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Cooked grape juice

In September, the clusters hang heavy on the trellis. Before the wasps see to them and before you think of wine, take a part of them for this deep juice, a dense nectar that no supermarket can equal.

Homemade grape juice, briefly cooked, is very different from raw-pressed juice: the heat stabilises the pigments, releases more tannins from the skin, and allows longer keeping. It's also the simplest solution when you have no fruit press, you just crush by hand or with a pestle. The yield is modest (450 g of grapes give about 15 cl of juice), but the aromatic concentration is beyond compare with shop-bought juices.

Ingredients

  • Fresh grapes (red or white)

    well-ripened grapes, without rot; red varieties give a more tannic and more coloured juice

    As much as possible: 450 g give about 15 cl of juice
  • Sugar

    grapes are usually sweet enough as they are, only add sugar after tasting

    To your taste (often unnecessary)
  • Water
    About 5 cm in the bottom of the pan

Equipment

  • •1 large pan
  • •1 pestle or a large whisk to crush
  • •1 wooden spoon
  • •1 muslin or fine cheesecloth to filter
  • •Glass bottles for keeping

Steps

  1. 1

    Prepare the grapes

    Wash the clusters in cold water. Carefully destem the grapes, removing ALL the berries from the stalks, no stem must remain (stems give the juice an unpleasant tannic bitterness). You can keep the pips, they give body.

    20 min for 1 kg

  2. 2

    Crush and heat

    Put the berries in the large pan. Crush them well with a pestle or the bottom of a glass to burst the skins and release the juice. Add about 5 cm of water to the bottom of the pan (just enough to stop it catching at the start).

    10 min

  3. 3

    Simmer 10 minutes

    Bring to a simmer (not a violent boil) over medium heat, then lower to low heat. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. The skins will release their pigments, the juice will take on a deep hue.

    10 min

  4. 4

    Taste and adjust

    Carefully taste (it's hot) a spoonful of the juice. Most of the time, the grape is sweet enough as it is. If you find it too tart, add a little sugar (start with 1 tsp per litre, adjust).

    2 min

  5. 5

    Filter

    Filter everything through a muslin stretched over a clean bowl. You can press gently with the back of a spoon, but don't press too much if you want a clear juice. Let it cool.

    20 min

  6. 6

    Bottle

    Transfer into clean glass bottles. An important note: grape juice does not freeze well (the texture changes), so make a little at a time and drink it quickly.

    10 min

Storage

5 to 7 days in the fridge in a closed bottle. DO NOT freeze (altered texture). To keep it longer: pasteurise at 80 °C for 10 min in capped bottles (a complex method, prefer small volumes drunk quickly).

How to use it

As is, fresh, in a small glass (the juice is dense, no need for large quantities). Mixed 50/50 with sparkling water for a less sweet version. As a base for a sweet-and-sour sauce for game or poultry. As a syrup over fromage blanc.

Health properties

  • Polyphenols and anthocyanins (especially in red grapes, skin and pips), documented antioxidants. Resveratrol, however, stays low in a simple juice (it concentrates mostly in wine through long skin/pip maceration)
  • Vitamin C partly retained (short cooking preserves it better than a long boil)
  • Grape tannins, a mild astringent effect, antioxidant properties
  • Natural glucose and fructose, immediate energy
  • Without the high-temperature pasteurisation of industrial juices (which destroys many aromas)

These preparations belong to cooking and herbal tradition: they nourish and support, do not “cure” anything and replace no treatment. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before prolonged use, if under treatment, pregnant or breastfeeding, or for a child. Follow the stated storage precautions strictly.

Precautions

Very rich in natural sugar (~150 kcal for 15 cl), to dose for diabetics. People on anticoagulants: the resveratrol in red grapes may interact with warfarin, monitor in case of significant regular consumption. Reflux: the juice's acidity can trouble sensitive stomachs. Short cool keeping: don't wait, the juice ferments naturally after a few days and gradually becomes alcoholic.

Sources & tradition

  • · European wine-growing tradition (peasant method before the press)
  • · *L'autosuffisance, c'est possible !* (Cherche-Midi)
  • · INRAE, composition of Vitis vinifera (polyphenols, resveratrol)

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