Mmmm... fresh grape juice. We moved into a house this summer with huge arbor covered in Concord grapes. We loved opening up our back door on a windy day to have the sweet aroma of these ripening grapes waft through our house- it was heaven!
When it finally came time to pick them I realized I didn't really have a plan for them. So we went simple- or so we thought- and made juice. It turned out to be a quite a project, but it was worth it... maybe :) I think I'll keep my eye out for a steam juicer at the thrift store for next year, but if you're in the mood and happen to fall upon some grapes, here's what to do.
Wash and pick the grapes from the stems. Place in a large soup pot and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Bring to a gentle boil and start mashing. BTW, you'll want to either cover yourself up (see Emmie's beautiful ensemble) or wear a dark color. The grapes WILL splatter and WILL stain your clothes, countertops, and toes.
Emmie loved helping. Notice the beautifully bright kitchen that accompanied our new house with the grape arbor? Lots of fun!
Once most of the grapes have shed their skins and lost most of their juice you're ready to carefully, Carefully pour into a large bowl lined with cheese cloth.
Gather up the top of the cheese cloth and to the kitchen faucet or something like a wooden dowelthat will allow the juice to drip freely into the bowl. I went with a couple of wooden skewers and a deep stock pot.
.For really clear juice you can let drip for as long as it takes, but I got a little impatient and gave it a good squeeze towards the end.
The end result is rich, dark, delicious grape juice. Yum!
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