Canning grape juice concentrate is an easy way to turn the rich, sweet flavors of fresh grapes into juice so you can enjoy your own homemade grape juice year round.

3 jars of grape juice concentrate on the counter

Canning Grape Juice (and a Homemade Grape Juice Recipe!)

If you’re looking for a simple way to turn that grape harvest into a shelf-stable concentrate, you’re in the right place. Don’t worry if this process sounds a little intimidating at first, taking it step by step makes it manageable and even enjoyable. Yes, I genuinely enjoy canning!

Growing our own grapes is something we definitely hope to do one day, but until we make it happen, I’m glad to be able to purchase grapes from our local bulk food store.

Which grape variety is best for grape juice?

Catawba – a red grape with a more “spicy” flavor.
Concord – a purple grape with a strong classic grape flavor; this is America’s favorite grape! Concord grapes are great for making juice, jams, jellies and even wine. I think these have the best flavor and I also like the deep purple color of the juice!
Edelweiss – a white grape, looks similar to Niagara, and tastes similar to the Concord.
Muscadine – a dark purple grape with a slightly musky smell and very sweet taste.
Niagara – a popular green grape with a somewhat strong floral flavor that can be eaten as a table grape or made into white grape juice.
St. Croix – a sweet, dark purple grape used to make jams, juice and fine wines.
Swenson Red – a sweet, fruity red grape that’s typically eaten fresh, but is also great for jams and juice.

There are lots and lots of grape varieties out there, too many to list them all here. And really, you can make grape juice out of almost any kind of grape! So, this is my short list of a few grapes that are more commonly used for grape juice. Use whatever’s available to you!

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Where can I find grapes for canning concentrate?

If you’re like me, you might not have homegrown grapes from your own vines (yet) so you’ll need to buy grapes if you want to can them. You can always check with your local grocery store, and here are a few more places to check:

Local farms, farmstands, or farmer’s markets (and here’s the link to the USDA Local Food Directory to check for one nearby)
A “u-pick” patch (click here to see if there’s one near you)
Azure Standard
Local bulk food store – if you live near a Mennonite or Amish bulk food store, there’s a good chance they’ll get loads of grapes in during the summer or fall.

Supplies You Will Need

Jars – glass canning jars, lids and rings (I mostly use quart jars). And you’ll want high quality lids (for the best seal on your jars) such as Ball or Superb lids.
Sugar – white granulated sugar
Water
Grapes
Water Bath Canner – I have this one and I especially like the little feature on the knob that takes the guesswork out of knowing when to start timing the canning process!
Jar grabber – you’ll need a jar lifter thing to remove jars from the hot water
Measuring cup – a one-cup measure to measure the grapes and sugar
Funnel – I also like my wide mouth funnel when it comes to canning!

How to Can Grape Juice Concentrate

a box of grapes setting beside some canning jars

Preparing the grapes for canning:

Wash your jars. (A dishwasher works great for washing and sanitizing jars!)

Rinse the grapes. Remove all the grapes from the stems, discarding any moldy or rotten grapes along with the stems.

Place 3 cups of grapes in each jar, followed by a cup of sugar. Pour hot water into each jar, filling to the bottom ring on the neck of the jar, leaving about a 3/4-inch headspace.

Wipe each jar rim with a damp cloth and place lids and screw rings on each one.

jars filled with grapes, sugar and water ready to be canned

Canning the grapes:

Place the jars of grapes in the canner, fill the canner with water until the jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Turn the burner on high; once the water comes to a rolling boil (this might take a while), turn the burner back just a little and start the timer. Time the canning process for 10 minutes, then turn off the burner, and remove the jars of grapes with a jar lifter. Place the canned grapes on a towel on the counter to cool. Soon you should start to hear the “ping” of the jars sealing!

Just so you know: the National Center for Food Preservation recommends canning grapes according to the table below:

And as you can see, my canning time is a little shorter than what they recommend for raw packing grapes. To be on the safe side, you can always can them longer according to the NCHFP chart and if you have more canning questions, you can do more research over there!

Repeat the process!

One thing, before filling the canner with another set of grape jars, temper the water in the canner by removing a pitcher full of hot water and adding a pitcher full of cool/room temperature water.

An hour or two after the grapes are canned, I like to go check and make sure they all sealed. You can tell if a jar isn’t sealed by pressing on the lid. If it “pops” and isn’t sucked down tight on top of the jar, it didn’t seal.

If you have unsealed jars, you have a few options:

Try re-canning them with another jar and new lid.
Refrigerate any unsealed jars and turn them into grape juice and drink it within a week.
Dump the contents of the unsealed jar into a freezer box and freeze until you’re ready to make grape juice.

Storing the Canned Grape Juice Concentrate

Once the canned jars of grapes have cooled, remove the rings and rinse and wipe each jar to remove any sticky stuff. Then store the jars on your can shelves. (See below how to use the concentrate!)

Tips, Tricks & Notes

This method of canning is also known as cold pack or raw pack water bath canning. It’s easier than hot packing, which is when you heat the grapes in syrup and dump them hot into the jars and can them right away.

When it comes to using the grape juice concentrate: if the lid doesn’t come off with a “pop” or you see mold or smell an odd smell, the jar likely un-sealed and the contents are spoiled. When in doubt, throw it out!
Don’t worry if the jars look pretty light in color right after canning. They’ll continue to darken the longer they sit. I often wait a few weeks to use any of my canned concentrate.

How to Use Canned Grape Juice Concentrate

Strain a quart of canned grape juice into a half gallon pitcher, add about 2 quarts of water (or just fill the pitcher full) and stir. Serve and enjoy!💜

Discard the grapes themselves or turn them into Grape Dessert!

Store the grape juice in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Make it sparkling! Mix the concentrate with carbonated water instead of still and you’ll have sparkling grape juice.

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More ways to preserve your own food:

How to Can Grape Juice Concentrate

Canning grape juice concentrate is an easy way to turn the rich, sweet flavors of fresh grapes into juice so you can enjoy your own homemade grape juice year round!

Materials

Sugar
Water
Grapes

Tools

Water Bath Canner
Jars - glass canning jars, lids and rings
Jar grabber
Measuring cup
Funnel

Instructions

Wash and your jars. (A dishwasher works great for washing and sanitizing jars!)
Rinse the grapes. Remove all the grapes from the stems, discarding any moldy or rotten grapes.
Place 3 cups of grapes in each jar, followed by a cup of sugar. Pour hot water into each jar, filling to the bottom ring on the neck of the jar, leaving about a 3/4-inch headspace.
Wipe each jar rim with a damp cloth and place lids and screw rings on each one.
Canning the grapes: Place the jars of grapes in the canner, fill the canner with water until the jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Turn the burner on high; once the water comes to a rolling boil (this might take a while), turn the burner back just a little and start the timer. Time the canning process for 10 minutes, then turn off the burner, and remove the jars of grapes with a jar lifter. Place the canned grapes on a towel on the counter to cool. Soon you should start to hear the "ping" of the jars sealing!
Repeat the process! One thing, before filling the canner with another set of grape jars, temper the water in the canner by removing a pitcher full of hot water and adding a pitcher full of cool water.

Notes

How to use the canned grape juice concentrate: Strain a quart of canned grape juice into a half gallon pitcher, add about 2 quarts of water (or just fill the pitcher full) and stir. Serve and enjoy!💜 Store the grape juice in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Just so you know: the National Center for Food Preservation recommends canning grapes longer than what I can mine. To be on the safe side, you can follow their recommendations for canning! Learn more here.

When it comes to using the grape juice concentrate: if the lid doesn't come off with a "pop" or you see mold or smell an odd smell, the jar likely un-sealed and the contents are spoiled. When in doubt, throw it out!