Make and preserve your own grape juice

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 kg grapes, destemmed
• 450 ml water
• 100 g sugar per 1 l of juice obtained

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

vegetarian, vegan and a great way to use up the grape glut

First, wash the grapes, remove any coarse stems, and sort out any bad grapes. To prepare the pressure cooker, place the sieve provided in the pot and fill it heapingly with the grapes. Make sure to position the handle so that it is not lying under the grapes later. Add approximately 450 ml of water. Close the pressure cooker. Be sure to follow the instructions. Set the stovetop to the highest setting. When you can hear steam escaping from the vent, turn off the stove completely, leaving the pot on top. Let the grapes cool down. The pot can only be opened once the pressure has completely released. Please also follow the instructions here! Meanwhile, rinse suitable jars or bottles with twist-off lids or rubber rings and the matching lids. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius (top and bottom heat) and sterilize the jars for about 20 minutes. Mix a little water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and boil the lids in a small saucepan for 5 minutes at a bubbling boil. Remove the sieve from the pressure cooker. Measure the juice and pour it into a saucepan. If necessary, pour it through a sieve lined with a cloth if there are a lot of seeds floating in it. For every 1 liter of juice obtained, measure 100g of sugar and stir in. Bring the liquid to a boil. Remove the jars or bottles from the oven using an oven mitt or cloth. Pour in the hot juice using a funnel. If you are boiling the bottles, only fill them 2/3 full; if the juice is to be consumed fresh, you can fill them just below the rim. To preserve the juice, place the bottles with the juice on the rack in the pressure cooker. Fill with water to about 2/3 full. Switch on the pressure cooker and preserve the juice for 30 minutes at 90°C. The bottles can then cool in the machine. Tips and hints: The juice will keep fresh in the refrigerator for about 4 days, and when boiled for at least 6 months. The juice is a bit time-consuming to make, but the taste is definitely worth it! It’s also a great base for grape jelly, but then make the juice without the sugar. The pulp that remains in the sieve can be passed through a food mill or food mill and added to the juice. This will produce a cloudy juice that should be shaken before drinking.