Off The Grid Living: How To Make Homemade Grape Juice

Greetings,

How To Make Homemade Grape Juice

Written by: Esther Off-Grid Foods

My mother introduced me to most of the fruits and vegetables I grow on my property today—with the exception of grapes. Why she never grew them, I don’t know. Perhaps someone had convinced her they were a high-maintenance, troublesome crop. Or, maybe she didn’t know what to do with the finished product.
Regardless, it was a neighbor many years later that introduced me to the elegant luxury of grape growing. Her grapes ripened in late August, and she had more than she knew what to do with. In previous years, she had canned volumes of grape juice for her children, who were grown and gone now. Could I use the grapes for my own growing brood, she wondered?
Never one to turn down free food, I happily obliged. We picked the grapes together one sticky, hot afternoon and put them in large boxes. In spite of the heat, I was hooked. Few crops are as downright beautiful as grapes, with their large, graceful leaves, curling tendrils and jewel-like fruit.
I took the grapes home, washed them and made them into juice. I canned over twenty quart jars that day—enough to last through the winter. The process was very simple—much easier in fact than most canning projects, and the juice tasted delicious. Since then, I’ve canned many, many jars of grape juice for my family. One of the fascinating things about grapes is that no harvest tastes exactly the same. The same grape vine produces grapes with subtle differences in sweetness and flavor, based on the amount of sun and water they got during the growing season.
There are two methods for making grape juice. The first is to use a steamer juicer. This method is ultra quick and results in a very fine finished product. In the second method, you need only a large pot, a strainer, and some cheesecloth. Read on to learn about both methods.
Using A Steamer Juicer
This is my preferred method because it’s quick, easy, and makes little mess. Plus, the juice tends to be more concentrated and of a higher quality. To make juice with a steamer juicer, wash the grapes thoroughly in a colander and check for bugs.
Place the grapes, stems and all, in the top section of the steamer juicer. Fill the bottom compartment with water. Heat the steamer to boiling over medium-high heat and simmer for fifteen to thirty minutes, or until you see juice in the surgical tubing.
Once the juice starts to flow, open the valve on the tubing and carefully fill clean, hot pint or quart jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth and put the lids and rings on the jars.
Heat water in a boiling water bath canner to simmering. Place the jars in the canner and cover. Heat to a rolling boil and process for five minutes if you live 1,000 feet above sea level or less. Process jars for ten minutes if you live between 1,000 feet and 6,000 feet above sea level. Above 6,000 feet, process jars for fifteen minutes. These times apply to both pint and quart jars. If processing for five minutes, sterilize the jars first.
Most steamer juicers are made from stainless steel, although you can also find aluminum types occasionally. Hardware stores and good nurseries carry them or you can find them online. If you’re lucky, you just might find one at a thrift store or garage sale. Prices range from $50 to over $100 for new ones……MORE HERE