Recipe: Grape Juice (canning recipe)

If you process today, it may be OK. I would not leave it in the fridge any longer. It could be starting to ferment.

GRAPE JUICE

QUANTITY:
An average of 24-l/2 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 16 pounds per canner load of 9 pints. A lug weighs 26 pounds and yields 7 to 9 quarts of juice--an average of 3-1/2 pounds per quart.

QUALITY:
Select sweet, well-colored, firm, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking.

PROCEDURE:
Wash and stem grapes. Place grapes in a saucepan and add boiling water to cover grapes. Heat and simmer slowly until skin is soft. Strain through a damp jelly bag or double layers of cheesecloth. Refrigerate juice for 24 to 48 hours. Without mixing, carefully pour off clear liquid and save; discard sediment. If desired, strain through a paper coffee filter for a clearer juice. Add juice to a saucepan and sweeten to taste. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Continue heating with occasional stirring until juice begins to boil. Immediately fill juice into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. (Use the following directions for sterilizing pint and quart jars. Sterilization of half gallon jars is not necessary). Adjust lids and process.

STERILIZATION OF EMPTY JARS:
To sterilize empty jars, put them right side up on the rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 feet. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 feet elevation. Remove and drain sterilized jars one at a time as filled.

RECOMMENDED PROCESS TIMES FOR
GRAPE JUICE IN A BOILING-WATER CANNER
Put hot juice into jars process pints or quarts 5 minutes. Half gallons, 10 minites.