Quality: Good quality apple juice is made from a blend of varieties. For best results, buy fresh juice from a local cider maker within 24 hours after it has been pressed.

Procedure: Refrigerate juice for 24 to 48 hours. Without mixing, carefully pour off clear liquid and discard sediment. Strain clear liquid through a paper coffee filter or double layers of damp cheesecloth.

Heat quickly, stirring occasionally, until juice begins to boil. Fill immediately into sterile pint or quart jars or fill into clean half-gallon jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Apple Juice in a boiling-water canner.

Style of Pack: Hot. Jar Size: Pints or Quarts. Process Time at Altitudes of 0 - 1, 000 ft: 5 min. Process Time at Altitudes of 1, 001 - 6, 000 ft: 10 min. Process Time at Altitudes of Above 6, 000 ft: 15 min.

Style of Pack: Hot. Jar Size: Half-Gallons. Process Time at Altitudes of 0 ~ 1, 000 ft: 10 min. Process Time at Altitudes of 1, 001 - 6, 000 ft: 15 min. Process Time at Altitudes of Above 6, 000 ft: 20 min.

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courtesy of Karen Mintzias