Go Back
–+ servings
Overhead view of deep ruby apple and sour cherry juice in an open glass jar, with two red and yellow apples and fallen autumn leaves on a wooden table.

Tart Cherry Juice (Homemade, with Apple)

A homemade tart cherry juice made with sour cherries and sweet autumn apples, fresh or frozen. Ruby red, naturally vegan, no added sugar, ready in 10 minutes.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Choose Serving Size 4 glasses

Equipment

  • Juicer or blender
  • Fine strainer or nut milk bag
  • Jug or jar

Ingredients 

  • 6 apples medium, about 2.5 lb (1.1 kg), cored and chopped
  • 2 cups sour cherries pitted, fresh or frozen and thawed, with their juice
  • ½ cup water optional
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice optional
  • maple syrup optional, to taste
  • ice to serve

Instructions

  • Wash the apples well, remove the cores, and chop them into chunks. Pit fresh sour cherries; if using frozen, thaw them in a bowl and keep the juice they release.
  • Run the apples and cherries through a juicer, alternating between the two, then add the cherry juice from the bowl. If using a blender, blend the fruit with the water until smooth.
  • If you blended the fruit, strain the juice through a fine sieve or a nut milk bag, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and taste. Add a little maple syrup if the cherries are very tart.
  • Serve fresh over ice, or chill before serving.

Notes

Frozen sour cherries work all year: thaw them first and add the juice they release. Use sweet, juicy apples or a mix of varieties. Best the day it is made; keeps up to 2 days in a sealed jar in the fridge. For a juice closer to the ones used in sleep studies, use more sour cherries and fewer apples, and add a splash of water if it is too tart.