Steam-extracted fruit juice

Scaling: source batch only

Method

1. Fill the bottom pan of the steam juicer with a few inches of water and a handful of marbles, set it on the stove on high and bring it to a boil.
2. Put the rinsed berries, or other washed fruit with peeling not needed, in the top basket. Stack the collector on the water pan and the basket on the collector, add the lid, check that the hose is clamped and place a bowl under it.
3. Steam for 30 minutes, then carefully drain the hot juice into a bowl. If the fruit still holds juice, steam for 15 minutes more and drain again. The Utah State demonstration gives half an hour to an hour, depending on the load.
4. Chokecherries: use only ripe fruit with leaves and stems removed, and do not crush the pits. The steam juicer leaves pits and pulp in the basket (Utah State).
5. Stovetop alternative (Utah State): simmer 4 cups of cleaned chokecherries with 1 cup of water over low heat until very tender, stirring occasionally and without crushing the seeds. Pour into a damp jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth in a colander and let it drip without twisting or pressing.
6. Use the juice at once for jelly or syrup, refrigerate it, freeze it, or can it by a tested method.
7. To can the juice (Oregon State SP 50-455): if it has cooled, heat it to simmering. Pour into hot sterile jars with ¼-inch headspace and process in a boiling-water bath for 5 minutes for pints and quarts and 10 minutes for half-gallons at 0 to 1,000 ft; at 1,001 to 6,000 ft, 10 minutes for pints and quarts and 15 minutes for half-gallons. To freeze, cool the juice and pack it with 2-inch headspace in glass or plastic jars.
8. Optional berry syrup (the USDA recipe as demonstrated by Oregon State's video): combine 5 cups of steamed juice with 6¾ cups of sugar, simmer for 1 minute, remove from the heat and skim. Fill hot jars with ½-inch headspace, remove bubbles, wipe the rims and fit fingertip-tight bands. Process for 10 minutes once the water boils, adjusting for elevations over 1,000 ft. Rest the jars for 5 minutes with the lid off before removing them.

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