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| Pear Juice - too much sediment?
I make a lot of pear juice and love it. I use the Ball Blue Book recipe for apple juice. I like it best when the pears are ripe and juicy enough to be run through the sauce maker without having to soften by cooking and adding water. I always bring the strained juice up to temp and heat 5 minutes according to directions prior to canning. My question deals with the settling and straining phase. After straining through jelly bags or cheesecloth, I let sit in the refrigerator overnight, then pour off and strain again, trying to leave behind as much sediment as possible. Despite that, I always seem to have sediment in my jars after canning. I became concerned about the sediment after reading here that it was a source of bacteria, so this year I took extra care when straining the juice, in fact straining it multiple times with closely woven jelly bags, nut milk bags, cotton pillow case, etc. I still have sediment. How much is too much, and how much should I be concerned? Do you have any tips or tricks to straining the juice as efficiently as possible? Recommendations for straining cloths? Would I be better off using a container that has a spigot near the bottom so I'm only drawing off the top, above the sediment? Suggestions, please! Jill |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Wed, Jul 11, 12 at 10:33
| My instructions say to let the strained juice rest in the refrigerator 24-48 hours before pouring off, so I think that's one of the issues. Dampen the bag you use before pouring in the pear pulp. For the second straining I use a coffee filter, which seems to produce better results, but I know for jellies I still often strain three times for greater clarity. Personally, I wouldn't worry about any remaining residue, but if you're more comfortable with it, process your juice as a puree for 15 minutes rather than as a juice for 5 (or 10). This way you could enjoy a more substantial pear nectar, which could be thinned further when the jar is opened. Carol |
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| Thank you. I will let the juice settle an extra day. I have been dampening the bags before straining. I tried the coffee filter for the 3rd straining, but it was useless because it clogged up so fast, even when the juice looked clear. Maybe I was just worrying too much. When I opened the jars in the past, I just left the sediment in the bottom or restrained before drinking. I don't care if the juice is as clear and thin as apple juice, I've always enjoyed pear nectar, but after reading about the bacteria in sediment I was reviewing what I was doing. BTW...Is there a difference between a little pulp that has settled to the bottom and sediment? What would be wrong with a little pulp? So far, I have put up about 21 quarts of juice, and still have 4 boxes of pears left. Making mincemeat now. I'll make more juice out of the pears that are really soft and juicy. I often add a quart of pear juice to a gallon of tea. We really like the taste. Thanks again, Jill |
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