Updated. From the recipe archive.
Late September and early October is Concord Grape season in California’s central valley. Every time I walk under our grape arbor in this season, just the smell of those ripe grapes conjures up memories of childhood - wolfing down a PB & J, slurping a rapidly melting frozen grape juice bar (mom was way more into those than neon popsicles), or greedily munching on a grape flavored jelly bean, lifesaver, or any of those turn-your-mouth-purple candies that we loved. We used to make Grape juice from Welch’s frozen concentrate; sometimes the lid didn’t come off so easily and splat there went a purple goopy mess all over our shirts.
If you have never had fresh, homemade grape juice, I assure you, you are missing out; it’s nothing like anything you can buy in a store. It’s more like nectar than store bought juice. You can’t drink too much of it at once or you’ll get a sugar rush. We like to dilute ours a bit with sparkling water. Over the years we’ve learned that our homemade grape juice doesn’t really freeze well; it just doesn’t taste nearly as special upon defrosting. So when it’s in season, we drink it up.
This recipe uses Concord grapes which according to my friends in Concord, Mass, still grow wild around those parts. I’m pretty sure you could use this grape juice recipe with any kind of sweet grape you like.
Continue reading “Making Grape Juice” »
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