Introduction: Using Apple Leftovers From Juicing - Pectin & Apple Sauce

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About: I enjoy hiking and plant foraging... but most of time I do chores!

If you own a juicer, you can make apple juice and have plently of leftover scraps, called pomace. You can compost it, turn it into garbage enzyme, or throw it out. Before you do, consider this instructable. It will shows you how to extract pectin for jam and jelly making using a method only slightly different from NoFiller'sPectin from Scratch instructable. This pectin has a neutral flavor since there is only residual apple juice in the process. Also, you'll be able to use the pomice to make apple sauce. It's flavor isn't as good as Poppa Chubby'sHome Made Applesauce, it's bland actually, but it's a good source of fiber. Lastly, consider eating the apple whole instead, core included, it's quicker.

Pictured is a jelly blob made by adding lemon juice and denatured alcohol to the pectin.

Step 1: Liquify the Pectin

In this step, liquify the pectin by boiling the pomace / pulp.
  1. Juice your apples, drink the juice (or whatever else you do with apple juice).
  2. Run the pomace / pulp through the juicer again to make it more dry.
  3. In a ceramic or stainless pot, dissolve the pomace / pulp in water.
  4. The consistency should be ½ as thick as regular apple sauce, very runny.
  5. Boil the mixture for about 1 hour on low-medium.
  6. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Pictured is the pulp of 4 apples and about 40 fl. oz. of water.

Step 2: Separate the Mixture

In this step, separate the pectin from the pomace / pulp mixture.
  1. Using a coffee filter, strain the mixture.
  2. Wring the filter lightly to drain more pectin-water.
  3. Use cheese cloth to wring the filter more heavily, but avoid tearing.
  4. Put the wrung contents into a seperate bowl for later use.
  5. Repeat...
For faster production or larger quantities, use a large sheet of fabric.

Pictured is 32 fl. oz. of pectin water and about a ½ cup of pomace / pulp.

Step 3: Concentrate the Pectin

In this step, concentrate the pectin by boiling.
  1. Boil on high heat.
  2. Pectin is ready when the boiling sounds 'soapy' or sizzling, like blowing air through teeth.
Pictured is the entire process. 32 fl. oz. are concentrated into 2.35 fl. oz. within 35 minutes.

Step 4: Test Pectin (Optional)

In this step, verify that the pectin is ready.

DANGER: Do NOT drink the final product, it is toxic and SHOULD NOT be mistook for a jello shot.
  1. Use a plastic straw with your finger on the end as a pipette.
  2. Put a sample of pectin into a small container, 5-10 drops should be enough.
  3. Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice to the pectin.
  4. Add 3-10 drops of denatured alcohol to the mixture (available at hardware stores).
  5. Swish the mixture, it should jellify. If not, keep boiling.
Make sure that you add the lemon juice first otherwise it may not jellify.

Step 5: Make Apple Sauce

In this step, make the leftover pomice / pulp into apple sauce.
  1. Add water to the pomice / pulp and stir until the texture is what you'd expect with apple sauce.
  2. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste.
  3. Reward yourself for all the hard work, enjoy it!
Pictured is the entire process. I ended up eating it for breakfast. The flavor was still bland, but it might be better with apple juice instead of water, or with a different variety of apples. What's kind of cool about this process is that you can make apple sauce concentrate if you measure out the ingredients; for lunch just add water!