Best Fruit Trees for Homemade Wine & Cider

"When life gives you lemons…"

Have a windfall of fruit or a large harvest? Maybe you had a hail storm this summer that scarred up your harvest. Or many of your fruits just look 'ugly' and no one can bring themselves to eat them - but technically the fruit is still good.

Perhaps you have already made all the preserves, baked goods, and dried snacks possible, and eaten yourself silly of fresh fruit and still have more to use up before it expires!

Just Juice It!

The Benefits of Turning Your Harvest into Beverages
Fruit Trees That Make Great Wine or Juice!
Juicing Basics
Important Reminders About Fresh Homemade Juice
What About The Pulp?
Don’t Just Eat Fruit - Juice It!

Technically anything can be juiced! Defined as the liquid obtained from a fruit or vegetable, some fruits just have a lot more actual juice in them! While those other less juicy fruits are amazing for lending their pulpy insides to flavoring other beverages, they are thick and not easy to drink on their own. There’s nothing wrong with a thick nectar or a unique tropical punch, but there’s nothing quite as hydrating and refreshing as a tall glass of freshly squeezed and easy-to-drink fruit juice!

The Benefits of Turning Your Harvest into Beverages

While there are loads of other ways to preserve and use your harvest, one way to utilize a large amount of the fruits of your labor is to turn it into juice, nectar, fruit vinegar, mulled wine and cider. Not to mention all the tasty hard ciders and wine too!

Juicing your harvest turns it into liquid goodness! Packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. And it’s an easy way for kids to get their daily servings of fruit. Homegrown fruit beverages made fresh will always taste better fresh and than anything that’s been bottled and on a shelf for who knows how long!

Filled with soluble fiber that supports good bacteria growth and digestive health, fresh juice has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and slow the transit of food through the digestive system, among many other incredible benefits! While it’s healthier to eat the entire fruit, the health benefits of juice-based beverages that still contain a lot of the fruit's pulp include - containing less sugar, increasing your soluble fiber intake (without all the chewing), and won't spike blood sugar quite as badly.

Plus, homemade juice has none of the chemicals, corn syrup or added sugars, fillers, additives, or artificial coloring that store-bought juices contain.

Once juiced, you can then make delicious syrup, create clear jelly or preserves, and use them in your favorite recipes! It also comes with the possibility of fermenting a portion of your harvest for some home-brewed wine, cider, and IPAs!

Is your mouth watering yet? Get ready because here are some of the best Fruit Trees for homemade juice and wine!

Fruit Trees That Make Great Wine or Juice!

These Fruit Trees make the tastiest and healthiest beverages and are the easiest to turn into a wide variety of delicious beverages (both the kid-friendly kind and adult style) that you and your family will love!

Apple Trees

Apples are a well-known juicing fruit including fermented hard cider and non-alcoholic and unfiltered cider! You can even make apple cider vinegar from these versatile fruits! Just be sure to leave out the seeds which contain cyanide.

Reduce diabetes, and constipation, help treat anemia, aid heart and liver health, hydrate, and is good for the skin! Kid-friendly Apple juice is also great to make jelly, wonderful to cook poultry and pork in, reduce into a thick sugar-free sweetener, and bulk up other juice without overshadowing their flavors.

Apricot Trees, Nectarines and Peaches

Ripe Stonefruit bruises easily and quickly turn, rarely good for long-term keeping. So they must be eaten, dried, or preserved fast. Rich in iron, lycopene, and beta-carotene; juicing your stonefruit is great means of using up a surplus of this highly perishable harvest!

Make your own Apricot, Peach, or Nectarine juice and nectar, or if you choose to make wine, you will enjoy syrupy delicious, sweet-tart summery fermented beverages to sip around the barbecue and firepit.

Cherry Trees

Tart Cherries are the best for making an incredibly healthy beverage! Packed with loads of anti-inflammatory components, and helps with sleep and joint pain. Cherry juice is packed full of potassium, B and C vitamins, manganese, copper, magnesium, and vitamin K.

Sweet Cherries can be made into incredible beverages too but are not touted with quite as many of the same benefits - not to say they aren’t healthy! Cherry fruit makes great desserts and preserves too. You can of course also make fantastic sweet-tart wine from this fruit! Cherry wine is a wonderful red that’s sweet-tart and slightly acidic in flavor.

Citrus Trees

These are the iconic fruit trees for juicing and fermented beverages! Citrus Tree juices are well known for creating wonderful dessert wines and cocktail additions. The sky’s the limit for these pulpy fruits! You are sure to know all about summer-time treats like Lemonade and Limeade, Orange juice in the morning, or a healthy glass of Grapefruit juice! Don’t forget to try making your own Lemoncello from Genoa or Santa Teresa Lemons!

Mango Trees

You can even juice Mangos! These large fruits can be made into a tropical nectar that’s sweet and tangy! Just place your peeled and chopped fruit in a blender with some ice and water (or other juice!) and whiz up until smooth and creamy. High in fiber and vitamins, it’s considered cleansing and great for digestion! You’ll love the fruity wine you can make from this exotic fruit!

Pear Trees

Refreshing and lightly sweet, Pear juice is a wonderful clear drink that helps get Vitamin C and hydration into the pickiest kids! Pear juice or nectar mixes into other juices without taking over their flavors, or is amazing in jelly and adds syrupy sweetness without added sugar.

The wine from Pears can be made alone or mixed with other fruit juices, making both a dry or sweet beverage, and is a very easy wine for beginners to make.

Pomegranate Trees

Once you get through that leathery rind, the jewel-like seeds inside Pomegranates are just begging to be made into delicious and vitamin-packed juices! Scoop out the seeds and run them through a juicer, or go old-school and squish them through a lemon press or through a mesh strainer.

There are too many nutritional benefits from this fruit to list, but all are imparted into the clear pink juice that the arils contain. The red wine made from Pomegranates is a festive beverage and is usually spiced for the holidays.

Persimmon Trees

You can also juice Persimmons! Enjoy a thick, bright orange juice that is loaded with immune-system and metabolism boosters like beta-carotene, phytonutrients, vitamin C, and manganese. Persimmon juice may be effective in reducing heart disease due to its high soluble fiber content. Persimmon Wine has a melon and pear flavor that’s delicate and sweet.

Plum Trees

Plum juice is known for helping with anxiety, and digestion, reducing blood sugar, lowering inflammation and high blood pressure, reducing risks of stroke and heart disease, and improving bone health because of its antioxidants and soluble fiber!

Sweet Plum wine is a popular drink in Japan. Usually, Plum wine is a dessert wine that’s syrupy and sweet and served chilled.

Papaya Trees

Papayas contain antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, and may reduce the risk of heart disease. The tropical creamy fruit creates a lovely orange-hued juice when blended. You can even make wine and drinks from these exotic fruits!

Tropical Trees in Hot Growing Zones

Tropical trees to include if your climate allows are Guava Trees, Barbados Cherry and Jabuticaba. Mix the juice from these exotic fruits with others for punch, add a kick of flavor to your favorite recipes, or make wine full of tropical flavors with any of these juicy gems!

Juicing Basics

Wash and prep your fruit by removing bad spots and bruises that break the skin. Remove any seeds and peel away thicker skins. Cut into manageable pieces and use as soon as possible, freezing the fruit if you aren’t going to be able to use it immediately.

Juicing machines are widely available and are a very easy way to juice about anything
Simmer the fruit in some water and strain - works with high pulp/low moisture content
There are even special presses that literally squeeze the fruit juice out
Cut the fresh fruit into cubes and whiz them up in a blender until smooth
Run the pulp through a food mill and squeeze out the juice

Strain (if desired) through a chinois, or press it through a strainer, or go old-school and squish the fruit through a lemon press or through a mesh strainer, or even wring it out in cheesecloth.

After straining, be sure to bottle your juice in a sterile airtight container and refrigerate it straight away. Usually, straight juice without preservatives or sugar lasts a few days in the fridge. Many add lemon juice or other citrus juice to stop any oxidation and browning that may occur after juicing. This oxidation also means you are losing nutrients with time.

Smaller batches can be frozen and used as needed. If you have a pressure canner, you can preserve your juices for longer-term storage and make them shelf-stable. Just keep it in a cool, dark location. Always remember to label and date your juice.

Important Reminders About Fresh Homemade Juice

If you are serving fresh juice to babies and children, it is highly recommended to pasteurize your juice by heating it to about 158°F (70°C). This kills bacteria and possible microorganisms that may be present - especially if you use any fruit that has fallen onto the ground.

Pasteurizing the juice also helps prolong shelf life and prevents unwanted clarification.

Because most juice is naturally acidic, it readily inhibits the growth of yeast, bacteria and yeast when treated and stored properly.

What About The Pulp?

Not everyone likes pulp in their orange juice and fewer yet would like to try to drink seeds that get stuck in your teeth. Therefore, most juice is strained to make it easier to go down and more kid-friendly. So it goes without saying that the aftermath of making juice or wine from your harvest is all the pulp and peels that are left over.

Here are a few ideas to eliminate food waste and use every ounce of your harvest!

Mix into desserts and recipes for a flavor boost
Churn into popsicles, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and gelato
Frozen fruit ice cubes to flavor drinks
Make fruit leather and granola bars
Mix into jam, and preserves
Stir into pancakes, shortbreads and fritters
Dog treats! (Avoid Cherries, Grapes, Tomatoes, and Avocados for dogs)
Mix into yogurt, stir into oatmeal and hot cereals
Freeze in an ice cube tray then whiz up in smoothies
Add the peels to vegetable stock
Create refreshing and hydrating face masks, sugar scrubs, and other beauty products
Mix with bird seed or peanut butter for backyard bird treats
Dehydrate and grind up. Then mix into food to add flavor, color, and nutrition
Dry and use as garnish and zest
Make flavored vinegar or honey infusions
Compost it!

Don’t Just Eat Fruit - Juice It!

Juice up your diet and expand your family's sustainability! Make your own wine, hard cider, and fruit-flavored beer! You'll want to check out some of our quality Hops plants for some home-brewed fruity IPAs!

You will, of course, want to include some fruiting bushes and fruiting plants in your orchard to ensure you're getting as many nutrients and antioxidants from a wide range of sources as possible! Include Elderberry bushes, Blackberry and Raspberry bushes, Goji Berries, Aronia berry bushes, Passionfruit Vines, Strawberries, Watermelon, Grapevines, Pineapple plants, Dragon fruit plants, and any of our other fruiting edible landscaping plants! Broaden your family's food access and sustainability.

For how to grow these and many more delicious fruiting trees, shrubs, and more - head over to Nature Hills.com and check out everything available for you to deliciously add liquid flavor and nutrition to your diet today!

Happy Planting!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which fruit trees can you grow at home to make your own wine or fermented drinks?

Many of the best fruit trees for homemade wine and fermented drinks include apple, pear, plum, cherry, and peach trees, all of which produce harvests large enough to justify juicing and fermenting. Grapes are the classic choice, but backyard orchardists often find that a bumper crop of any tree fruit, including damaged or cosmetically imperfect fruit, works beautifully for cider, wine, or fruit vinegar. Visit naturehills.com to browse fruit trees suited to your hardiness zone and start planning an orchard that gives you plenty to drink in addition to plenty to eat.

Can you use homegrown apples to make hard cider or apple wine?

Yes, homegrown apples are one of the best fruits you can grow for making hard cider and apple wine. A mix of apple varieties, combining sweet, tart, and bitter types, produces the most complex and flavorful results. Even apples that are scarred from hail, misshapen, or otherwise unappealing to eat fresh are perfectly suited for pressing and fermenting. Grow a selection of apple varieties suited to your hardiness zone, harvest them at peak ripeness in late summer through fall, and start pressing right away for the freshest, most nutrient-rich juice to ferment into your own homemade cider or wine.

What is the best way to juice grapes from your own backyard vines?

Grapes are one of the easiest backyard fruits to juice at harvest time, typically in late summer to early fall depending on your variety and growing zone. A steam juicer is the most efficient method for processing large quantities, as it extracts maximum juice with minimal effort and naturally pasteurizes the juice in the process. For smaller batches, simply simmer washed, stemmed grapes in a pot with a small amount of water, then strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Start tasting your grapes in late August for sweetness and adjust your harvest timing accordingly to get the best flavor in your finished juice.

Which fruits are most commonly used to make homemade fruit wines?

The most commonly used fruits for homemade wine include grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, and elderberries, as these naturally contain the sugars and acids needed for successful fermentation. Berries like blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are also popular choices and tend to produce rich, flavorful wines. If you are growing your own fruit for winemaking, plan to harvest at peak ripeness when sugar content is highest, typically late summer through fall depending on your region and variety. Browse Nature Hills' selection of fruit trees and berry plants to find varieties well-suited to your growing zone and start building your home orchard today.

Can you ferment stone fruits like peaches and nectarines into wine at home?

Yes, stone fruits like peaches and nectarines make wonderful country wines at home, with their high sugar content and rich flavor translating beautifully into the fermentation process. Peaches are particularly well-suited because their natural sweetness reduces the amount of added sugar needed to reach a good starting gravity. For best results, use fully ripe, blemished, or surplus fruit that is still sound, remove the pits before fermenting since they can impart bitter tannins, and aim for roughly 3 to 4 pounds of fruit per gallon of wine. Start with a simple country wine recipe, add a wine yeast and nutrient, and plan on at least 4 to 6 months of aging before your first bottle is ready to enjoy.

How do you get enough fruit from your trees to make a batch of homemade wine?

Making a batch of homemade wine typically requires 15 to 30 pounds of fruit depending on the variety, so having multiple established trees or a mix of compatible varieties is key to a meaningful harvest. Most fruit trees begin producing significant yields within 3 to 5 years of planting, and mature trees can produce hundreds of pounds of fruit in a single season. To maximize your harvest, plant multiple trees for cross-pollination, keep up with annual pruning, and supplement with fruit from neighbors or local farms in lighter production years. Plan your winemaking around peak harvest season for your specific variety so you can process fruit at its ripest and most flavorful.

Can mangoes and other warm-climate fruits be used to make homemade wine or juice?

Yes, mangoes and other warm-climate fruits like papayas and guavas can absolutely be used to make homemade wine, juice, and tropical punches, though they tend to produce thick nectars rather than thin, easy-to-drink juices due to their pulpy flesh. These fruits thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, so gardeners in cooler climates will need to source fruit locally or grow them in containers that can be brought indoors during winter. Because of their high sugar content and dense pulp, mangoes are especially well-suited for wine-making and blending into tropical fruit beverages. If you have a surplus of ripe mangoes, process and freeze the pulp in measured portions right away to preserve freshness and give yourself a steady supply for juicing and fermentation projects throughout the year.

Why do some fruits make better wine than others when grown at home?

Some fruits naturally contain the right balance of sugars, acids, and tannins that yeast needs to ferment properly, which is why grapes, apples, pears, and plums have been used for winemaking for centuries while other fruits require more adjustment to the recipe. Fruits with higher natural sugar content and lower water content tend to produce more complex, stable wines with better shelf life. Visit naturehills.com to browse fruit trees suited to your growing zone, and choose varieties known for high brix levels and firm flesh to get the best results from your homemade wine.

How do you turn fresh fruit from your garden into juice for fermentation?

To turn fresh garden fruit into juice for fermentation, start by washing and removing any stems, pits, or seeds, then crush or press the fruit using a juicer, fruit press, or by hand-mashing to extract the liquid. For best results, juice your fruit at peak ripeness when natural sugar content is highest, as this gives fermenting yeasts the most to work with. Strain the juice through cheesecloth to remove excess pulp and solids before adding your yeast culture. Begin the fermentation process within 24 hours of juicing to preserve the fresh flavor and prevent unwanted bacterial growth.

Should you grow seedless or seeded grape varieties if you want to make wine at home?

For home winemaking, seeded grape varieties are generally the better choice, as many traditional wine grapes like Concord, Marquette, and Frontenac naturally contain seeds and have been selected specifically for their rich juice content, sugar levels, and complex flavor profiles. Seedless varieties are bred primarily for fresh eating and tend to have thinner skins and lower tannin levels, which can result in a less structured wine. Most wine grape varieties are also better suited to specific hardiness zones, so choose a variety rated for your region, such as cold-hardy Minnesota-bred varieties for zones 4-5 or classic vinifera types for zones 7 and warmer. Research which wine grape varieties thrive in your climate, purchase grafted stock for the best disease resistance, and plan to wait two to three years after planting before your vine produces a harvest worth fermenting.

Best Fruit Trees for Making Wine (And Other Drinks)!