Preserve juice for months?

[dime]

I have a lot of apricot trees at home, around twenty. At the end of summer when they all get ripe there's nothing else to do with the huge amount of apricots but juice.

Any suggestions on how to juice them so that the juice can survive for long periods (a year would be ideal)? My mother makes the juice by boiling them and then sealing in glass bottles, but I'd rather skip the cooking part if possible and make a raw juice.

[sport]

Not answering your question but you can make fruit leathers and you can prep and freeze to add to smoothies during the year.

[dime]

Oh right forgot -- no freezing. I'd need a couple of big freezers :) It's stored in a pretty cold and dark place so it shouldn't be a problem.

Edit: just checked what's fruit leathers, seems really good but again requires cooking? http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_fruit_leather/

I just realized dried apricots would be an easy solution (just put them on the sun). But if it's possible to make raw juice, that would be great.

[modernmonkey]

I think Sport was implying making fruit leathers with a dehydrator- they would then still be constituted as raw. Do you have a friend with one?

[sport]

For my first few years raw I made leathers and would use them to make the crepes from Alissa's first book and for fruit lasagne.

For the crepes just cut in squares, put a little cashew or macadamia cream in the middle. Roll up, wet the edges and join. When you have a plateful just pour some blended fruit on top and let sit for a while. Very yummy.

For the lasagne I would cut pieces the same size as a container and layer the leather and fresh fruit and cream.

[Aleesha Sattva]

no juice will survive freezing for that long. but yes, you can freeze your juice. i would consume it within weeks though... not a year.

you could just pit and freeze the fruit and then use it in smoothies and other recipes later? again... it won't last a year.

dehydrating is your best long-term option that i can think of.

[dime]

But how come boiled it stays fine for a year and longer? I guess all the bacteria/enzymes get destroyed so nothing is going on in the juice anymore.

[Aleesha Sattva]

exactly! it wouldn't be alive anymore after being frozen that long regardless of whether it's raw or cooked.