Okanagan Mobile Juicing is going into their third year of operation with their business MobileJuicing.com. In addition to their existing apple pressing, pasteurizing and packaging service, their business can now process cherries and berries for juice, cider, spirits or wine. And it doesn’t stop there, Mobile Juicing saw the need for their clients to self-identify with flexible and customizable packaging, so they’ve added a small bottling line as well as a smaller 3L Bag-In-Box to their growing list of options.
In the last two seasons they have pressed, pasteurized and packaged over 150,000L of apple juice for Okanagan growers, utilizing excess, cull, damaged, or low-paying varieties and servicing both conventional and certified organic farms. Their service provides growers with opportunities for added income through a value added product, but until now was limited to the short apple season.
This year, they are inviting the cherry and berry growers to join in the action. The sensitive nature of these soft fruits means too many culls are coming off of the sorting line and ending up in the dump, adding to the ever increasing costs of local food producers in the valley. Mobile Juicing can foresee that by diverting even a portion of this fruit to their machine and selling locally will decrease costs for the grower, support the local economy, and continue to preserve what this valley is known for, the amazing orchards!
Part of the machinery that they have added this year include a de-stoner, a self regulated belt press and the bottle filler. They offer their services as a complete package or as separate services, catering to the specific needs of clients in search of raw pressing for cider or pasteurizing and/or packaging services for already pressed products. They are also open to new ideas and innovative businesses that may want to piggyback their services by utilizing the by-products (culinary uses, animal feed, paper products), or processing new ones, wheat grass or grape seed extract anyone?
Processing berries and cherries isn’t always as straight forward as the apple juicing, as it can require a multi-step process to extract the most amount of juice from the cherries and some berries.
First, the pre-washed fruit is sent through the de-stoner to remove the pits, seeds and stems safely. The mash is then put into tanks for enzyme treatment, which separates the juice from the pulp. From there, the juice is pumped again through the filter and pasteurizer and on to the packaging system. Cherries, blueberries and cranberries are fine on their own, but some of the raspberry-like fruits usually require additives to keep colour and flavour.
The fruit can also be sent directly through the press, but with a lower yield. They can process up to 650 Kilograms of cherries or berries per hour with the new de-stoner.
For schedules and updates like us on our facebook page www.facebook.com/mobilejuicing.
