There is something deeply satisfying about turning a basket of windfalls into bottles of golden juice. Whether you have a single gnarled tree in the back garden, a share of an allotment orchard, or a friendly neighbour who leaves bags on your doorstep, making your own apple juice is one of the most rewarding things you can do with a glut. You do not need a fancy press or a cellar full of equipment. With a few pans, some clean bottles and a bit of patience, you can enjoy proper orchard flavour right through the winter.

Start with the right apples

Flavour begins in the fruit. A single variety will give you a perfectly nice juice, but a blend makes something memorable. The classic rule of thumb is roughly two parts sweet apples to one part sharp, with perhaps a handful of something aromatic thrown in.

• Sweet and aromatic: Cox's Orange Pippin, Discovery, Katy, Gala, Russet varieties
• Sharp: Bramley, Granny Smith, Grenadier
• Bittersweet (if you have them): traditional cider apples add depth and body

Only use sound fruit. Apples with brown rot or mould should go straight on the compost heap, because damaged fruit can carry patulin, a mould toxin that survives pasteurising. Small scabs, bruises and insect nibbles are fine once cut away. Windfalls are ideal, but rinse them well, and never use fruit from beneath a yew hedge or anywhere you suspect contamination.

Preparing and extracting the juice

Wash your apples in cold water, then quarter them. You do not need to peel or core them, though removing the cores reduces bitterness. If you have a proper scratter and basket press, wonderful. If not, there are two simple routes.

The blender and strain method: blitz the fruit with a splash of water until you have a coarse pulp, then tip it into a clean muslin bag or a boiled pillowcase. Twist and squeeze over a large bowl until the pulp is dry. It is sticky work, but a litre of juice from two kilos of fruit is a fair return.

The simmer and strain method: cover chopped apples with water in a large pan, simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes until soft, then strain through muslin overnight without pressing. This gives a lighter, more delicate juice with a lower yield, and it is far less messy.

Whichever route you take, add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Apple juice oxidises and browns quickly, and the acid keeps the colour bright and the flavour lifted.

Raw juice: delicious, but drink it fast

Fresh, unpasteurised juice tastes like the orchard itself. It is also a living thing. Wild yeasts on the skin will begin fermenting within a day or two at room temperature, and before you know it you have a very young, very rough cider on your hands. Keep raw juice in the fridge and drink it within three or four days. If it starts to fizz, smell of bread or taste sharp, that is fermentation, not spoilage, but it is no longer juice.

Pasteurising for a year-round supply

Pasteurising is simple, and it means you can line up bottles on a shelf and forget about them until you fancy one.

• Sterilise your bottles and caps in hot soapy water, then rinse and heat them in a low oven or fill with boiling water
• Heat the juice to 71°C, holding it there for at least 30 seconds, or to 77°C for one minute. A jam thermometer is essential
• Do not boil hard, which dulls the flavour and sets pectin, leaving cloudy juice
• Pour hot juice into hot bottles, leaving 2cm of headspace, and cap immediately
• For shelf-stable storage, stand the sealed bottles in a pan of water at 80°C for 25 minutes, then cool slowly

Store in a cool, dark cupboard. Properly processed bottles keep for up to a year. Once opened, refrigerate and drink within five days. Expect a little sediment at the bottom; it is harmless, and letting the juice settle overnight before bottling keeps the haze down.

Freezing: the easiest option of all

If pasteurising feels like a lot of faff, freezing is your friend. Pour fresh juice into sturdy plastic bottles or freezer bags, but leave at least 5cm of headspace, because juice expands by around nine per cent as it freezes and will split a full bottle. Ice cube trays are brilliant for portioning juice to drop into stews, sauces and mulled drinks later.

Frozen juice keeps its flavour beautifully for up to twelve months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and give it a good shake before serving. A little separation is normal.

A few final tips

• Work in small batches and taste as you go; a ratio that suits one harvest will not suit the next
• Label everything with the date and the varieties used, so you can repeat your best blend next year
• Keep everything scrupulously clean; wild yeasts are everywhere and juice is a perfect home for them
• For a gently sparkling drink, dilute finished juice with chilled sparkling water rather than trying to carbonate it yourself

Get one good batch under your belt and you will never look at a windfall the same way again. There is a particular pleasure in opening a bottle in February and tasting October sunshine.