Grape Juice is made best with Concord Grapes. They don't always taste the best themselves since they are full of seeds, but they are perfect for juicing! Making grape juice is actually extremely easy and takes a lot less work than you would think. The trick is using a good steam juicer! (I recommend either the Back to Basics Steam Juicer, which is aluminum, or the Victorio Steam Juicer, which is more durable because it's stainless steel. The Back to Basics Juicer is less expensive, but there are people who swear by the Victorio brand. It's your choice, I think both are great!)
Take each grape off the vine, for freshness make the juice the same day as pulling them off, and simply wash them off. You don't even need to worry about pulling the stems or seeds, just put them into the top of the juicer. Fill the bottom with hot water, put it on the stove at about medium temperature, and as the steam rises to the top, it will deflate each grape and pull the juices out and down through the hose. NOTE: MAKE SURE YOUR HOSE LEADS TO A SEPARATE BOWL/JUG TO COLLECT ALL THE JUICE!
Regarding taste, add however much sugar you want to make it taste the way you prefer. I've made batches without sugar and others with a lot depending on the taste of the grapes themselves.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Easy Grape Jam
Pick 8 cups of concord grapes. Wash and put into 8 qt. heavy duty pan. If you use the Victorio or Back to Basics Strainer, you will not seed or skin the grapes! Add 6 cups of sugar (you can cut sugar down to 4 cups or less if want to cut down on the sugar content). In this recipe I use Ultra Gel for thickening so you don’t need as much sugar like most recipes.
Cook this mixture 30 minutes on low to medium heat watching it closely and stirring regularly to prevent from burning or splattering all over your range. If you need to turn it down a little that is fine. You want a constant slow to medium boil. The mixture will go from a purple green to a pretty purple and turn into a mixture that looks like jam. All of the foam will disappear. I never skim off foam from the top. When the foam disappears on its own, you will know it’s ready.
Remove jam mixture from the stove and pour it through a strainer. (I prefer the Victorio or Back to Basics strainer. (They have an attachment for grapes). These catch all the seeds and skins so you don’t have to do it. It just allows the jam to go through the strainer.
Pour the strained mixture back into the 8 qt. pan and cook until hot and then gradually add 1 1/4 cup Ultra Gel using a whisk. Make sure you add the Ultra gel very slowly, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to avoid lumps. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and use a ladle to put in pint jars, leaving ½” headspace. Adjust lids and process in a water bath canner or steamer. Follow the manufactures directions.
Cook this mixture 30 minutes on low to medium heat watching it closely and stirring regularly to prevent from burning or splattering all over your range. If you need to turn it down a little that is fine. You want a constant slow to medium boil. The mixture will go from a purple green to a pretty purple and turn into a mixture that looks like jam. All of the foam will disappear. I never skim off foam from the top. When the foam disappears on its own, you will know it’s ready.
Remove jam mixture from the stove and pour it through a strainer. (I prefer the Victorio or Back to Basics strainer. (They have an attachment for grapes). These catch all the seeds and skins so you don’t have to do it. It just allows the jam to go through the strainer.
Pour the strained mixture back into the 8 qt. pan and cook until hot and then gradually add 1 1/4 cup Ultra Gel using a whisk. Make sure you add the Ultra gel very slowly, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to avoid lumps. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and use a ladle to put in pint jars, leaving ½” headspace. Adjust lids and process in a water bath canner or steamer. Follow the manufactures directions.
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