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Juicing apples: Which apples make the best juice? What's the best way to juice them?

The 5 best apples for juicing, a comparison of apple juice from different types of juicers, and lots of tips for better results.

Odšťavňování jablek: Jaké odrůdy jsou nejlepší? Kdy bude šťáva nejkvalitnější?
Odšťavňování jablek: Jaké odrůdy jsou nejlepší? Kdy bude šťáva nejkvalitnější?

The basics of juicing apples:

  • Firm apples are the best for juicing.
  • SOft apples yield very little juice. Instead they create applesauce.
  • Apples which have been stored are usually softer, and are best juiced with a hydraulic press.

The best apple types to juice

odšťavňování jablek
odšťavňování jablek

Fuji

  • one of the best apples for eating
  • also suitable for juicing
  • a good, balanced juice - not too sweet
  • relatively expensive compared to red delicious or granny smith
odšťavňování jablek
odšťavňování jablek

Honeycrisp

  • one of the best apple varieties for juicing
  • firm and sweet
  • some say it's the most delicious eating apple
  • high juice content
  • expensive
  • limited availability
odšťavňování jablek
odšťavňování jablek

Gala

  • a milder apple - not too sweet or tart
  • okay for juicing, but make sure they are fresh as these apples can sometimes be too soft
  • widely available
  • inexpensive
odšťavňování jablek
odšťavňování jablek

Red Delicious

  • widely available
  • very sweet
  • good for making apple juice for children, as they prefer sweeter juice
  • higher sugar content than other apples
odšťavňování jablek
odšťavňování jablek

Granny Smith

  • our favorite apple for juice recipes
  • very high juice yield
  • low in sugar
  • widely available
  • tart flavor - works best when mixed with other juices

Follow these guidelines for the best apple juice yield and flavor.

#1 Make sure to wash apples well (or buy organic apples).  Commerically grown apples are often treated with chemicals or pesticides.

#2 Don't juice waxed apples. They may look beautiful and shiny in the store, but the paraffin wax takes away the flavor, and can leave a coating on juicer parts.

#3 Don't juice the stem. It's very tough and can damage the juicing screen.

#4 Don't peel apples. The juicer will effectively separate the peel from the flesh, while still juicing the concentrated vitamins found in the peel.

#5 Don't juice the core with large amounts of juice. While a good juicer can handle apple cores, apple seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide.  While it would take more than 100 seeds to have an effect on the human body, we think it's better to be safe, especially if juicing for children.

#6 Use an apple slicer. A round apple slicer makes it very easy to remove the core, and it slices apples into a perfect size for effective juicing.

#7 Juice apples immediately after cutting them. Apples oxidize quickly, reducing their nutritional content. The brown color of an oxidized apple is also less appealing and tasty.

#8 Don't juice whole apples, even if you have a wide-mouthed vertical juicer. Some vertical juicers have a wide feeding tube (often called a "whole fruit" feeding tube). While it is possible to put an entire small or medium apple in it, often the motors cannot handle the strain.  More importantly, a sliced apple increases the surface area of the apple in the juicer, providing more juice and less wet pulp.

#9 Strain the foam. Apples naturally make foam when juiced, especially in high-speed juicers.  The foam will rapidly oxidize and turn brown, so we recommend pouring the juice through a strainer before drinking. Some juicers include a strainer on the juice container.

#10 Drink apple juice as soon as possible after juicing. Again due to the rapid oxidation of apples, it is recommended to drink apple juice within 30 minutes of juicing for the best flavor and nutrition. This applies even more when juiced in high-speed centrifugal juicers, which add a lot of heat and air during the juicing process.

#11 Add a bit of lemon or lime to prolong freshness. The natural ascorbic acid found in lemons and limes slow down the oxidation of apple juice, keeping it fresher longer.

Testing apples in the four juicer types

We juiced equal amounts of apples in the four most popular types of juicers.  Here are our results:

centrifugal-ban
centrifugal-ban

Advantages

  • the cheapest juicer type
  • the fastest in juicing apples
  • large feeding tube

 

Disadvantages

  • poor quality juice - a lot of foam, and the juice quickly separates into a large clear layer and a thick foamy top
  • rapid oxidation caused by the high speed (10,000 rpm) process
  • loudest juicer type
  • very wet pulp
horizontal-ban
horizontal-ban

Advantages

  • high-quality juice
  • low-speed (60-70 rpm) means little oxidation
  • minimal foam
  • easiest juicer type to clean (2-3 minutes to clean)
  • most horizontal juicers also include a homogenizing screen, which can produce apple sauce 

Disadvantages

  • slower than a centrifugal juicer
  • slightly lower juice yield than a vertical juicer
vertical-ban
vertical-ban

Advantages

  • slow speed (40-50 rpm) create minimal oxidation or foam
  • relatively high yield of juice
  • very clear, pulp-free juice
  • fairly fast cleaning (3-4 minutes)
  • very quiet

Disadvantages

  • slower than centrifugal juicers
twin-ban
twin-ban

Advantages

  • the highest yield of any juicer type
  • the highest-quality juice

Disadvantages

  • the most expensive juicer type
  • complex to use and clean

VIDEO: Apple juicing test

24 minutes. I give my opinion on diferent apple types, give tips for juicing apples, and then test the four juicer types. Finally, I do a taste test to see if I can detect a difference.

Juicers shown in the video

Published: 19. October 2021