There is nothing better you can do for your food security, preservation of your harvest, or stretching your grocery budget than canning at home. Done properly, home-canned foods are safe, long-lasting, and delicious, and best of all, nearly anything can be preserved.
Most of us are already familiar with canning meat, soup, veggies, fruit, and preserves, but did you know you can also make and can your own juice? It’s true, and one of my very favorites is grape juice.
Home-canned grape juice has a depth of flavor that will blow the store-bought stuff out of the water, and it’s delicious both as a refreshing drink and as an ingredient in different desserts.
Keep reading and I’ll tell you how to process, prepare, and can your own grape juice at home easily using a water bath method.
Canning Juice Takes a Couple of Days
One thing to note before we get down to the nuts and bolts of this operation is that you’ll need a few of days to can grape juice properly and safely.
Though the process itself takes just a few minutes, as little as five depending on the size of your jars, the preparation is more involved even though it’s easy.
This is because after the initial boiling, you need to chill the juice for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days before processing it in the canner. Make sure you account for this when budgeting your time and also ensure that you have room in your fridge for storing it.
With that in mind, let’s get to it…
Tools and Supplies
You don’t need anything special to make and can your own grape juice as long as you already have a water bath canning setup and some basic kitchen tools.
Grapes: You’re not going to get grape juice without grapes, and for this procedure, you can use any kind of grapes you want. White, red, or black are fine, and it doesn’t matter if they have seeds or are seedless. All of that will be strained out. You can also mix colors if you want.
Note you’ll need a lot of grapes to make a single canner load of juice; you’ll need about 16 lb of grapes alone to make a load of nine pint jars, or 24 1/2 lb to make a load of 7 quart jars.
If you re making a small batch, say two jars, that will 3 ½ lb for two pint jars or 7 lb for two quart jars.
Water: You’ll need water for boiling the grapes and also for the canning procedure. I recommend you use filtered water for the grapes themselves, but tap water is fine for the canning procedure.
Sugar: You don’t have to, but adding a little sugar to the juice can improve flavor and sweetness. White, granulated sugar is fine. You shouldn’t need too much; a few generous pinches will do it for most folks.
Canning Rack: This is the device that sits at the bottom of the pot to keep the jars off the bottom and from banging into each other during the canning process.
Any type of water bath rack will work, but I recommend you get one with handles that makes it easier to load and unload safely.
Canning Jars: You can use any kind of canning jars you want for this operation, quart or pint-sized as mentioned, but half-gallon jars are also okay.
Whatever kind you like, check them over well to make sure there are no cracks, chips, or other defects that could cause failure during or after processing.
Jar Lids: Only use properly sized brand-new jar lids for your canning jars unless they come with lids and seals that are explicitly reusable. Never, ever reuse a lid that has the ring of sealing compound on it! Even if they look okay, they are highly prone to failure.
Bands: Jar bands hold the lids in place during processing. Unlike the lids themselves, you can reuse the bands as long as they aren’t dented, cracked, bent, or damaged in some other way.
Canning Funnel: A canning funnel is a must for easily filling jars, especially when you are filling them with juice as we are. This also helps to prevent splashes from getting on the rim or threads of the jar, something that can lead to a seal failure.
Jar Lifter: A jar lifter, also known as jar tongs, is a specialized tool that will help you grip and maneuver hot jars without breaking them or burning yourself.
A canning rack with handles might eliminate the need for this tool since you can load the jars and unload them all at once, but these still come in really handy.
Large Stockpot: A large stockpot that is appropriately sized to your canning rack. Make sure it is deep enough that you can fully cover the jars with water.
Large Saucepan: A large saucepan will hold crushed grapes for boiling. This is how we extract the grape juice. Pick the biggest one you’ve got because it will have to hold a lot of grapes, even though they will all be crushed!
Small Saucepan: A small saucepan is needed to boil some water separately for covering the grapes in the larger saucepan.
Slotted Spoon: Used for stirring the grapes during boiling.
Cutting Board: A sturdy wood or heat-resistant plastic cutting board is just the ticket for protecting your counters from hot jars during the filling process.
Crusher: A veggie or fruit crusher will help you crush all of the grapes in the saucepan without making a huge mess. If you don’t have one of these, you can improvise with a sturdy spoon or some other tool, but be prepared for a little cleanup.
Paring Knife: Not strictly needed for this procedure, but if you have any grapes with broken stems or ones that are difficult to pop off, this will allow you to cut them out.
Colander: Comes in handy for giving your grapes a good wash in the sink.
Cheesecloth or Jelly Bag: You only need one or the other. Essential for straining the skins and other large solids off of the boiled grapes to separate them from the juice that we want to keep.
Coffee Filter (optional): If you like extra clear grape juice, a second straining through a coffee filter will catch all of the tiny particles that got through the cheesecloth or jelly bag.
Paper Towels: Needed for cleaning up the drips, spills, and spatters that invariably occur. Also essential for wiping down your jar rims immediately prior to filling.
Timer: Precise timing is important for canning. Use anything you want: stovetop clock, phone, kitchen timer, whatever. Just be sure that it is accurate!
Steps to Canning Grape Juice
The following procedures are all straightforward and easy, but I urge you to read them over in their entirety before you begin. Several operations are time-dependent, so plan accordingly before you get started.
Step 1: Sanitize all equipment. The first thing to do, as ever, is to sanitize all of your equipment before you get started. Everything that will come into contact with your grapes or the juice itself during the canning process must be given a hot, soapy wash.
Run it through a dishwasher set to the hottest setting if possible immediately before you get started.
Just a reminder, you will be stopping for at least a day after the juice is extracted. You can wait to sanitize the equipment you’ll need the following day before you start the canning process.
Step 2: Wash grapes thoroughly, remove stems. Once your equipment is washed, give the grapes a good wash under the faucet or using your sink sprayer. Load them into a colander and gently turn them while you go.
Once they are washed, go over the grapes carefully and pluck out all of the stems. If any are broken or too deep, simply cut off the ends using your paring knife.
Step 3: Prepare workspace. Take a moment to get everything in place before you start. Clear your countertops. Make sure you have enough space, and set all of your tools where they need to be.
Note that you will be stopping for a day or two after you extract the juice to let it chill, so be prepared to do this again the following day.
Step 4: Boil water in small saucepan. Fill the small saucepan with water and turn the heat up to high to get it going toward a rolling boil.
Step 5: Load grapes in large saucepan, crush. Load all of the washed, stemmed grapes in the large saucepan. Start crushing them with your crusher or other tool. Add more as you make room and try to avoid making a mess.
Step 6: Cover grapes with boiling water, simmer. Once the water in the small saucepan has come up to a boil and all of the grapes in the larger pan are crushed, add the boiling water to the larger pan until the grapes are just covered.
Turn up the heat on this larger saucepan and gently simmer the grapes for around 10 to 15 minutes until the skins soften.
Step 7: Strain and chill liquid. Working carefully, pour the grapes into a double layer of cheesecloth or your jelly bag and then strain them back into the saucepan. This will remove the skins and the large solids in one go, leaving the juice and small particulates behind.
Set the saucepan back on a cold burner and let it cool to a safe temperature before covering and placing it in the fridge:
Let the juice chill for 24 to 48 hours before you move on; this is essential for letting the remaining sediment sink to the bottom of the pan so you can pour the juice off later. Clean up in the meantime.
Step 8: Pour off clear juice, discard solids. Once you’ve let the juice chill for a day or two, pull it out of the fridge carefully. Don’t swirl it or stir it together as this will re-mix the sediment with the juice!
Carefully pour off the clear liquid into another container, taking care to leave the solids at the bottom behind:
Step 9: Re-strain if desired. If you want extra clear grape juice, strain the juice one more time through a paper coffee filter. This will catch all of the tiny little granules that got through the cheesecloth or jelly bag earlier.
Step 10: Boil the juice again. Turn up the heat to get the juice going to a gentle boil. While it’s heating up, work quickly through the following steps…
Step 11: Boil water in large stockpot, preheat jars. Fill the large stockpot with water, enough to cover all of your jars when they are in place. Take care that it doesn’t overflow. Bring the water up to a boil, load the jars into the canning rack, and preheat the jars.
Step 12: Sweeten juice if desired, bring to boil. Keep an eye on your grape juice the entire time. When it starts to warm up, but before it gets too hot, taste it and add sugar if desired. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Watch for the juice to come to a boil. As soon as it does, turn down the heat to keep it just simering and move on to the next step.
Step 13: Fill jars quickly. Working quickly but carefully, remove your jars from the boiling water. Lift out the rack and set it on the stove if you have room and can do it carefully, otherwise use your jar lifter.
Place the jars on a cutting board to protect your countertop, then immediately use your jar funnel to ladle the juice into the jars. Leave 1/4 inch headspace.
Step 14: Wipe off jar rims and cap with lid and band. Working quickly, grab a clean paper towel and wipe off the rims of the jars if the juice dripped on any of them.
Immediately place a brand new lid on each, then secure with a band hand-tight. Do not overtighten! Good and snug is fine.
Step 15: Load jars onto canning rack. Replace the jars on the canning rack and then put the rack back into the water, or if you left it in the water, use your jar lifter to carefully place the jars one by one back in position.
It is critical that when you are lifting the jars, you don’t tilt them or allow the juice to slosh against the lid. If that happens, it increases the likelihood that a seal will fail.
Step 16: Bring water to boil, start timer, and process jars. Make sure the heat is still turned up on the stockpot. Once the water has come back to a rolling boil, start your timer and process according to the following guidelines.
If canning at sea level or up to 1,000 ft in elevation, process for 5 minutes. If between 1,001 and 6,000 ft in elevation, process for 10 minutes. Above 6,000 ft, process for 15 minutes.
The processing time is the same for pint or quart jars. If using half-gallon jars, add 5 minutes to each prescribed time based on your altitude.
Start your timer and watch it closely, making sure the water stays at a boil the entire time.
Step 17: Cut heat when processing time elapsed, rest jars. When the timer goes off, cut the heat to the pot but don’t remove the jars. Let them sit inside the hot water, undisturbed, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 18: Remove jars carefully. Carefully pull out the rack or lift them out one by one using your jar lifter as before. Again, take great care to avoid sloshing the contents.
The jars will be really hot, so have a cutting board or towel ready to set them on. Do not set them on a stone surface or near a door or window where they could be exposed to a draft as this may cause cracking.
Step 19: Cool jars completely. Leave the jars to sit, protected from drafts and completely undisturbed, for around 12 hours. Note that larger jars might take a little longer.
Step 20: Check lids for a good seal. Once the jars have completely cooled down, it’s time to check each lid to see if it sealed. Press on the lid with a finger.
If that’s okay, remove the band and then carefully, gently, pick up the jar by holding the edges of the lid alone. You only need to pick it straight up about an inch.
If you hear any hissing or bubbling, or if the lid pops or slides, the seal was no good. If it holds fast, your jar of juice is good to go.
Set aside any jars that fail the test and read the following section for instructions.
Step 21: Wipe off and store. Jars that passed the lid check should be carefully wiped down with a moistened paper towel to remove any residue and then stored in a cool, dark spot that is protected from temperature fluctuations.
Step 22: Done. You are finished! You have processed and canned your own delicious, nutritious grape juice at home.
What Should You Do if a Lid Fails the Test?
If any lids fail your test, that doesn’t mean the grape juice is bad, it just means it isn’t going to last in storage.
You have a couple of choices: the first is that you can pop the lid off and drink or use the juice. It is still fresh, safe, and delicious. It will keep in the fridge for a few days if you don’t want to use it right away, but don’t even think about storing it long-term.
Your second option is to pour the juice into a brand-new jar and, using a brand-new lid, process it again. Assuming the jar comes out and passes the test, it will be ready for storage. Note that reprocessing the juice will change the flavor somewhat.
How Long Does Canned Grape Juice Last?
Your canned juice will last around a year in storage if kept under ideal conditions of between 50° and 60° F / 10° C – 15° C, and it is protected from temperature fluctuations and sunlight.
Tim is a farm boy with vast experience on homesteads, and with survival and prepping. He lives a self-reliant lifestyle along with his aging mother in a quiet and very conservative little town in Ohio. He teaches folks about security, prepping and self-sufficiency not just through his witty writing, but also in person.
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