and pulp from the seeds and skins. Never use galvanized screen, Fig. 4. — Cloth or felt bag arranged for filtration of juice. as the zinc dissolves and renders the juice poisonous. Rub well to secure all of the red pulp into the juice. If the juice contains seeds and bits of peel, pass it through one thickness of coarse cheesecloth and squeeze the residue to secure all the red pulp which contains vitamin A. Add a little salt to taste ; this improves the flavor for most palates. 10 California Agricultural Extension Service [CiR. 65 PREPARATION FOR BOTTLING Mixtures of Juices. — For preparing fruit punch, mixtures of juices may be bottled. A good combination consists of loganberry, lemon, and orange juices. Another is red grape, lemon, and orange. Many other combinations will suggest themselves. See section ^'Addition of Sugar." Fig. 5. — Small pulp filter, suitable for small-scale filtration. Straining and Filtering. — Apple juice, grape juice, plum juice, and berry juices should be strained or filtered. Citrus juices and tomato juices should be bottled cloudy and should not be filtered. Heat apple, pomegranate, and white-grape juices to 175° F before straining or filtering; the other juices have been heated in extracting the juice. 1932] Preparation of Fruit Juices in the Home 11 Do not jilter orange, lemon, grapefruit and\ tomato juices. Strain other juices through a felt or flannel bag, or through fairly closely woven white cloth, such as white duck or muslin. If the juice flows too slowly, heat it to 175° F and filter it hot. The bag shown in figure 4 is useful for straining the juice. To prepare a very clear juice the filter shown in figure 5 may be used. It costs about $15.00. Directions for its use accompany it. Addition of Sugar. — Grape, tomato and apple juices require no addition of sugar; other juices should be sweetened as follows before bottling : With berry juices add 2 cups of sugar to 3 cups of juice; with pomegranate juice, 1 cup of sugar to 2 of juice; orange juice and punch mixtures, 1 cup of sugar to 3 of juice; mixed orange and lemon juices, 1 cup of sugar to 1 of juice ; lemon juice, IVi cups of sugar to 1 of juice; grapefruit juice, 1 cup of sugar to 3 of juice; and plum juice, 1 cup of sugar to 2 of juice. In all cases stir the sugar until completely dissolved; this will require several minutes. BOTTLING AND PASTEURIZING Bottles instead of fruit jars are generally used. Zinc-top fruit jars must not be used, because of danger of poisoning. Composition- top jars such as the Economy may not make tight seals, because fruit juices are usually not heated sufficiently during pasteurization to melt the composition thoroughly. If jars are used the glass-top style such as the ^'E-Z Seal" is recommended. Bottles should be of the Crown type ; that is, bottles that can be sealed with soda water or beer bottle caps (fig. 6). Wash the bottles thoroughly and scald them before use. Fill them with the cold or warm juice to the height shown in figure 6, leaving ample space for expansion of the juice during pasteurizing. Then place a Crown cap on the bottle and seal by means of a hand sealer such as shown in figure 6. Sealers and Crown caps can be had at little cost from any hardware store and from most grocery stores, with instructions for their use. If jars are used, heat the juice to 175°-180° F and fill hot into the scalded jars. Seal at once and pasteurize as directed in the section, ' ' Pasteurizing Jars of Juice. ' ' Pasteurizing Bottled Juice. — In order to protect the bottles against the direct heat of the stove place either a large towel or a wooden -slat 12 California Agricultural Extension Service [C^R- 65 rack in the bottom of the vessel used, which may be a large pot or wash boiler (fig. 7). Lay the bottles on their sides. Fill with water to cover completely. With thermometer inserted, heat the water to 175°-185° F for 30 minutes. After 175° is reached the flame must be lowered to prevent rise of temperature above 185°, or the vessel Fig. 6. — Small hand-power capper for Crown caps. Note heiglit to which bottles are filled. must be moved toward the back of the stove. After 30 minutes at 175°-185° F, remove from the fire. Remove bottles gently from the pasteurizing vessel and set aside to cool, out of contact with cold drafts of air. Usually the hot water can be poured out of the vessel to facilitate removal of the bottles. Pasteurizing Jars of Juice. — As noted previously, jars, unlike bottles, are filled with hot juice. They would break, therefore, if 1932] Preparation of Fruit Juices in the Home 13 placed in cold water. The wash-boiler pasteurizer should be filled to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with water and the water brought to 160°-185° F before the jars are filled. Then place the jars of hot Fig. 7. — Pasteurizing bottled fruit juice. juice in an upright position in the water. The water must com- pletely cover the jars. Heat the juice to 175°-185° and hold at this temperature for 30 minutes. Remove from fire. Remove jars. See that seals are tight; and set aside in a quiet place to cool. 14 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 65 SERVING FRUIT JUICES Fruit juices are best served cold with cracked ice. Often a dash of fresh lemon or fresh orange juice, or a few mint leaves will greatly improve the flavor of such drinks. Carbonated syphon water, ginger ale, and other carbonated beverages blend well with iced fruit juices. Bottled fruit juices are very useful in preparing fruit punch. The following recipe may be varied according to the juices available. 4 cups grape, orange, berry, or other juice of similar acidity 1 cup sugar % cup lemon juice 4 cups water Dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the fruit juices. Mix. Add cracked ice and a few slices of lemon or orange. Mint leaves may also be added. The syrup from canned pineapple is a pleasing addition. Red grape, loganberry, pomegranate and other red juices are usually preferred to the white juices for use in punch. If sweetened, bottled berry juice is used, the cup of sugar of the recipe should be omitted. The proportions of sugar and water to be used in fruit punch are flexible and may be varied to suit the taste. Use in Frozen Desserts. — Fruit juices may be used in preparing water ices, sherbets and ice cream. Water ices are usually considered to be fruit juices, diluted, sweetened, and frozen. Sherbets are ices to which gelatin or white of egg is added. The following recipe is suitable for water ice: 4 cups water (2 may be used) 2 cups sugar 2 cups of any juice except lemon juice % cup lemon juice Make a syrup by boiling the sugar and water together. Add the fruit juices, and freeze. Orange, berry, pomegranate, grape, pine- apple, and apple juices make satisfactory ices. To prepare sherbet add the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs to the mixture before freezing. 1932] Preparation op Fruit Juices in the Home 15 Milk sherbets are nutritious and easily prepared with milk, sugar, and bottled or fresh juice. The recipe for orange-miik sherbet as given below is typical and may be used with other fruit juices of similar acidity. 1 quart milk 11/2 cups sugar 1 cup orange juice 1 tablespoonful lemon juice Scald and cool the milk. Dissolve the sugar in the juice. Stir constantly while adding the juice and sugar to the milk. If they are added rapidly the milk may curdle, although this will not affect the quality of the sherbet. Freeze in the same manner as with ice cream. Grape juice, berry juices, apple juice and pineapple juice are satisfactory in milk sherbets. Homemade fruit ice cream may be made as follows. Although the recipe is for berry juice, other juice may be substituted. 1 quart cream 11/2 cups sugar 1 quart berry juice Scald the cream with half of the sugar. Add the remaining sugar to the juice and stir to dissolve. If the juice is already sweetened, the sugar need not be added to the juice. Put the cream in the freezer and partly freeze. Then add the juice and finish freezing. Orange juice gives excellent results. Muscat grape juice, peach juice, and apricot puree or juice are also recommended. Use in Jellies. — By adding pectin syrup and sugar and cooking to the jellying point as directed on the label of bottles of pectin syrup for home use very satisfactory jellies may be made from bottled juices. In this way small lots of jelly may be prepared at any time of the year and the storage of large quantities of jelly in paraffin- covered glasses avoided. Other Uses. — Fruit juices are very satisfactory for preparation of whips, fruit sauces, gelatin desserts and gelatin salads. If 2 cups of sugar are added to 1 cup of berry or pomegranate juice and the mixture heated to the simmering point for 2 or 3 minutes an excellent syrup for table use is obtained. Fruit juices are often added to a mixture of chopped fruits, such as the mixed fruits found in canned fruit salad, to prepare fruit cocktails. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE CIRCULARS No. 3. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 21. 22. 23. 25. 26. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Feeding Beef Cattle in California. Lettuce, (Series on California Crops and Prices.) Suggestions on Grapefruit Culture in Imperial Valley. Rabbit Raising. The Home Preparation of Fruit Candy. Cauliflower Production. Wool Production in California. The Manufacture of Monterey Cheese. Selection and Care of Electrical Equip- ment Used in Dairy Manufacturing. Pork Production in California. Irrigation of Orchards by Contour Fur- rows. Liver Fluke and Stomach Worm of Sheep. Bovine Tuberculosis. Thinning Sugar Beets. Strawberry Culture in California. Bush Fruit Culture in California. The Home Vegetable Garden. Control of Pocket Gophers and Moles in California. Elements of Grape Growing in Cali- fornia. Powdery Mildew of the Grape and Its Control in California. What to do About Bovine Tuberculosis. Rearing Dairy Heifers Free from Tuber- culosis and Abortion Disease. No. 34. Plum Growing in California. 35. Alfalfa Production. 36. Beekeeping for the Beginner in Cali- fornia. 3 7. Home and Farm Preparation of Pickles. 38. Alfalfa Varieties and Seed Supply. 40. Frost Protection in California Orchards. 41. Prune Culture in California. 42. Peach Culture in California. 43. The California Avocado Industry. 44. Bang's Disease (Infectious Abortion). 45. Zinc Chloride Treatment for Pear Blight Cankers. 46. Cherry Culture in California. 47. Equipment for the Bulk Handling of Grain. 48. The Manufacture of Cottage Cheese. 49. Sheep Production in California. 51. Apricot Growing in California. 53. Home Floriculture in California. 54^ The Control of Weeds. 55. Growing and Handlinjf Sweet Potatoes in California. 56. Girdling Grape Vines. 57. Commercial Fertilizers and Soil Fertility in California. 58. Turkey Raising in California. 59. The 1932 Agricultural Outlook for Cali- fornia. 15w-5,'32