Effect of press construction on yield and quality of apple juice

Abstract

The paper presents the possibility of applying different press constructions for juice extraction in small farms. The research was carried out with three different varieties of apples, namely, Rubin, Mutsu, and Jonaprince. Two types of presses were tested: a basket press and a screw press. Generally, application of the screw press makes it possible to obtain a higher yield of extraction compared to the basket press. In our study, the differences in the pressing yield among press machines also depended on the apple variety used. The juices obtained on the screw press were found to be of a higher quality characterized by a higher content of soluble solids, higher viscosity, higher total content of polyphenols, higher antioxidant activity, and lower acidity. Thus, the selection of an appropriate press is the key to producing high-quality apple juice with health-promoting properties for manufacturers of apple juice at the local marketplace.