Grape Juice

[mrskk]

I usually make grape juice from wild grapes, and the family loves it, but this year our concord grapes finally produced enough to use them. I made a double batch of wine (still needs aging), and 18 quarts of grape juice this year.

Here's my recipe:

1-1/4 cup concord grapes
1/2 cup sugar

Place in quart-sized canning jar. Add boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims, seal with lids and rings, and hot water bath process for 20 minutes.

Allow to age for 4-6 weeks (we left ours this year for 3 months). Pour juice through strainer to remove grapes. Add 1/2 to 1 jar water, according to taste.

This tastes just like Welch's grape juice. When using wild grapes, I put in 2 cups grapes and one cup sugar. And added a full quart of water to it.

[Crawford in Ohio]

Are the grapes schmushed up or whole? This actually sounds pretty easy. We have enough wild grapes along our front fence to make a few batches of jelly, so we wouldn't get alot of juice, but I'd like to try it!

Link

[mrskk]

No, you don't mash them, just leave them whole. I should add that they shouldn't be harvested until after a freeze, which helps set the sugars and adds a lot of flavor.

Just remove them from the stems and rinse them before putting them in the jars.

I had more than a bushel basket full of grapes to play with last fall.
Karen