If you enjoy your glass of orange juice in the morning with pulp, then this recipe is definitely for you! Using fresh, in-season grapes for maximum flavour, the thickness of ths juice reminds me of apple cider.
This unfiltered grape juice has a nice thick viscosity with unbelievable grape flavour, just like a melted grape popsicle. The sweet grape aroma, deep purple colour, and a decent amount of pulp-like sediment will make buying grape juice a thing of the past.
The variety of grape used is pretty important. I prefer to use the concord variety, otherwise known as blue grapes in my region. This variety is characterized by its navy blue or dark purple-black skin colour, thick and slightly bitter outer skin and a juicy center with the quintessential “grape” flavour. This variety is named after the town of Concord in Massachusetts where they grow in the wild. This variety was made famous by Welshes and has become the stereotypical flavour for grape pop drinks, juice, popsicles, jams, jellies and candy.
I’ve tried two different methods for making homemade grape juice. The first simply involved tossing the grapes in a food processor and blending them for 30 seconds before pushing the puree through a sieve in order to extract the juice. I then poured cold water over the leftover pulp, cleaning it and extracting as much juice, pulp and sediment as possible. Next, I added simple syrup to taste to sweeten the juice. It was very fresh tasting, reminiscent of apple cider with a thick body and decent grape flavour. It lost a bit of it’s purple color - resulting in more of a mauve hue. Due to the high bacteria and wild yeast content on the skin of the grapes and the amount of sediment, this version only lasts about 5 days in the fridge before it starts to ferment. All around a pretty tasty beverage.
The second version is pretty similar to the first except, before the blending stage, I cooked the grapes with the sugar, simmering them for 10 minutes. By using a potato masher and heat to mash the grapes, it releases the juice in a natural way, similar to a compote- concentrating the flavour and preserving the colour. By cooking the grapes, the juice stays a beautiful purple colour; and it has the added benefit of pasteurizing the juice. The concentrated flavour also takes care of sweetening the juice, meaning no simple syrup is needed. The final result is a deep purple, thick juice with an unbelievable grape flavour and aroma that screams grape popsicles. Since this version is cooked, killing off the bacteria and yeast on the grape skins, it tends to last longer in the fridge- one to two weeks. Overall while they were both good, this version was the crowd favourite for sure.
Not a huge fan of pulp? Prefer the traditional filtered grape juice? No problem, just line the sieve with cheesecloth before adding the grape juice mixture. Run it through 1-2 times or until the desired clarity has been reached.
This recipe is best made when concord/blue grapes are in season to be harvested. This is typically sometime between September and October. So stock up on this juice when you have the chance! Want this juice out of season? Try freezing the grapes to use later. Just add a couple minutes to the cooking time to account for them being frozen. That way you have fresh homemade grape juice all year long... or at least until your stock of grapes runs out!
This recipe is made for a 2L (~½ gallon) jug. However, if you only have a smaller pitcher then the recipe halves very well!
Enjoy a thick glass of concentrated grape juice anytime! Way better than anything you could buy at the store, why not give a homemade version a shot.
Concord Grape Juice with Pulp
- Yield: 8 cups |
- Prep time: 12 mins |
- Cook Time: 10 mins |
- Total: 22 mins
Ingredients:
-
2 L concord grapes (~ 2 lbs.)
-
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
-
5 cups cold water
Directions:
1. Pick grapes from stem and rinse thoroughly in a colander or sieve.2. In a large pot on the stove, cook the grapes and sugar for 10 minutes. Medium-high heat at first and turn it down to medium-low once a simmer has been reached. Use a potato masher to mash the grapes for the first couple of minutes and then stir occasionally.
3. Add the cooked grape mixture to a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds.
4. Place a sieve over a large bowl or measuring cup and add the grape puree to the sieve. Using the back of a spoon, push the puree against the sieve. After 2-4 minutes all of the juice should have fallen through to the bowl.
5. Pour 5 cups cold water over the leftover grape puree, washing it and making sure every bit of grape juice/sediment has been extracted.
6. Transfer the unfiltered grape juice into a large jug or pitcher and store in the fridge or enjoy a glass right away.