Rose Geranium Apple Juice

The easy thing to do would be to go to the corner store and buy a jar of apple juice. But I had something else in mind. The cute guy and I picked apples from an old tree down the road, maneuvered around the bags of them on the kitchen rug for a week and then for two hours I quartered, cored, cubed, fed, encouraged, skimmed, wiped, poured, quartered cored, cubed, fed, encouraged.... you get the idea.

The cute guy helped clean up - I must have good karma from a past life. When the compost was cleared there were two quart sized mason jars of juice. Sweet elixir.  Worth every minute.

Rose Geranium Apple Juice

5 to 6 Pounds of Apples
1 to 2 Fingers of Ginger
8 to 10 Mint Leaves
4 to 5 Rose Geranium Leaves

Quarter, core and feed apples through juicer. Add ginger, mint and geranium sparingly, or more bravely if the mood strikes between rounds of apples. Taste and adjust. Repeat. Makes approximately one quart.

I created this combination accidentally last year, experimenting with what was growing in the backyard. This spring I replanted rose geranium, with another pot of mint specifically to make it again.

The apples partner with the ginger and mint immediately. The rose geranium remains it's own character, adding fragrance, a hint of roses. Its flavor is nearly imperceptible, a whisper. Leaving you wondering.

Wonderful.

As much as I covet this juice fresh it was nearly as good frozen and thawed for a rainy day remedy.

8 comments:

Kelly said...

ohhh nice! i still have apples in our cellar...what a great idea! and two photos's. must be our lucky day!

knutty knitter said...

I simply chop my apples into quarters and cook and strain. Fast juice!

I also make cordial with some of it by adding a tablespoon each of dissolved epsom salts, citric acid and tartaric acid and then sugar to taste for dilution. Cool, bottle and serve with cold water and ice cubes (if you have them).

I've been experimenting by adding quince when I had some and also a few pears. The original recipe used lemons and zest but those are not local!

viv in nz

Green Bean said...

Oh that sounds wonderful!! I did something similar last fall but just straight up apple juice. Have a cup for me. :)

Doyu Shonin said...

>The cute guy helped clean up - I must have good karma from a past life.

Yes, you do!

Theresa said...

Funny how something made with ingredients from right around your house sounds so exotic! Enjoy your juice!

Anh said...

A wonderful juice I say. I love your photos! So beautiful!

Kale for Sale said...

Kel - You caught me breaking the rules. Let me know how the apple juice goes.

knutty knitter - Cooking and straining the apples sounds like a most beautiful start to hot apple cider. I'll remember it for the fall and maybe add a quince or two - I know where there's a tree. Thank you. (You peaked my curiosity about cordials. More investigation is necessary.)

Green Bean - Your glass was the most delicious.

risa - Probably the most important line in the entire post.

Theresa - Isn't it true?! And too see my spit of a yard it's hardly exotic, but I do love it.

Anh - Thank you. I found an old neighborhood yard that has some kind of magic. Very fun.

kathryn said...

What a lovely way to spend some time. Calm, meditative, doing something real. And out of it comes wonderful, *wonderful* apple juice. Love this idea.