Using Every Little Bit: Apple Juice From Skins and Cores

Canning my own food can be a time consuming process, but the payoff is that I know exactly what is in the food that I eat.  The main point of canning for me is to preserve the fruits of my labor for the coming months so that my effort in the garden isn't wasted.  I also buy some of my food from local farmers (mostly fruit because I grow my own vegetables).  When I spend money on food I want to be extra sure to not waste any of that either.

This year when I was processing a box of apples into apple sauce and apple pie filling I came across instructions on how to make homemade apple juice using the "waste products" of apple canning - the skins and cores.  I was intrigued by this since my apple pie filling called for unsweetened apple juice and I didn't want to buy some if I didn't need to.

The recipe is simple enough:  add skins and cores to a large saucepan and just cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.  After straining out the skins and cores I was surprised to find that my apples made pink juice!  The red apple skins must have changed the color of the juice while they were cooking.  The juice was plenty sweet without adding any sugar and I now had more than enough for my apple pie filling recipe.  

I made a second batch of juice with the peelings from the apple pie filling and might try to make some apple jelly or maybe a small batch of apple wine to round things out with my bonus free apple juice.  Also in the theme of wasting less, the spent skins and cores will go on to become chicken snacks which saves me a little money on food for them too.  

For the record this box of apples cost me $26 and gave me eleven pints of applesauce, 8 pints of apple pie filling and 3/4 gallon of apple juice.  The juice will probably make at least 8 half pints of jelly with a little left over for sipping.  Not bad for a days work.  Now if only I was growing my own apples too!