Generally I’m out picking bunches of Concord grapes in October, but due to the unusually warm start to our growing season, I picked them in September. It’s one of the last great harvests for me. I leave a lot behind for the birds and other critters, but what makes it into my basket turns into jam, jelly, or homemade grape juice.
This year again I decided to can the juice so I could enjoy it all year long. It only takes 3 ingredients – Concord grapes, sugar and water. It’s one of the easiest fruit to can using a hot water bath canner.
Just follow the instructions below – the steps are also shown in the illustration.
Grape Juice Ingredients
- 7 cups- Concord grapes
- 1 3/4 cups of sugar
- water
Instructions for making homemade grape juice
- Heat 7 clean quart jars in hot water bath canner.
- Wash & de-stem grapes.
- Add 1 cup of grapes and 1/4 cup of sugar (more or less, depending on how sweet you like your juice) to each hot quart jar.
- Fill each jar with boiling hot water, leaving 1/2” head space.
- Wipe clean the lip of jar.
- Center warm lid on each jar & finger tighten ring.
- Place in hot water bath canner.
- Repeat until all jars are placed in hot water bath canner.
- Inside the canner: Make sure there is at least 1 inch of water covering the tops of the jars.
- Place lid on canner and bring water to a boil, and process in a boiling-water canner. Length of time will depend upon your altitude. Please check Table 1.
- After reaching processing time, turn off heat, remove lid & let jars cool 5 minutes.
- Using a jar lifter, remove from water & place on a towel on the counter.
- Let rest 12-24 hours before testing seal.
- Label and store without rings in a cool dry place.
For more written information, please read Principles of Home Canning (PDF) and Using Boiling Water Canners, both from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
