Yum. Yum. Yum!!!! Canning my own grape juice was a first for me – but knowing exactly what is in it (just grapes) definitely adds an element of enjoyment to pulling a jar out of the pantry. This juice is a little thicker than store bought – I don’t mind that and probably will strain it one less time next time I make it. We don’t mind shaking the jar up before we drink it.
Home Canned Grape Juice
Just grapes (unless you want to add sugar)!
Equipment
- 1 water bath canner
- 10 quart jars
- canning supplies and equipment
- 1 large sieve
Ingredients
- 35 lbs grapes (the type that are used for jelly, wine and juice)
- water (I used distilled)
- sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse grapes really well. I left mine on the stems because everything gets strained out anyway. If you want to, you can remove the grapes from the stems before boiling. This recipe is really more of a loose guideline to follow. There's a lot of variance in grape size, level of sweetness, and preference on clarity of the juice.
- In a large stockpot, add 20 cups of grapes on the stems and 2 cups of water. If you remove the grapes from the stems, use 15-17 cups of grapes per 2 cups of water. I used distilled water because we have hard well water but you can use spring water. Spring or distilled is best rather than city water or well water.
- Bring the grapes and water to a simmer and let it simmer for a few minutes while the grapes soften and start to break down. Stir frequently.
- Once the grapes have broken down sufficiently, use a sieve and wooden press to push them through and get all the juice out. Discard stems, skins and seeds. Rinse the sieve often so it doesn't clog up. Pour the juice into large pitchers.
- Repeat steps 2-4 in batches until all the grapes have been heated and juiced.
- If the juice seems a little too thick for your taste, run it back through the sieve as many times as you'd like. Adding a layer of cheesecloth removes even more sediment. If you only strain it the one time, it will most likely be the consistency of a thin smoothie and you'll need to shake the jar before drinking.
- Once you're done straining the juice to your liking, try it and see if it's sweet enough. Add the juice to a stockpot and bring to a simmer. If it's sweet enough for your taste, you're ready to can. If it needs to be sweetened, add sugar 1/2 cup at a time until your desired sweetness is achieved. Skim off any foam that shows up. Make sure the juice is simmering when you add the sugar and stir well so it dissolves.
- Fill your water bath canner with water and bring to a boil.
- Use a ladle to pour the juice into clean quart jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth. Place the lids on and hand tighten the rings.
- Process the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Start timing when the water comes back to a boil after placing the jars in the water. Remove the jars from the canner when they're done and let them cool thoroughly on the counter.
- Chill a jar and then serve!
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