How to Make Cherry Juice
A tasty treat, cherry juice can be used in various recipes or simply enjoyed on its own with some ice cubes. Whether you’re using cherries from your local farmer’s market or homegrown cherries, making cherry juice at home is easy as pie if you have the right equipment and supplies. To make cherry juice, follow these steps.
Two ways of using the cherries
You can press them or you can use them. If you’re using a juice extractor, prepare 1-2 cups of cherries and add them to your device. These devices are easy to use and clean. If you have no access to an extractor, grab some of your favorite blender; these do an equally great job of making juice. Just like most fruit juices, cherry juice is best when made fresh and consumed right away, before all its vitamins begin breaking down with time. While there’s nothing wrong with freezing cherry juice in small batches if you don’t plan on consuming it within a week or two, it won’t offer much nutritional value anymore by then.
What equipment do you need?
You will need a juicer, such as a centrifugal juicer, or if you want to go for something more advanced, a masticating juicer. If you don’t have one of these and really want to make cherry juice at home, it is possible using a blender or food processor. The first thing you need to do is remove all of your cherries from their stems, leaves and stalks. After that put them in your machine of choice and proceed with turning it on. For most people without a fancy machine, that means holding down puree or grind for about ten seconds. This can get pretty tough with large quantities so be prepared!
Step 1: De-stem and Pit
Wash cherries, pit them and remove stems. Remove any green or bad spots from your cherries before you begin. De-stemming is important for two reasons. Firstly, it will ensure that you don’t have big chunks of stems in your finished product – and no one wants that! Secondly, de-stemming makes sure you don’t accidentally stain your clothes with cherry juice while you work.
Step 2: Boil Down
Add cherries and water to a pot. Bring them to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. While you are waiting, get your canning supplies ready, such as a clean jar or two, rims (make sure they’re clean), lids (make sure they’re clean too), tongs and either a wooden spoon or whisk. Skim off any foam that rises to top of mixture as it boils—this reduces cloudiness in your finished product. If there is not much foam, don’t worry about it—just make sure all of your jars are prepared. Take out whatever other mason jars or containers you will need while you wait, so they are easy to find when time comes around.
Step 3: Strain through a strainer
Let cherry juice sit in a strainer or colander for 30 minutes. The extra time allows most of the water to pass through while leaving behind all of your cherry juice goodness. Strain again if needed. A hand crank/stand mixer would be perfect here, but anything that you can squeeze (cloth diapers) will do! Your cherries are now ready for use! Mix them with your favorite ingredient, bottle and drink up! You have successfully created cherry juice! Pour yourself a glass and enjoy your home-made recipe from start to finish.
Step 4 (Optional): Add Sugar
You don’t have to sweeten your cherry juice, but if you do add sugar, be sure it’s organic. Regular cane sugar is stripped of minerals and processed. Stick with organic honey or stevia instead. As with all things in life: moderation is key. You should avoid drinking concentrated fruit juices, as they contain more calories than you want—so dilute them in water or add a splash of your favorite alcohol (try brandy, gin, rum or vodka). And remember, these sweeteners count towards your daily calorie intake.
Step 5 (Optional): Bottle
After you have finished juicing, place your juice in a glass or plastic container and store it in your refrigerator. The juice will keep for a week. After one week, pour off any juice that has solidified at the top into another container or jar; then put it back in your refrigerator.
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