Steam Juicer yields

[gaudet]

Just FYI, there was a lot of recent talk about steam juicing and I thought I would post my juice yields from a recent run.

I juiced 18#'s of mulberries last week and got just at 2 gallons fresh pure juice.

I also juiced 25 pounds of frozen strawberries yesterday and got 2.75 gallons of pure juice.

 

[Tom]

gaudet

Thanks so you need about 1 1/2 gal water and suger to bring it up to gravity and 6 gallons.
That is much more extraction then if you put the fruit in without steaming.

 

[Wade E]

Dont forget that water is being added to that amount with steam but that is great!

 

[gaudet]

I plan to steam 6 of the 10 gallons of blackberries tomorrow and can them.

I will post some yields here as well. I add 2 cups sugar to each run to aid in the extraction and sweeten the juice somewhat.

We decided that it would be wise to can everything as we get it so that we won't lose it in a hurricane as we did with all our wonderful blueberries last year. We can juice and then make jellies, wines, jams, and preserves later. We are keeping a few quart bags of each for desserts and such.

 

[Wade E]

And keep some ready for F-Pacs!

 

[IQwine]

hmmm.... sounds like I need to check on a steam juicer soon

 

[grapeman]

gaudet you sure do talk about hurricanes a lot! Not sdure how I would deal with them. I would hate to keep losing housing, food, clothing etc, every few years! I think the juicer is a great option for all of you with a lot of fresh fruit available.

 

[vcasey]

You know my boys used to hope for hurricanes (anything to get out of school). After we were hit one after another a couple of years back they changed their mind. Apparently it was too much of a disruption for school.
VPC

 

[gaudet]

gaudet you sure do talk about hurricanes a lot! Not sdure how I would deal with them. I would hate to keep losing housing, food, clothing etc, every few years! I think the juicer is a great option for all of you with a lot of fresh fruit available.

Been through a bunch of em, Andrew & Katrina to name the biggest ones. I stayed here last year thru Gustav. Haven't lost the house or clothes yet. But we have had our share of spoiled food. I think we only lost 4 gallons of blueberries, and an untold amount of blackberries. Not going to happen this year....

 

[Tom]

guadet,
After you steam all the fruit you can ship it to ME in NJ.


Trust me I will take good care if it

 

[grapeman]

guadet,
After you steam all the fruit you can ship it to ME in NJ.


Trust me I will take good care if it

So where do you want the dejuiced fruit goo shipped?

 

[Tom]

Gaudet can ship the to you. I hear the "goo" is a great fertilizer for your vines. I also heard of someone in CA that compost the grape skins and adds them to the soil over the vines

 

[gaudet]

After steaming the strawberries, I followed a recipe in my wife's cookbook and made preserves with the pulp. Sugar it up and the flavors just pop right out. The pulp from those berries made16 half pint jars full of delicious preserves.

Waste not want not

 

[Tom]

I guess you will not be shipping the "GOO" to appleman then.
Offer still stands. You can ship all the quarts of juice here for "safe" keeping.

 

[gaudet]

Ok Tepe,

As long as you promise to keep it safe for me........

 

[gaudet]

Getting a late start today. I plan to juice 6 gallons of blackberries. The first 4 bags weighed in right at 20 pounds.

 

[Tom]

How many pounds of blackberries can you put in the steamer and how long will it take

 

[gaudet]

I was able to fit about 10 pounds from start to finish each run will take about an hour to 1.5 hours. I think each run will give me right near or a little over a gallon.

 

[gaudet]

I have a total of 31 pounds of berries if the first run was any indication, then I should get another 1.25 gallons from each run.

3.75 gallons of pure blackberry juice is sounding like what I will end with. Right at the halfway point of the second run.

 

[redderthebetter]

So there I was. Me, my recently purchased granite ware steamer, and 8 pounds of frozen Illinois elderberries. How hard could it be? My 5 year old was sitting on the kitchen island looking on in pure admiration. All was going fine, then, time to draw off some juice. My plan was to go straight from the juicer to my well used primary fermenter. For this task, I have employed a 2 gallon clear glass cookie/flour/sugar canister. About 12 bucks at Target(pronounced TAR-ghay').Back to my point. I sit the canister on a island stool and begin. I underestimated the heat of the juice, so did my non tempered glass canister. I think you can see where this is going. I heard a clinking noise and knew I was in trouble. I pulled the hose and stowed it quickly. I then found a pair of mitts and knew all I could do was pick it up and prayed that the bottom held to the sink. I won't keep you in suspense, it didn't. Lets face it, this story wouldn't be very good had it held. Dark red, blood like juice on the floor, our white cabinets, sink, stove, dishwasher. It looked like a crime scene. And there I am, number 1 suspect holding a bottomless glass jar. I turned and warned my boy to stay put. By the look on his face he was enjoying his fathers three stooges routine. I've always identified with Shemp. All this time my wife is upstairs studying to be a nurse. My goal here is to get rid of as much of the evidence as I could. She must have heard me scrambling around and came down to see what was up. As she entered the room she did not say a thing. She could tell by my frantic wiping, mopping and such that I was in deep. She stepped out, I presumed to prepare my shallow grave. Instead she returned with another mop, and helped. As she helped she had her say of things. Some of the language only heard incombat situations. We got it cleaned up. Thank god and clorox. I was able to get about 2/3 gallon of juice in the end. I probably lost about 1/2 gallon and my fermenter. This fermenter is not the first I have lost to heat. I had a plastic one from B-B and Beyond. It was not diswasher safe. It went from 2 gallon capacity to 1 gallon.

It was sort of funny, but could have been a trip to the ER. Put your hot liquids in a metal pan or tempered glass. Tonight I will start on my smaller than anticipated elderberry wine. Be cool all.