1. Fill your water bath canner with at least two inches of water and set it on the stove using low heat.
2. Sterilize your 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. Rinse well.
4. Warm up your jars by placing them in the canner.
5. Blend sugar and water in a saucepan to create a medium syrup. You can use boiling apple juice or white grape juice as a substitute.
6. Begin the grape preparation process by washing and removing the stems.
7. To hot pack the grapes, blanch the whole grapes in water for 30-60 seconds. Place the grapes into a saucepan filled with syrup, water, or juice and bring to a boil. Ladle the grape mixture into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
8. To raw pack the grapes, fill the jars with raw grapes and add hot water, juice, or syrup, leaving a ½-inch headspace.
9. Ensure there are no air bubbles in the canning jars by gently removing them with a wooden stir stick or bubble remover tool.
10. Wipe the rims of the jars, securely place new canning lids on top of the jars, and screw the screw bands on until fingertip tight.
11. Use a jar lifter to transfer the jars into the boiling water bath canner, setting them on the canning rack inside. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then cover the canner with a lid. Adjust the processing time per altitude, jar size, and packing method:

Hot Pack Water Bath Canning Grapes Processing Times

• 0 – 1,000ft: pints and quarts 10 minutes
• 1,001 – 3,000ft: pints and quarts 15 minutes
• 3,001 – 6,000ft: pints and quarts 15 minutes
• 6,001ft and up: pints and quarts 20 minutes

Raw Pack Water Bath Canning Grapes Processing Times

• 0 – 1,000ft: pints for 15 minutes and quarts for 20 minutes
• 1,001 – 3,000ft: pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes
• 3,001 – 6,000ft: pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes
• 6,001ft and up: pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 35 minutes

Post Processing

1. Turn off the heat after the processing time and remove the canner’s lid. Leave the jars in the hot water in the canner for 5 minutes.
2. Carefully lift the jars onto a surface protected by a clean towel using tongs or a jar lifter. Leave them to cool for 12 to 24 hours undisturbed.
3. Test the seals by gently pressing the center of the lids with your thumbs to check for proper sealing. Any unsealed jars must be refrigerated and used within a week.
4. Sealed jars should have screw bands removed, be cleaned, labeled with the contents and canning date, and stored in a cool, dry, dark place.