Homemade Grape Drink

By Amelia Jeanroy
Published on November 12, 2019
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Photo from Adobe Stock/Tanya Hendel 

I think this is one of the best recipes in the whole book, and it is fun for the entire family. Have you ever tried wild grapes? On our farm, they grow taller than our house and line the entire back of the yard. All summer long, we check and recheck the fruits until after the first frost, when the grapes suddenly go from super tart to sweet, juicy treats. Canning juice is the best way to keep that lovely flavor. Try this recipe with any sweet, juicy grapes you can get your hands on. While this recipe does have a good amount of sugar, you are making a concentrate that tastes better and is, at least, slightly more wholesome than those powdered drink mixes. To use this concentrate, pour the canned juice and grapes from one jar into a mesh strainer, catching the juice in a 1-quart container. Discard the grapes. Add enough cold water to make a full quart. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Processing time: 10 minutes
Pressure: 10 pounds weighted gauge, 11 pounds dial gauge
Yield: 2 pints

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups grapes, rinsed
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

Photo from Adobe Stock/Vadym

Steps:

  1. Prepare 2 pint jars and the canner: Clean the jars and prepare the 2-piece lids according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Keep the jars in hot but not boiling water until you’re ready to use them. Prepare the canner by filling it with 2 to 3 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer, or according to your manufacturer’s directions.
  2. Evenly divide the grapes between the 2 hot jars.
  3. In a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup, add the sugar and top it off with hot water until it reaches the 2-cup mark. Microwave on high power for a minute or two depending on your microwave’s power, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour the sugar water over the grapes, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
  4. Remove any air bubbles with a plastic or wooden utensil, adding more hot sugar water as needed to maintain the proper 1-inch headspace.
  5. Wipe the rims and seal the jars hand-tight with the 2-piece lids.
  6. Carefully transfer the filled jars to the rack inside the pressure canner. Process the jars at the pressure listed above for 10 minutes.
  7. Let the canner return to 0 pounds pressure. Wait 10 minutes more, then carefully open the canner lid according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  8. With a jar lifter, remove the jars and place them on a clean dishtowel away from any drafts. Once the jars cool to room temperature, check the seals. If any jars have not sealed, refrigerate them and use the juice within 2 weeks.

More from Modern Pressure Canning

Whether you’re looking for tried-and-true recipes, or instructions for safely using your pressure canner, you’ve come to the right place! Modern Pressure Canning is a one-stop resource for safely and deliciously preserving your vegetables, fruit, meat, and more. Author Amelia Jeanroy (The Farming Wife) provides a comprehensive explanation of the equipment you’ll need, and how to implement it. Recipes are organized by topic, so finding just what you want is a breeze whether it’s fruit pie filling or a soup stock. Try out a classic like dilly beans, tomato sauce, creamed corn, applesauce, or turkey soup! Want to get creative? Try canning pumpkin bites, rhubarb sauce, or green tomato chutney.

Reprinted with permission from Modern Pressure Canning: Recipes and Techniques for Today’s Home Canner by Amelia Jeanroy and published by Voyageur Press, 2018.

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