2 cups whole grapes, washed well with stems removed
⅔ cup sugar
2 pints boiling water
Sterilize and prepare quart jars for canning.
Soak lids in boiling water.
In each sterilized jar, place 2 cups whole grapes.
Cover with ⅔ cup sugar.
Add boiling water to cover leaving 1 inch headspace.
Wipe the rim of each jar before topping with a sterilized lids and rings.
Process each jar in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Remove jars and allow to cool completely before checking seals.
To use the Concentrate:
Strain the contents of 1 quart jar through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer (to remove seeds and skins) into a clean vessel.
Add 1 quart fresh water (you can add even more for a weaker juice).
Stir and serve chilled.
This recipe makes 1 quart of juice concentrate - 2 qts finished juice. Just increase the quantities as needed for the number of quarts you wish to make. You will need 4 - 5 pounds (approximately 14 cups whole grapes) to make a canner load of 7 quarts of concentrate.
If you prefer to make a juice that simply needs to be strained before using, use only half the grapes and sugar. At that point, simply strain and serve (no additional water is needed).
Just after processing your jars, you will notice a layer of sugar on the bottom of each. This will dissolve over the course of the next week. Just shake or invert your jars gently several times during the days after processing to help the sugar dissolve quicker.