This easy grape juice canning recipe can be made in less than an hour with just grapes, sugar and water! Keep reading to learn how to make homemade grape juice!
Grapes are a delicious fruit that you can source all year long. Whether you buy them or they are homegrown grapes, you can always get your hands on them!
Besides simply eating grape and dehydrating grapes, did you know that you can can them and make your own homemade grape juice? You read that right, you can make pints or quarts of juice by using this simple grape juice recipe!
Similar to canning cranberry juice, canning fresh grape juice is a beginner friendly canning recipe, and perfect for the first time canner. It leaves your grape juice having the best flavor and you having a knew level of confidence in your canning skills.
If you haven't tried canning you own cranberry juice, you can use this grape recipe as a beginner canning recipe instead! I seriously can not begin to express how easyyyyyy it is to can you own homemade grape juice.
The best part is that it does not require countless hours of work and is a great way to used up your good grapes before they go bad.
Why this recipe works
I don't know about your family, but I know my kids love juice! We treat it as a special drink (sorry, kids, but that's just how it is when mom is a dental hygienist!) and use it to occasionally pair with our breakfast, satisfy a sweet tooth, and for mixed drinks and mocktails! I've used grape juice many times to flavor my homemade kombucha for a second fermentation or when I make a kombucha mocktail.
The feeling you will get when you crack open a jar of your homemade grape juice to serve to your family and guest with your homemade cinnamon rolls is one that I just can't explain. It's a pride filled moment---and trust me you have every reason to be proud of yourself for making it!
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Grape juice canning recipe ingredients
- 2 bags of whole grapes: You'll need about 3 pounds of grapes. You can use any color of grape you want, but I highly recommend concord if you are able to find them. I've used red, black, white or even green grapes. White grapes will work just as well and leave you with an almost white grape juice. Today I'm using dark purple grapes and my juice is a deep violet color.
- Sugar: The amount of sugar in your jar will determine how sweet your juice is, or whether it is a juice or concentrate. More sugar, thicker syrup. Today I'm making a concentrate, so my sugar is one half cup per quart.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Remove all the grapes from the grape vines and discard of any grapes with blemishes or rotten spots.
- Place grapes in your favorite fruit cleaner and let soak. I also like to blanch the grapes in boiling water for 30 seconds. I think it makes them juicier!
- Wash the canning jars and lids in very hot soapy water or place jars in a large pot of boiling water. You’ll want your clean jars to be warmed up for the next step!
- Fill your canner with water to the quart sized water bath line, or so that the jars will be submerged by at least an inch once they are in the canner.
5. Set it on the stove and heat water to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Put the funnel in the jar and pour ¼-1/2 cups sugar into each quart.
7. Fill each jar to the top with grapes and then top the jar off with boiling or very hot water.
8. Leave ½-1 inch headspace at the top of the jar, wipe jar rims with a clean towel dipped in vinegar, add the lid and secure the screw bands finger tip tight. You don’t want to really crank them down, because air needs to be able to escape as it heats in the boiling water.
9. Use the jar lifter to transfer the grape jars to the water bath canner. Watch out for steam! It can really burn you. The jars should be close, but not touching. 7 quart jars give me full canner loads and fit perfectly in my canner, and I’m guessing they will fit in yours, too. Once the water has reached a full rolling boil, set a timer for 15 minutes. Once the jars are done processing, I shut off the burner and wait until the water stops spoiling before I remove the jars from the canner.
10. If I were canning a food like pickles that are prone to turning mushy, I would remove the jars immediately. But the grapes don’t mind! Set the jars on a few layers of tea towels and leave them undisturbed overnight. Let the hot juice cool slowly!
11. The lids have probably not sealed yet, and over the next few hours you will probably start hearing soft little “ping” sounds as they seal. Wait at least 12-24 hours before testing the seal and removing the rings. You need to make sure the jars of grape juice have came to room temperature. Give the glass jars a good shake once a day or so until they have a deep purple color. Label to jars and put them in your pantry for later!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead
Recipe
CANNING GRAPE JUICE (HOMEMADE GRAPE JUICE)
Equipment
- water bath canner
- 7 quart jars
- 7 rings and lids
Ingredients
- 3 pounds grapes such as concord
- 3½ cups sugar adjust to taste
Instructions
- Remove all the grapes from the grape vines and discard of any grapes with blemishes or rotten spots.
- Place grapes in your favorite fruit cleaner and let soak. I also like to blanch the grapes in boiling water for 30 seconds. I think it makes them juicier!
- Wash the canning jars and lids in very hot soapy water or place jars in a large pot of boiling water. You’ll want your clean jars to be warmed up for the next step!
- Fill your canner with water to the quart sized water bath line, or so that the jars will be submerged by at least an inch once they are in the canner.
- Set it on the stove and heat water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Put the funnel in the jar and pour ¼ cup sugar into each quart.
- Fill each jar to the top with grapes and then top the jar off with boiling or very hot water.
- Leave ½-1 inch headspace at the top of the jar, wipe jar rims with a clean towel dipped in vinegar, add the lid and secure the screw bands finger tip tight. You don’t want to really crank them down, because air needs to be able to escape as it heats in the boiling water.
- Use the jar lifter to transfer the grape jars to the water bath canner. Watch out for steam! It can really burn you. The jars should be close, but not touching. 7 quart jars give me full canner loads and fit perfectly in my canner, and I’m guessing they will fit in yours, too. Once the water has reached a full rolling boil, set a timer for 15 minutes. Once the jars are done processing, I shut off the burner and wait until the water stops spoiling before I remove the jars from the canner.
- If I were canning a food like pickles that are prone to turning mushy, I would remove the jars immediately. But the grapes don’t mind! Set the jars on a few layers of tea towels and leave them undisturbed overnight. Let the hot juice cool slowly!
- The lids have probably not sealed yet, and over the next few hours you will probably start hearing soft little “ping” sounds as they seal. Wait at least 12-24 hours before testing the seal and removing the rings. You need to make sure the jars of grape juice have came to room temperature. Give the glass jars a good shake once a day or so until they have a deep purple color. Label to jars and put them in your pantry for later!
Notes
TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
- Your processing time will vary based on your elevation. If you live above 1000ft elevation you will have to water bath can for an additional 5 minutes. If you live above 6000ft you will increase the canning time by 10 minutes. I can grape juice for 15 minutes and then let it sit in the canner for at least 5 minutes before removing the jars. You can let it sit longer, if you grapes so mushy that is okay! Pint, quart and half-gallon jars all have the same canning times.
- If the grape juice appears cloudy, that is totally normal. It is a result of the natural pectin that is in the grapes. Unlike homemade grape juice, store bought grape juice filters this pectin out to result in a clearer juice.
- If you do not leave enough headspace, you will take the risk of the grapes expanding during the canning process, resulting in a slight lifting of the lid. This will let your juices leak out into the water bath creating a syphoning.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
When it comes time to serve your juice, you will have to use a fine mesh strainer to strain out any grapes and seeds that are in the beverage. This grape juice recipe will be more like a grape juice concentrate, so you will want to add water to it once it is strained. Taste test to see what amount of water is perfect for your palate. We like to add about 2 cups of water or carbonated water (pictured above). Serve this grape juice over ice for your next family breakfast. It will add a little bit of sweetness to the menu when you are serving your favorite egg sandwich or egg based casserole. If you are looking for a way to use it up before it goes bad, you can use it in a mixed drink or a mocktail. You can also use it to flavor your kombucha.STORAGE
You can store homemade canned grape juice for up to a year in your pantry shelf. It is recommended to store it in a cool dark place, out of direct sunlight. Once you open a jar of this delicious juice, make sure to store the juice in the refrigerator and drink within a week.Nutrition
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Helpful tools for this grape juice canning recipe
- Mason jars: I prefer to use quart jars for this recipe. You can use pint jars, but be sure to cut the recipe in half.
- Measuring cups: You will want a nice sturdy set of measuring cups to measure the sugar and pour the grapes into the jars.
- Water bath canner: I use my pressure canner as a water bath canner as well. I just do not seal the lid.
- Canning lids: Always make sure to have new lids when you are canning.
- Canning jar lifter: I have a set of canning utensils that includes a magnetic stick, tongs, jar lifter and funnel. You can check it out here!
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Your processing time will vary based on your elevation. If you live above 1000ft elevation you will have to water bath can for an additional 5 minutes. If you live above 6000ft you will increase the canning time by 10 minutes. I can grape juice for 15 minutes and then let it sit in the canner for at least 5 minutes before removing the jars. You can let it sit longer, if you grapes so mushy that is okay! Pint, quart and half-gallon jars all have the same canning times.
- If the grape juice appears cloudy, that is totally normal. It is a result of the natural pectin that is in the grapes. Unlike homemade grape juice, store bought grape juice filters this pectin out to result in a clearer juice.
- If you do not leave enough headspace, you will take the risk of the grapes expanding during the canning process, resulting in a slight lifting of the lid. This will let your juices leak out into the water bath creating a syphoning.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes time to serve your juice, you will have to use a fine mesh strainer to strain out any grapes and seeds that are in the beverage.
This grape juice recipe will be more like a grape juice concentrate, so you will want to add water to it once it is strained. Taste test to see what amount of water is perfect for your palate. We like to add about 2 cups of water or carbonated water (pictured above).
Serve this grape juice over ice for your next family breakfast. It will add a little bit of sweetness to the menu when you are serving your favorite egg sandwich or egg based casserole.
If you are looking for a way to use it up before it goes bad, you can use it in a mixed drink or a mocktail. You can also use it to flavor your kombucha.
Storage
You can store homemade canned grape juice for up to a year in your pantry shelf. It is recommended to store it in a cool dark place, out of direct sunlight.
Once you open a jar of this delicious juice, make sure to store the juice in the refrigerator and drink within a week.
Top tip
Hot jars + hot canner (remember this forever!) Keeping the temperatures of the jar and the canner the same will reduce the risk of jars breaking during processing.
FAQ
You can ultimately use an grape varieties when canning grape juice. The most commonly used grapes are concord grapes. They are known for their sweetness and color once turned into juice.
You do not need a pressure canner for making grape juice. A hot water bath canner is sufficient.
You can most definitely add additional fruit to create a different flavor, just be sure to check the canning times for that fruit. For example, the cranberry-grape juice version will process in the water bath for 15 minutes.
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Carrie
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I always look forward to your recipe releases. I had some grapes going bad and decided to can them up before they were a loss. This juice was delicious!