Juice It With You:

JUICING -There is no fixed charge, as we do it to encourage people to make use of food that would normally go to waste. However, we do ask for donations for use of the equipment (we suggest 25p per litre pressed); this goes towards maintaining the equipment and running costs.

BOTTLES – are needed when pasteurising, we do have bottles for sale – the cost is £1 per 750ml bottle with cap. If you have previously purchased bottles from us these can be reused, but new caps are necessary (5p each). Please do not buy your own; they are likely to cost more than ours and invariably do not work.

If you are reusing bottles it is your responsibility to ensure they are totally clean and sterilised, with all labels and old plastic ring removed. We will not be able to use dirty bottles, bottles with labels on them, 1 litre bottles, or bottles not purchased from us.

PASTEURISING – there is a charge of 40p per 750ml bottle – maximum of 28 bottles per household. You are encouraged to hire a pasteuriser overnight (£5), because that’s probably more convenient for you.

All apples will give you juice, even crab apples. We've found the best tasting juice is a mixture of eating and cooking apples - too many eaters and it can be too sweet and even insipid, too many cookers and it can be too sharp and acidic. However, bring what you have, it may be possible to blend with other peoples’ juice. 

Yes, either on their own but preferably mixed with apples – to increase acidity which is crucial when pasteurising it. Eating pears are a lot sweeter than apples, which makes a good blend especially with cooking apples. Some pears are very hard and don't taste very good, but we've found these often make a good tasting pear juice, so don't discard them! We think they'd also make a good pear cider but haven't tried it ourselves.

As many as you've got – a bagful to a vanful. Our equipment can cope with large volumes of apples. If you have more than you need, we are happy to take donations.

As a general guide a carrier bag full will be around 4kg, a builder’s trug around 10kg, an animal feed sack around 20kg, a dustbin full around 30kg.

Roughly 2kg of apples will give you 1 litre of juice.

Yes, as long as you bring in at least 10kg, the juice you make can be from only your apples. But remember the bigger the variety of apples mixed together the more rounded the flavour. It’s therefore not a bad idea to team up with others and do a mix.

Yes, providing they don't have any mould on them. They must be washed beforehand to make sure any soil or contamination from animals is removed.

Yes, providing they haven't gone mouldy. And badly bruised bits can be cut out if you want.

Yes. Apples that you wouldn't want to eat because of the look of the skin are perfect for juicing - you don't waste them!

Yes, all apples should be washed before being juiced.

Pasteurising - 750ml sterilised glass bottles

Freezing - Well-washed plastic milk cartons are often used

If you want to turn your juice into cider there is no need to pasteurise, and you'll need a container that has an airlock attached. This can be a glass demijohn, which holds a gallon (about 5 litres), or a plastic fermenting vessel, which can be a purpose made one (from a wine/brew shop) or a homemade one (a container with a hole drilled in the lid to fit the bung and airlock). Cleanliness is vital when making cider, unless you want cider vinegar, so it's a good idea to sterilise any container to be used for fermenting.

No, please make sure you bring enough with you. If you have more juice than containers, we are happy for you to donate your excess to us.

Yes, any age is welcome. Parents are responsible for their children at all times; there is electricity in use and the equipment can cause injury if not used properly, so it's best if children behave themselves! We give full instructions on how to use the equipment safely but reserve the right to ask anyone, regardless of age, to leave if they are not behaving or following instructions.

We'd prefer not, it can get very busy and as we are dealing with food it is important for us to be as hygienic as possible.

Yes, you can borrow our manual scratter, manual press, electric scratter, hydropress and a pasteuriser through our Juice It Yourself scheme.

vigopresses.co.uk are specialists in juicing equipment. You can find it cheaper elsewhere, but you may not get the quality that Vigo equipment has. But it's big, bulky equipment that you will only use a day or two a year, so it’s probably best to borrow from us.