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Grape Juice!

Nothing smells more uniquely like fall than the scent of hot grapes juicing.  My in-laws have quite the collection of grape vines and, much to hubby's delight, they offered us first pickings and the use of their steam juicer to juice them!  The process is quite simple, just time-consuming.

1. Pick grapes and rinse them


2. Follow your steam juicer's instructions.  This steam juicer has a water reservoir at the bottom, topped by a collection reservoir with a basket inside.  You fill the basket with grapes, the water reservoir with water, put it all together and put the lid on and heat over medium to medium-high heat. The tubing comes out the front, and make sure it is sitting in a bottle and that you have lots of bottles on hand, because when the juice starts to come out it really flows!  The juice will come in spurts for a while, and I got about 6 quarts per basket full.


3. While juice is still hot, put on lids and rings and they will self-seal.  If they don't seal, water bath for 10 min...or just drink it!


See? Easy-peasy...just a lot of waiting.  Oh, and you have to check the water reservoir a LOT, because if it all boils out the canner can warp.  Don't have a juicer?  Here is another method for making grape juice cocktail that doesn't require one:

Grape "Juice" Without a Juicer

I must say, this years grapes are super sweet, and the juice doesn't need any extra sweetener at all, which makes me super happy, because who wants to drink juice when you have to add more stuff to it to make it taste like juice?
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