This is the easiest method to obtain fruit juice without the need to seed or peel most fruits and does not require any special equipment. This is how I quickly process juice for jelly, beverages, or freeze drying during the busy summer season.
I've been canning for about 45 years, and over that time I've tried plenty of ways to extract juice for homemade jelly. This is the method I use now when I want to get it done quickly and without special equipment.
Is it the only way to extract fruit juice? Absolutely not. A traditional jelly bag and slow-drip method works beautifully, especially when crystal-clear juice is the goal. But during the busiest part of summer, when I'm processing a lot of fruit, I want a method that's quick, practical, and works with equipment I already have in my kitchen.
With this method, I cook and break down the fruit, strain out the larger solids, and then run the juice through a clean flour-sack towel or similar tightly woven cloth. That final filtering removes the fine pulp and leaves me with a surprisingly clear juice that's ready for jelly making, beverages, freezing, or freeze drying.
STEP 1 - WASH FRUIT: Wash the fruit thoroughly.
STEP 2 - CUT FRUIT IF NEEDED: For fruit with large seeds, such as peaches, you will need to cut the fruit into chunks so it softens and cooks down.
To speed things along, I like to break down the fruit either before or after cooking. You can pulse the prepared fruit in a food processor before cooking, or cook the fruit until soft and use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
Important: Remove pits from fruits such as cherries and peaches before putting them into a blender or food processor.
STEP 4 - COOK FRUIT: Place fruit (whole, chopped, or pureed) in a large pot and add enough water to keep the fruit from sticking to the pan. I usually add enough water to come about halfway to three-quarters of the way up the fruit, but there is no exact amount.
Cook on medium-high heat until the fruit becomes soft. If you are using an immersion blender, now is the time to get the fruit blended. If you pre-blended, then you are good to go.
STEP 5 – STRAIN THE FRUIT
Once the fruit is very soft and has cooked down, pour it into a strainer or sieve placed over a large bowl. Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to press the softened fruit against the strainer. This removes the larger pieces of fruit, skins, and seeds while allowing the juice and some of the finer pulp to pass through into the bowl.
Don't worry if the liquid isn't perfectly clear at this point. This first straining is simply to remove the larger solids.
STEP 6 – STRAIN AGAIN FOR CLEARER JUICE
After the first straining, the juice will usually still contain some fine pulp and, depending on the fruit, tiny seeds or other particles. If that doesn't bother you, you can stop here. If you want a clearer juice for jelly, strain it one more time through cloth.
Line a clean strainer or sieve with a flour-sack towel, several layers of cheesecloth, or a jelly bag and place it over a large bowl.
Pour the strained juice into the cloth and allow the liquid to filter through into the bowl below. The tightly woven cloth catches the remaining fine pulp and particles, leaving you with a much clearer fruit juice.