1. Fill your hot water bath canner with at least two inches of water and warm over low heat.
2. Sterilize pint or quart jars by boiling them in soapy water or using the sterilize cycle on your dishwasher.
3. Give your canning lids and bands a thorough cleaning with warm soapy water.
4. Warm the canning jars by placing them in the canner.
5. Wash and stem the fresh grapes and put them into a saucepan.
6. Crush the grapes using a potato masher or similar device to crush them and release their juice. You can also use a blender – this will remove the pectin, but the juice requires no thickener.
7. If there’s not enough juice to cover the crushed grapes, add just enough boiling water from a kettle to cover them.
8. Heat the contents to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until the grape skins are soft. This step kills any potential bacteria or enzymes present in the juice, preventing spoilage.
9. Strain through either a double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly bag. Discard skins and sediment.
10. Put the juice in covered containers in the refrigerator and let them chill for 24 to 48 hours.
11. Carefully pour the juice into a pot without disturbing the sediment at the bottom of the containers. Strain through a paper coffee filter if you want less cloudy juice.
12. Sweeten the juice to taste if desired. You may add sugar or a sugar substitute such as Stevia.
13. Heat juice, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil.
14. Ladle the hot juice into jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace.
15. Gently remove any air bubbles on the inside of the jar with a wooden stir stick.
16. Wipe the rims of the canning jars and securely place a lid on the top of each jar. Apply the screw bands until they are fingertip tight.
17. Transfer the jars to the boiling water bath canner, placing them on a canning rack. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Place the lid on the canner and begin timing.
18. Process pints and quarts for 5-15 minutes, and half-gallon jars for 10-20 minutes, adjusting for elevation:

Water Bath Canning Grape Juice Processing Times

• 0 – 1,000ft: pints and quarts for 5 minutes; half-gallons for 10 minutes.
• 1,001- 6,000ft: pints and quarts for 10 minutes; half-gallons for 15 minutes.
• 6,001ft and up: pints and quarts for 15 minutes; half-gallons for 20 minutes.

Post Processing

1. Turn off the heat after the elapsed processing time and remove the canner’s lid. Leave the jars in the hot water for 5 minutes.
2. Carefully lift the hot jars onto a surface protected by a clean towel using tongs or a jar lifter. Allow them to cool for 12 to 24 hours.
3. Test the seals by gently pressing the center of the lids with your thumbs to check for proper sealing. Label all sealed jars and store them in a cool, dry, dark place.