How to Make Homemade Grape Juice - Easily!

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Ingredients and Equipment

Grape Juice-making Directions

This example shows you how to make grape juice, or juice from muscadines, scuppernongs and even berries, like raspberries, blueberries, etc..

Step 1 - Pick the grapes! (or buy them already picked)

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality ones!  You can use Concord grapes, red grapes or other grapes, including muscadines and scuppernongs. And as I pointed out above, you can use other types of berries, or mix them!  Whichever you choose, you want flavorful grapes.  Plain seedless white/green grapes, for example, have little flavor and make a bland juice.  Most people choose Concord grapes or red grapes.  Seedless or with seeds doesn't matter, as the strainer will remove them!

I prefer to grow my own; which is really easy - but that does take some space and time.

Above are grapes that I picked at a pick-your-own farm. If you want to pick your own, here is a list and links to the pick your own farms.

Step 2 - How much fruit?

An average of 25 pounds of grapes is needed per canner load of 7 quarts of grape juice. Or to make 9 pints of juice, you'll need an average of 16 pounds of grapes. If you are buying in bulk, a  "lug" weighs 26 pounds and yields 7 to 9 quarts of juice; which is an average of 3-1/2 pounds of grapes needed per quart of juice.

Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sterilize" cycle, the water bath processing will sterilize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sterilize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sterilize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used.

NOTE: If unsterilized jars are used, the product should be processed for 5 more minutes. However, since this additional processing can result in a poor set (runny juice), it’s better to sterilize the jars.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot juice.

Step 3 -Wash the grapes!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the grapes in a large bowl under running plain cold water.

Remove the grapes from the stems and pick out any stems and leaves that became mixed in!

Step 4 - Crush or chop the grapes (optional)

You can cook the grapes with out first chopping or crushing them, but I find it speeds up the process. It's up to you! A simple potato masher (far right) works fine, or a food processor (below). NOTE: If you have a electric juicer, you can simply juice the fruit, then skip to step 7 to heat the juice to boiling.

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Step 5 - Heat the grapes on the stove

Put the grapes in a pot and add enough water to just cover the grapes. Put the crushed grapes in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to prevent burning) for until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. We just want to soften the skins to help release the juice and break down some of the fruit to help it pass through our juice strainer.

Step 6 - Sieve the cooked grapes

You can either put the soft cooked grapes through a juice strainer (about $9.00, see ordering at right) which results in the most clear juice and is easiest to use, or pour them through cheesecloth in a colander. Or if you don't mind chunky juice, just let the juice stand for 20 minutes, and decant (pour off) the clear liquid to use and leave the solids behind.

You may also want to run the crushed cooked grapes through a Foley food mill  (about $20 - see this page) BEFORE the juice strainer - unless you ran the grapes through a juicer, the food mill would help to extract more juice and separate the seeds, stems and skins that will clog the strainer.  It's not necessary, but helps you get the most out of the grapes.

If you need a stopping point and want to finish up the next day, this is a good place. Sometimes, juice gets crystals, called tartrate crystals, forming in the juice.  They're not harmful and don't affect the taste, but some people don't like the appearance.  I rarely even see them! But if you do, let juice stand in a in the fridge overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp cheesecloth to remove any crystals that have formed.

There is also a VERY nice, versatile strainer pictured at far right!  Click on the links there or see the bottom of this page for more information and to order! The VillaWare model can handle higher volumes than a Foley food mill (without giving you cramps!)

To see a greater variety of strainers in other types, sizes, and prices, click here!

Step 7 - Polishing and further filtering

If you read the USDA's guide, they have additional steps to polish the juice so it is crystal clear.  I don't bother with these as it adds a day or two to the process and most people like the natural look, anyway!

But if you do want the polished look, here what to do:

• Refrigerate juice from step 6 for 24 to 48 hours.
• Without mixing, shaking or disturbing it, carefully pour off clear liquid and save; discard the sediment.
• If desired, you may now strain through a paper coffee filter for a clearer juice.
• Continue to step 8.

Step 8 - Get the lids warming in hot (but not boiling) water

If you didn't do so already, put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?

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Step 9 - Sweeten (if desired) and bring to a boil

I find that homemade grape juice, made using sweet fresh grapes, rarely needs any additional sweetness.  However if you have a sweet tooth or are using very tart grapes, this is the time to add your sweetener (sugar, Splenda, honey, etc.).

Bring the juice to a boil.

Step 10 - Fill the jars and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within ¼-inch of the top, wipe any spilled juice off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Then put them into the boiling water canner!

This is where the jar tongs come in really handy!

Step 11 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath

Keep the jars covered with at least 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling.

See the table below for the length of time to process the jars recommended for your altitude and size of jars used.

Step 12 - Remove and cool the jars - Done!

Lift the jars out of the water with your jar lifter tongs and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last up to 12 months if kept in a cool dark place, like a basement..

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

1. Jar lifting tongs
   to pick up hot jars
2. Lid lifter
   - to remove lids from the pot
   of boiling water (sterilizing )
3. Lid
   - disposable - you may only
   use them once
4. Ring
   - holds the lids on the jar until after
   the jars cool - then you don't need them
5. Canning jar funnel
   - to fill the jars

 

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