HOMEMADE GRAPE JUICE
One of my favorite things about the fall is the fresh produce that is ready to be harvested! I love being able to enjoy delicious homegrown fruits and vegetables. I grew up watching and then later helping my mom can and preserve all kinds of fresh produce. One distinct memory I have is of her bottling her homemade grape juice. I remember how amazing the whole house would smell for days.
We would always open a bottle or two to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day. Therefore, I enjoy being able to can homemade grape juice for my family now! It brings back a lot of great memories.
Today I want to share with you how easy it actually is to bottle grape juice with my grape juice recipe. I will be giving you step-by-step instructions for learning how to persevere homemade grape juice.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRESH PRESSED GRAPE JUICE?
Grape juice is a great source of several nutrients, including vitamin C, manganese, potassium and lots of antioxidants. Studies show that fresh pressed grape juice may also support heart health, immune function, and digestive health. Juice can be high in natural sugars so and low in fiber so it can spike blood sugars. It is best to not consume more than 1-2 cups of fruit juice per day.
HOW MANY POUNDS OF CONCORD GRAPES DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A QUART OF JUICE?
If you are using a steam juicer for canning concord grapes it will take an average of 3-1/2 pounds of Concord grapes to yield a quart of homemade grape juice. Therefore, using those same calculations. it will take 24 pounds to prepare a canner load of 7 quarts of grape juice.
WHAT IS A STEAM JUICER?
A steam juicer is a household canning utensil that separates juice from berries, fruits, and some vegetables in a process called steam juice extraction. It is a popular and efficient way to can large amounts of produce in a short amount of time.
HOW A STEAM JUICER WORKS
The steam juicer consists of three separate pots. The bottom pot holds the water that will boil when heated and create hot steam. The middle pot collects the juice from produce in the top pot. The top pot is where all the fruit is placed.
There is a large funnel that collects the steam from the bottom pot and connects to the top pot so the steam can reach the produce. As the steam begins to extract the juice of the fruit, the juice will flow out of the pot by an attached hose. The hose will need to be clamped to prevent it from spilling out. And being released when you are ready to catch the juice into a pitcher or a pot. Because the clamp can leak a little, I always make sure to place the end of the hose into a pot or picture to capture any leaks and prevent it from spilling and staining my work surfaces or floors.
The pulp, seeds, peels and stems will be left behind in the pot while allowing only the liquid juice to escape.
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE HOMEMADE GRAPE JUICE
- grapes (preferrably Concord grapes)
- steam juicer
- strainer or sieve
- large bowl
- large pot
- potato masher
- small saucepan
- canning tools
- canning jars
- canning lids
- canning rings
- hand towels
- clean cloths or paper towels
- hot pads
- juice pitcher
- juicer hose clamp
- water bath canner
- vinegar
- blender (optional)
- cheesecloth (optional)
HOW DO YOU PREPARE GRAPES FOR CANNING?
I have broken down two to prepare your grapes to be juiced into some simple steps.
- Prepare your grapes by washing them. I like to fill the sink with water and throw the bunches of grapes and let them sit with just a capful of vinegar added to the water. Then pull them out a bunch at a time and rise them in a strainer and set them in a large bowl.
- When the bowl is full, I will take the time to remove all the stems and grape vines from them before steaming them in the juicer. I have found that if you steam the grapes with the stems on them (which you totally can if you want) then the juice tends to have an earthier taste. I prefer mine to be steamed without the stems.
- After removing the stems you can place the individual grapes into the steaming pot.
- I continue this process until the steamer pan of the juicer is full.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO PRESERVE GRAPE JUICE
PREPARING THE BOTTLES
- Prepare your bottling jars by sterilizing them in a hot dishwasher cycle or in a hot water bath and set aside. I like to do mine in the dishwasher so I can leave them stored in the hot dishwasher to wait until I am ready to grab them out and use them.
- Get a small saucepan ready with a couple inches of water and place some canning lids in them and simmer them on a low heat. This will warm up the seal on the lid and help to ensure your bottles properly seal. Leave them until you are ready to use them later down the process.
- Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with enough water so that all the jars, when filled, will be completely covered. Turn on the stove set to medium heat and bring the water to a boil so it will be ready when you are ready to process the bottled juice.
STEAMING THE GRAPES IN THE JUICER
- After you have followed the directions for the washing your grapes above, you will take those washed grapes and place them into the top pot of your steam juicer.
- Take the bottom pot of the steam juicer and fill it full of water. Be sure to keep an eye on this pot and make sure it always has water in it. You can ruin or warp your steam juicer if you the water to dissipate completely…and your juicer won’t work as well without the steam to process the juice.
- Put all three pots together and cook the steam juicer on high or medium high heat. Different stoves may work better at a different heat setting.
- It will take on average about an hour to process a 7 quart steam juicer filled with grapes. Be sure to keep an eye on it during this process. Do not leave it unattended.
- Every 15 minutes or so I will check on the steamer and remove any juice that has collected in the pot. To remove the grape juice from the pot, you will carefully open the clamp on the steamer hose and release the fresh steamed juice into a pitcher or large pot. Set aside until you have enough juice to begin to fill your prepared jars.
BOTTLING THE GRAPE JUICE
- When you have enough juice, take the grape juice filled pitcher and pour the grape juice into your still hot quart jars full leaving a 1/4 head space at the top of the jar. Don’t leave more space than this as the excess air in the jar may allow for your bottled juice to spoil.
- Take a hot lid out of the pot using your canning lid lifter (or tongs) and place it on the bottle. If there is any juice on the rim of the jar be sure to wipe it off with a clean cloth.
- Take a canning ring and twist it onto the bottle.
- Set aside on top of a towel on your countertop. We will wait until we have 6-7 jars ready so we can put them into a water bath canner and process them.
- Repeat the process until you have enough bottles to process in your hot bath canner.
- When there is no longer any juice coming out of the grapes, you can open the top lid and check the grapes. You may need to be mash it a little bit with a potato masher to get any extra juice out.
- Some people will even take this pulpy leftover and place it in a sieve, strainer or use layers of cheesecloth to strain and extract any leftover and remaining juice.
- Throw away the leftover unused grape material.
USING THE WATER BATH CANNER
- Make sure that the water in the water bath canner is boiling.
- Place the water bath canner rack down into the bottom of the pot.
- Grab each grape juice filled bottle with a canning jar lifter (canning tongs) and carefully lower it into the pot. Placing it strategically so you can fit the maximum number of jars your canner holds.
- Repeat with each bottle of juice until the canner is full.
- Put the lid on the bath canner.
- Process the juice by boiling the juice in the hot water bath for 20 minutes.
- When the time is up remove each of the jars with a jar lifter and a hand towel holding the bottom of the jar for extra safety and move onto a hand towel on the countertop.
- Let the processed bottles sit for 24 hours before moving to ensure they each seal properly.
WHAT IF A BOTTLE DOESN’T SEAL?
Occasionally it happens and a bottle doesn’t seal. You can remove the lid and replace it with a new one after boiling the lid in water to sterilize it and prepare the seal. Then simply place the bottle back in the canning bath for another 15-20 minutes. Sometimes the lid is defective and it’s best to just be safe to prevent all your hard work from spoiling.
HOW LONG DO YOU PROCESS HOMEMADE GRAPE JUICE IN A BATH CANNER?
20 minutes is the recommended time to process homemade grape juice in a water bath canner.
CAN I REFRIGERATE FRESH HOMEMADE GRAPE JUICE?
Yes, If you are going to be using the grape juice right away it can be stored in the fridge for 10-14 days.
If you just want to make a small batch of homemade grape juice you can do so through the same process and then just take the fresh juice and store it in the fridge for immediate consumption.
CAN YOU FREEZE HOMEMADE GRAPE JUICE?
Yes! If you don’t have a water bath canner or just don’t want to deal with that extra step, you can take your freshly steamed juice and place it into a freezer safe container after it has cooled. Be sure to leave a couple inches of extra space because as the liquid freezes it will expand into the container and take up more space. It should last up to 18-24 months in the freezer.
HOW TO USE FROZEN GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE
The grape juice you made will be concentrated meaning that you will need to reconstitute the juice by adding more liquid to it. Take the frozen juice concentrate out of the freezer and let it thaw on the countertop. Add up to a cup of liquid or to taste.
WHAT CAN I ADD TO GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE?
You can add water, seltzer water, soda water or any other liquid to make it into your favorite juice. For just regular grape juice add water and a little lime or lemon juice or a touch of sugar for a little sweetness if needed. Stir together until the juice is mixed well. Some grapes are not as sweet as others. If there is a little bit of pulp that has collected at the top of the jar that can easily be strained before serving if you aren’t a fan of pulp in your juice.
When we were growing up my mom always added a little bit of Sprite or 7-Up to our grape juice concentrate as a special holiday drink!
HOW TO STORE RECONSTITUTED GRAPE JUICE
If there is any leftover grape juice you can store it in the fridge for 10-14 days as long as it is in an air-tight container.
HOW LONG DOES BOTTLED GRAPE JUICE LAST?
If you properly followed the canning directions and used a water bath canner, preserved homemade grape juice can last a long time. Be sure to also store the bottled grape juice in a cool, dark place. However, it’s recommended to consume the juice within 3-5 years for the best quality and taste. But chances are, it won’t last that long with it tasting so delicious!
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