# How to: Processing cherries to juice in quantity. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [July 3, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521 "2013-07-03T11:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/1 "2013-07-03T11:28:29Z")
In about half a week I’ll be picking a couple 5 gallon buckets of sour cherries. I made juice from these once years ago. I’m looking for a good site or someone here with instructions on making the juice and preserving it. Instructions on getting them home in good shape to the finished juice wanted. I’m thinking of putting them in a cooler that can be filled with water with citric acid to prevent oxidation. Last time the ends started to degrade in the hours it took to get them home in buckets. Processing efficiency and best ways to make the juice is where I’m hoping to improve. I need to get the stuff ready now so it’s ready to make juice in half a week. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/2 "2013-07-04T10:26:54Z")
This is what I expected. You never get anything on canning or preserving on this site. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/3 "2013-07-05T17:24:31Z")
I’ll bump this because I’m interested in anything related to sour cherries. Have to wonder where you get them this time of year, they were gone last weekend here (northern Virginia.) I can tell you that water alone doesn’t help stop the ends from quickly turning brown, maybe the citric acid will. A little brown on the ends doesn’t affect the flavor in my experience. What will you do with the juice? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/4 "2013-07-05T17:38:03Z")
[Steam Juice Extractor](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywords=steam+juice+extractor&qid=1373045823&rh=n%3A1055398%2Cn%3A284507%2Ck%3Asteam+juice+extractor&sort=price) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/5 "2013-07-17T15:05:36Z")
I brought them to a boil to soften them and then used a fruit press. The acidic acid kept them from going bad. I picked a quart and dumped them in the water in a cooler with the acidic acid. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/6 "2013-07-17T15:18:40Z")
do you mean acetic acid? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/7 "2013-07-18T13:07:37Z")
Citric Acid ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/8 "2013-07-18T13:22:51Z")
Ascorbic acid would be a better bet- it takes 1/3 the amount of it versus citric acid to have the same browning prevention ability. It’s not oxidation as much as it’s an enzymatic reaction in fruit that causes browning, and acid interferes with that reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/9 "2013-07-18T13:43:51Z")
Citric Acid was available in my town. I usually have to drive to a larger town to get stuff I need at $25 a trip in gas. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-processing-cherries-to-juice-in-quantity/662521/10 "2013-07-18T22:35:28Z")
Make sure you mix the result with lots of soda water. Yeah, pop those cherries!