Homemade Grape Juice

Yum! As far as I am concerned grapes are one of natures most marvelous candies! I have been updating you on the progress of my grapevine all summer and I am happy to say that some of them are ready for harvest!

The smell, even when you are just walking by the vine, is so heavenly.  It reminds me of being a kid and drinking grape juice or eating grape candy. Today I picked over 5 pounds of these delicious concord grapes and there are still many, many, many more bunches to go.  For this first round I decided that I wanted fresh grape juice.  It came out so utterly delicious that I just can’t help myself from sharing the recipe.  It’s extremely simple and has zero added sugar or water. Just pure, wonderful, grape juice.

What you need:

·      4-5 lbs of concord grapes

·      Large bowl

·      Colander

·      Potato masher

·      2 stock pots

·      2 large rubber bands

·      Cheesecloth or an unused cloth diaper (the really cheap thin kind none of that double ply stuff)

Step 1:

Wash and take all of your grapes off of the stems. Typically homegrown concord grapes have a few undeveloped green grapes on them.  Be sure to remove them from your mix and throw them away.

Step 2:

Once all of your grapes are thoroughly washed and taken off the stems, place them in your large bowl.  Using your potato masher, get to mashin’! Squeeze as much of the juice as can from them until your have a bowl full of pulp and juice.

Step 3:

Pour your mashed grapes into a large stockpot and slowly bring them to a boil over medium heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they do not stick to the bottom. After simmering, use your potato masher and break up any of the remaining grapes.  Simmer for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Step 4:

Place your cheesecloth over another stockpot, using the rubber bands to keep it in place.

Step 5:

Ladle the hot mixture onto the cheesecloth and allow it to drain and cool.  Once it is room temperature, place your pot in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight allowing it to drain completely.  Once your remove it from the fridge, strain it though some clean cheesecloth once more to remove any sediment.

Viola! You have amazing, healthy, homemade grape juice and it is just so darn simple!

BONUS TIP: Make some juice pops for the kids.  They will love them!