Steam Juicer for Fruit

[West Branch]

I mentioned in the seed thread that I was going to be juicing some plums and making some jelly. We have a Mehu-Maija steam juicer we got as a gift. My mother used one when I was growing up and she still does. She mainly uses it for jellies, jam and juice from crab apples, grapes, rhubarb, and other stuff. They are also called a Mehu-Liisa, not sure what either means, but here is a link to a website that talks about them:

http://www.juicer-steamer.com/

A few weeks ago we picked what I estimated as 20 lbs of plums, I popped the seeds out of some and cut them in half but left most of them whole.



The juicer comes in a few different pieces. The bottom holds the water:



The middle holds the juice and has a drain and the top section is a colander that holds the fruit:



I had a couple growlers and a few 1.5 pint jars to store the juice in until we had time to make jelly. It just drains by gravity:



This was after the plumbs had been juiced for a while:

 

[West Branch]

We did the juice a few weeks ago and this past weekend we used it to make some plum jelly! No pictures of the process, but we just used the recipe from the box of pectin. We ended up with about 45 half pints. One batch was a cup short on sugar and you can tell by the texture but it is still good. I have been eating toast with PBJ the past few mornings for breakfast and it is good!

 

[West Branch]

For people with a lot of apples you can get the juice out and make cider or something and then you can use the leftovers in the top for apple sauce. If you do not want the leftovers of the fruit you don't have to worry about coring things like apples or taking the pits out of plums. I just hope the plum pits will still grow from seed. It was pretty easy to pick the seeds out once they were all mush.

 

[non-pro-archer]

I bet that jelly is awesome

 

[SD51555]

That's interesting. Is there any mashing or mechanical process involved once you got your fruit in that rig? I've been meaning to try my hand at some apple cider and maybe even some apple hooch, but I don't have the know-how or equipment, at least I don't think I do.

 

[West Branch]

As a recipient of a jar, I can assure you it is indeed very tasty :)

Had to try it when I got home West Branch...very good on a piece of toast with some peanut butter.

Thanks again

Good to hear! You are welcome.

 

[West Branch]

That's interesting. Is there any mashing or mechanical process involved once you got your fruit in that rig? I've been meaning to try my hand at some apple cider and maybe even some apple hooch, but I don't have the know-how or equipment, at least I don't think I do.

No, the steam breaks it all down over a few hours. You don't have to sit and watch it, but you have to check the juice basket periodically to make sure it doesn't overflow into the bottom section. My mom uses one for apple juice. Not sure about the rest of the process for cider. With the steam juicer if you core the apples you can use the leftovers in the strainer to make applesauce and then use the juice for other purposes. Otherwise no need to remove pits, seeds, stems, etc. Just rinse the fruit and throw it in the basket.

 

[TMIL]

That's interesting. Is there any mashing or mechanical process involved once you got your fruit in that rig? I've been meaning to try my hand at some apple cider and maybe even some apple hooch, but I don't have the know-how or equipment, at least I don't think I do.

Me too. I know a few guys who make homemade wine. When I get apples and/or pears, I may try my hand at that.

Thanks for posting this WB. This seams like a very good way to get the juice from the fruit!

 

[SD51555]

Another priceless post from a member at Habitat Talk. I did some youtubing the last hour, and this looks incredibly simple. Now, to get a 100lb propane tank and dual regulator and a couple of burner stands, a stainless steel table with a cutting board top, case of beer, couch and a flat screen tv in the garage...

I've got ideas rolling around in my head for not only jelly, but wine, brandy (maybe), real pancake fruit syrup, apple juice, juice blends etc. Maybe I can be the next Jack Lalane, but without the pricey space machine juicer.

 

[SD51555]

Appreciate the tip, but I'm missing a key component before I can get a juicer or any other toys. That is a house and a garage. My one bedroom apartment is about as full as it can be and still be livable and suitable for company. My bedroom already looks like a sporting goods shop.

 

[SD51555]

That's exactly the idea I've got in my head. I want to set up my garage as a detached processing center where deer, fish, fruit, veggies, can be handled in bulk. All to be cut up, canned, prepped for freezing, juicing, smoking etc. Just gotta find a place I can afford with a garage large enough to keep a boat. I'd like to set it up so I can run two things on burners at one time (turkey fryer, canner, or now a juicer as well). Can you imagine how much anything a guy could can at 32 pints per two hours?

 

[SD51555]

I'd rather spend a day in the garage canning and drinking beer with friends than spend an hour going to the grocery store.