Last Wednesday we picked the Concord grapes. Actually, my extended family picked the grapes. I scurried around getting out jars and sugar and lids and canners.
We carefully picked all the grapes off their stems, removing the spiders and ladybugs and less-than-desirable grapes at the same time. We did this outside, to minimize the mess in my kitchen. When a large bowl was finished, I let the extended family continue their sorting job, and I went inside. I washed the grapes.
I put about 1/3 cup of sugar in the bottom of each jar, and enough boiling water to dissolve it. I then filled the jar with grapes, and added enough water to come up to the "shoulder" of the jar. I leave some extra room when I can grape juice (and that's what this post is about--I guess I forgot to specify that). Otherwise I have purple mess outside of the jars. I added sterilized lids and rings.
I pressured canned them for eight minutes at five pounds of pressure. I rotated three canners so that I could finish before the year 2010. I let each canner "rest" 25 minutes before opening to depressurize and cool a bit. 
67 jars. Not bad! SO glad I have help...
When we open them, we just dump the contents of the jar through a strainer that is the same size as our juice pitcher. Let the grapes drain for a few minutes, discard the contents of the strainer, and enjoy!
Wow! I'll bet they're delicious!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's easy! Mom cooks and seeds them with one of those tomato-seeder/fruit crusher things. (Okay, I have no idea what it's called: It has small holes and a blade you turn with a center crank.) Lots of work. But this looks as easy as canning blackberries. Now I wish I had gotten to the grapes before the frost, raccoons, and coyotes did.
ReplyDeleteThe grape juice and process sounds good. We raised grapes for years and the mess we had trying to make jel, I gave up on them.
ReplyDeleteEllyn Jackson