Blackberry Juice Recipe

Learn how to make blackberry juice your own kitchen! I'll teach you how to extract juice using heat, and how to extract raw juice. Then I'll give you 2 ways to preserve blackberry juice for later.

If you have lots of blackberries on hand, homemade juice is a great way to quickly use those extra berries!

Not only is blackberry juice delicious in smoothies, homemade drinks and fruit desserts, but it's also the first step in making blackberry syrup and blackberry jelly.

How Much Juice Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes 7 pint (500 ml) jars. If you want your juice preserved in smaller jars, you can easily halve, or even quarter it.

Blackberries Needed for Making Juice

Here's what you need to know about juicing blackberries!

• 3 cups berries=1 cup juice.
• 40 cups of berries will make enough juice for 7 pint jars.

Extracting methods

You can use heat to extract blackberry juice, or do a cold extraction, which leaves berry juice raw.

If you plan to make home canned juice, syrup or jelly, the first option is best. But if you want raw juice for freezing or making blackberry vinegar, I'd recommend the latter option.

With either extracting method, you can use fresh or frozen blackberries.

Raw Extraction

Raw blackberry juice keeps vitamins and antioxidants intact, and is great for freezing or fermenting. Here are the steps you should follow for a cold extraction.

Tools

1. Cotton straining cloth (I've been using these ones for 10+ years)
2. Large bowl
3. Potato masher or large spoon
4. Jar and lid for holding juice

Directions

1. Line a large bowl with a cotton cloth
2. Dump your berries into it.
3. Thoroughly mash the blackberries, until they are a seedy soup.
4. Gather the 4 corners of your cloth and tie them together.
5. Hang your homemade cloth bag where juices can drip into the bowl below.
6. Let bag hang for 2 hours, or until juice stops dripping.
7. Refrigerate, freeze or preserve in a canner.

Heat Extraction

If you plan to preserve your blackberry juice in a water bath canner, or hope to make syrup or jelly, a heat-based extraction is a fast way to go.

Tools

1. Large stockpot
2. Large metal spoon
3. Cotton straining cloth
4. Stainless steel bowl
5. Jar and lid for storing juice

Directions

1. Dump your berries into the stockpot.
2. Turn the heat to high, and mash berries to release some juice.
3. Once juice starts to simmer, stir often to break up blackberries.
4. When everything has turned to a soupy mess, remove from heat and slightly cool.
5. Line the stainless steel bowl with a cotton cloth, and pour berries into it.
6. Tie the 4 cloth corners together and let juice drip until it stops (usually 2 hours).
7. Discard the berry solids and pour juice into a clean container.

How to Preserve Blackberry Juice

There are two great ways to preserve blackberry juice. If you have the space, freezer preserving is easiest. But if you like having liquid juice on hand, canning is a good option.

Freezing Blackberry Juice

1. Pour liquid juice into your container of choice (I like using ice cube trays for freezing liquid).
2. Carefully set it on a flat surface in the freezer, and leave until solid.
3. Pop juice free from the mold, and bag in a freeze bag.
4. Label and store in the freezer, where you can grab frozen cubes for smoothies or drinks.

Canning Blackberry Juice

1. Heat a canning pot on the stove, and also heat your juice to a rolling boil.
2. Ladle hot juice into jars, wipe the rims, then seal with a canning lid and band.
3. Use a jar lifter to set hot jars of juice in the canner.
4. Once the canner is full (or you've run out of juice), cover with a lid and bring to a rolling boil.
5. Process the jars for 15 minutes.
6. Lift the hot jars and cool on the counter until room temperature.
7. Jars that seal (aka have a suctioned lid) can be stored on the pantry shelf, while unsealed jars should be refrigerated for 10-14 days or frozen in molds.

Tasty Ways to Use Blackberry Juice

Like most berry juices, there are lots of ways to use blackberry juice in your kitchen!

1. Homemade fruit smoothies
2. Healthy fruit juice (try mixing blackberry with apple or pear juice)
3. Kombucha flavoring
4. Water kefir flavoring
5. Late summer popsicles
6. Stovetop blackberry syrup
7. Canned syrup
8. Blackberry jelly
9. Old fashioned blackberry vinegar