Canning grape juice is so much easier than you think it is. With this recipe there’s no juicing involved.
And it’s SO delicious.
I love making our homemade grape juice with Muscadines, though you can use any kind of grapes you want.
Canning Grape Juice (Per Quart Jar)
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. grapes
boiling water
Wash the grapes well. Using a funnel and ladle/cup, put sugar and grapes into hot jars. Fill jars with boiling water to 1/2 in. head space, then cover with lids and rings. Pressure can jars for 10 min. at 5 lbs. Allow to cool overnight before testing the seals on the lids. If any didn’t seal, refrigerate immediately.
Note: You can double this recipe when using half-gallon jars. For a weaker juice, keep the same proportions as above.
Here’s what the jars look like before processing:
And here’s how they look afterward:
The pressure from the canner causes the juice to squeeze out of the grapes and fill the jar. Most of the grape skins will fall to the bottom of the jar eventually.
You may notice that there is a layer of sugar hardened at the bottom of the jars, but this will dissolved over time, so don’t worry about that.
I LOVE how easy this recipe is! No cooking, no squeezing, no juicing; how great is that?!
Yes, there are floating grape skins in your juice. But they are easy to strain off. Besides, I kinda like the homemade look of them.
For a recipe that uses a water bath canner instead of a pressure canner for canning grape juice, check out this site.
Have you ever tried canning grape juice? I’d love to know how you do yours, or what your favorite grapes to use are!
Was this helpful?
A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
How many quarts per bushel?
My mother-in-Love used to make juice this way, but she never put sugar in it. Her grapes were sweet enough that we didn’t need to add sugar. They were a really old type of grape and were really sweet. She had about 5ftl. off grape vines, but she would can over 300 cans of juice each yea
r from them and those were quart jars
(Please excuse my spelling I have cataracts and I don’t see well right now. Maybe when they remove them I will see a whole lot better.
I am a diabetic so I need to use Stevia – how much should I use per quart with a cup of grapes?
I use same as sugar amt
You need very little. Try 1/4 teaspoon to a quart then adjust.
Kendra,
I’m so thankful for this recipe. I hate squeezing juice and straining. Thank you!
I wonder if this would work with cranberries?
What if my water didn’t turn any color? Do I need to bring longer?
Boil longer. I ment
How do you can the grapes if your using pint jars.
You could try reducing the recipe.
Hi Kendra. Thanks for the recipe. I’m wondering if I would change the pressure or processing time at 2200 feet. I’m brand new to canning. If I try this recipe, it would be my first. Yikes!
I would process at 15 lbs pressure at your altitude. Great question! Good luck with it!! Please let me know how it goes if you get a chance. 🙂
Pressure Canning Grape juice is simple. Just statring for 2017
14 September 2015 Concord Grape Juice
Posted on September 14, 2015 by Durgan
http://www.durgan.org/2015/September%202015/14%20September%202015%20Concord%20Grape%20Juice/HTML/index.htm 14 September 2015 Concord Grape Juice
Seventy five pounds of Concord Grapes were purchased from a Vineyard ($25.00 per bushel) on the Niagara escarpment.The grapes are in peak condition.The removed substrate weighed 5 pounds, and the strained seeds weighed eight pounds. Sixty two pound were made into juice.The fruit was placed in the cooking pot in four batches of ~ 15 pounds each with ten liters of water to make a drinkable texture. The fruit was cooked until soft about 20 minutes, then blended into a slurry. The slurry was put through a food mill of 2mm mesh to remove debris and seeds. The juice was then put into liter jars and pressure canned at 15 PSI for 15 minutes. Forty nine liter jars of juice was obtained, 1.25 pounds of grapes per liter.
I have been making juice for years and you don’t have to pressure can to make juice..i do the same recipe and just water bath for 20 mins. They turn out a beautiful dark purple just like store bought juice only better. Just thought i’d share for those who don’t have a pressure canner. 🙂
Now if I remember right…you don’t even have to hot water bath them right? They will seal on their own?
You have to pressure can them to make juice. After the jars cool from the canning process they’ll seal.
I first smashed the grapes to get the juice out then I boiled them and then I put them in jars it has a strong taste too it is there something I am doing wrong ?
It sounds like you might have made a grape juice CONCENTRATE. If you add water to it before drinking, it should be just right. 🙂
Do you have to add suger
No, you don’t have to add sugar. Sweeten to taste.
Do you have to remove seeds or can I leave the grapes whole
I leave the grapes whole.
You should not boil the fruit. Only heat to simmering.
I freeze my fruit first, then when cold weather comes it warms the house p. But the real reason i do it is because it makes more juice. Each cell of the grape bursts when it freezes getting more juice from the fruit.
If I put cold water in the jars and bathed them for 25 minutes will I still be ok?
Not sure it would have the same squeezing effect on the grapes that pressure canning does.
pressure canning doesn’t “squeeze”…the increase in pressure allows an increase in the boiling point of water, thus killing pathogens that otherwise would survive 212 degrees F.
If you put in cold water and then add the jars to a hot canner, the jars could crack.
You can pressure cook or hot water bath if you want, but it’s not necessary. I make mine the same way your recipe says too above, but I invert the hot jars of juice as soon as I put lids on them and cover them with towels and let set over night. Then I check the seals. They just need to set a few weeks to be full strength grape juice. I use hot rings and lids and I also swirl the jars after I put the lids on to dissolve the sugar on the bottom.
You never let jars seal on their own! Modern food safety says to either water bath or pressure can all home canned food. The type of food and its acidity determines if you water bath or pressure can.
We have done this for the last few years and I love how it looks on the shelves as well as how good it tastes.
Hi…My mother and I did this for the first time last year with muscadines. Couldn’t remember how much sugar to use so I’m glad I found your recipe! We filled quart jars 3/4 full of muscadines then added our hot sugar water. I definitely recommend waiting to taste! Have heard somewhere that don’t open until after Thanksgiving! By that time juice should be flavored good. By adding so many grapes to mine I was able to dilute juice. Juice is really pretty like it is but if you want even more flavor then puree juice and grapes/muscadines when you are ready to use. (most of the vitamins are in the pulp) Strain pulp, seeds, etc. So yunmmy!!
I have canned the grapes after washing them with their stems on and have good luck that way too, without all the extra time needed to take them off. The flavor is great that way too.
Interesting!
I have used this method for years, but used the waterbath.
This year I used the microwave. I filled the jars with boiling water and then put in the micro for 1 minute. Cleaned off the tops and put on lids and rings. Takes a bit longer, but the kitchen is as hot.
How long do you water bath them?
We just tried our first batch today. We didn’t use the Muscadines, just regular store bought grapes. Can’t wait to try it out tomorrow.
Rook
Rook,
I would recommend letting it sit for a week before opening a jar to taste it for the best flavor. It gets better with time. 🙂
I use my steamer juicer and I love it.
My grapes have worms in them. Are they still safe to use?
That’s a bummer, Candice! Personally, I wouldn’t use them if I could see worms in the grapes.
Thank you for this post! I made 12 quarts yesterday but using the boiling water method. I’m hoping to make more but using the pressure canner next time since that way is much easier IMO and no huge heavy pot of boiling water!
I’m excited to try this recipe! My question is with half gallon jars. You say double the recipe, how long do you pressure can it? Thanks!
Shelley W,
I pressure can it for the same amount of time. Enjoy!
I will try this with our Muscadines. I have a steamer juicer and freeze the juice for later, however, it takes a lot of space in my freezer. Do you think this method will work with blueberries?
Anita,
I’ve never tried this method with anything but grapes. Not sure if blueberries have enough pulp or juice to concentrate the water with flavor.
Thank you for getting back to me!
My friend and I canned 32 jars yesterday! Question: all of the lids sealed but for some of the jars the grapes are floating and other jars all of the grapes are sunk to bottom. Do you know why that would be?
Donna,
I don’t know exactly why it happens, but the floating/sinking grapes are perfectly normal. I hope you enjoy the juice!!
Can you use the natural sugar from grapes instead of adding sugar and have it still taste great?
I have made this grape juice many times. This year I didn’t recheck the recipe and processed them in a hot water bath for only 10 minutes. Do you think I can reprocess for another 10 minutes? Do you think it helps to break down the grapes. Thanks for your help!!!
Kate,
Hmmm… I’m not sure if you can process them again if they’ve already sealed. Did you make a ton of it, or are there few enough jars that you could put them in the fridge? I’d be afraid they didn’t get heated adequately enough to kill all of the bacteria. 🙁
We use 1c concord grapes per quart jar and fill the rest with boiling water. Previously we have been using 1/2t powdered stevia to sweeten with great results, however I am now using exclusively honey in all my recipes, so this time we are going to add a tablespoon or two of honey. And another experiment – our grapes are frozen.
I’ve never pressure canned this juice, only water bathed for 10 minutes. The results are very tasty and much quicker (don’t have to wait for the canner to heat up, steam out and cool down each time).
I made this 25 years ago and my kids and husband couldn’t get enough of it! I had lost the recipe. I’m glad I found this because I couldn’t remember the sugar amount.
But, I’ve seen a few recipes that say to put in the grapes, put in the sugar and put in the boiling water. Seal jars and you’re done. No water bath! Is that safe?
I know how to bath bath so it’s no big deal. But, if it’s safe to not have to do it, then it’s even easier!
Marilyn,
Not sure if water bathing or not water bathing is safe, but I use a pressure canner. This method extracts the juice and makes a wonderful finished product. 🙂
Have you ever tried this with tart cherries?
Nope. Never tried cherries. Please let me know if you try it! That sounds delicious. It would be awesome if you could use the same process to can cherry juice 🙂
I cooked my grapes down but still have some grapes in with seeds after crushing. Still good to pressure can with them to get more juice out of them? First time making grape juice
Cindy,
If you’ve already cooked the grapes down, they will have lost some of their juices. If you don’t pour some of that juice into the jar to can along with the whole grapes, the juice you make will be weak.
How many grapes per jar?
Jackie,
It’s in the recipe there. 1 1/3 c. grapes. per jar 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I just bought a home with a mature muscadine vine and will have lots of grapes this year. I picked the first ones of the season and am trying different things. I did a small batch (4 qts.) last night in the pressure canner and noticed that one of the jars had a larger headspace after removing from the canner. This jar was also bubbling. Will it be safe? Do you know what causes this? The other 3 jars have a few bubbles at the top but no visible emptiness. I think I will use the one as a sampler and see how yummy it is. 🙂
Carla,
It sounds like that one jar probably boiled out in the canner, and lost some of its liquid. It might still seal, you’ll have to check it to make sure the lid is on good. It should be fine, but just put the jar in the fridge if the lid didn’t seal. Let the jars sit for a couple of weeks for a better flavor. Enjoy!
Ok, thanks! It’s good to know the seeds aren’t a problem. I’m thinking this might work with the wild plums we have in the area as well, which make great jelly.
Oooh… maybe? Plums might be too fleshy to can like this, though. I’m seeing lots of mush in the jar, lol. Let me know if you try it!!
This may sound like a silly question to experienced canners, but…Do you have to use seedless grapes? Also, other folks mention using this methods with cherries, would the cherries have to be pitted first? I can see how I’d be straining the juice at the other end to remove such things, but wonder if the seeds/pits left in would leave a bitter flavor? Any information is helpful. Thanks!
Matt,
Great question! The Muscadines that I use to make our grape juice have several big seeds in them. I don’t remove them, but just plop the whole grapes into the jars. The seeds don’t give any bad flavor at all. In my experience, organic cherries (like the ones we’ve picked off a friend’s cherry tree) have worms in the pit. After discovering this, I’ve always cut the cherries in half and removed the pit (and worms) before eating. If I was going to can cherries, I’d pit them just because of that 🙂 Hope that helps!
Really? That’s great! I did read somewhere that it might make it bitter, so I’m thrilled to hear it. Thanks so much. 🙂
This is a bit late, so I hope you still see it! 🙂 One question I haven’t seen answered here is about seeds! I have a chance to get cheap blue concord grapes or seeded coronation grapes. Have you ever done this with grapes with seeds? Do the seeds make the juice bitter? Thanks to anyone who sees this for any input.
🙂
Natalia
Hi Natalia,
The muscadines I use have big seeds in them, and my juice always comes out just fine. The seeds won’t make any difference to the taste, you’ll just have to strain them out while pouring. Personally, I prefer them with seeds. It just seems more natural, you know? 😉
We use all kinds of grapes big seeds, no seeds, little seeds and it turns out great we water bath them for 25 mins.
I am very grateful for your pictures. I had tasted home canned grape juice a very long time ago and recall the recipe was the same but have not made it till now. I was dismayed when I pulled my jars out and saw the grapes floating at the top. Then I found your article and pictures. It helps a lot. Very reassuring to know that my results are normal!
I have done this for years – water bath method, and you should wait a month before using the juice as it absolutely does get more flavorful (and darker,prettier) over time. I use only 1 cup of grapes and 1/3 cup sugar, but my daughter prefers to use 1/2 cup sugar – just a matter of taste. It gets plenty strong and delicious if you can let it set and allow the flavors to erupt. I would imagine it would taste very weak if used immediately after canning.
My mother used to can tart cherry juice this way, and now I do as well. The only difference is that we let the juice “cure” for at least 6 months before consuming it. I think the reason is that over time more juice is pulled from the fruit.
This is the way my dad always made our juice. I just did this myself for the first time not that long ago with grapes from his garden. So important that these recipes keep getting passed down!
Thanks so much i’ve been searching for this grape juice recipe for a long time .My cousin & I want our grandkids to have the homemade grape juice like we did as kids.Our grandmother is 91 and can not remember the recipe .so we are very thank ful to you.All the other recipes I found were made by smashing the grapes.Thanks again & I pray we get it right.Passing on these good memories is priceless.
I tried this a week ago with a regular canner. I also tried a much more labor intensive method of cooking, straining, squeezing, adding sugar, heating back up, pouring in jars, then processing. We sampled some the next day and it was good, but a little weak. I wonder if it will strengthen over time? It may be more flavorful with a pressure canner, so I borrowed one from a friend and am trying that tonight. To be honest I’m terrified of pressure cookers, but here goes.
Mindy,
The pressure canner is absolutely the way to go; it really squeezes out the juices. I’m interested to hear your comments on the difference between the water bathed juice, and the pressure canned juice. (I love experiments!!) The flavor probably does strengthen over time, though I’ve never thought our juice to taste weak at all. Good luck with the pressure canner!!! And don’t be too scared, it really isn’t hard to use, just a little intimidating at first 🙂 You’ll do fine. Let me know how it goes!!
I found a 1 year food storage plan I thought you and your readers could use.
http://www.sacramentograpevine.com/blog/view/id_447/title_1-year-food-storage-plan/
I steamed my concord grapes in a juicer this weekend. I grew up with grapes juice made this way, and I didn’t think I could improve on perfection 🙂 My juice has no added sugar…which I guess could be an acquired taste, but my family loves it.
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Wow, easy is right! Just my kind of recipe. When we bought the place, there was one grape vine (in the shade), that has produced a couple of small bunches each summer. The birds get to them before we do. Still, I love grape juice and would love to can some myself.
I do this with grapes too. I also do balckberry and raspberry juice. All are easy and delicious, Barbara
This looks great! I just tried some of my Brother-in-Law’s wild grape wine this weekend and it was fabulous.. I’d like to try this grape juice recipe for my family. Thanks for the info..
I made this recipe a couple of years ago, and it is fantastic. I followed your recipe, but I processed them in a water bath for 20 minutes. This is the best juice. Thanks again for the recipe.
I made this before and it turned out great! I followed the recipe in the Kerr canning and freezing book (Kerr version of ball blue book)
I’ve done 1 cup grapes to 1 cup sugar, fill the rest of the quart with water. Water bath can for 20-25 minutes or so. When it’s time for juice, bring out the strainer, and add about 2-3 cups of water since the juice is concentrated. Yum, yum, yum. 😀 And the color is absolutely beautiful – I have seeded purple Concords.
Yum,Yum, Your juice looks fab.
Have a wonderful day.