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This month's notes: July 2022: Stored US apples are still  available.  See your state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops.

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And we have home canning, preserving, drying and freezing directions. You can access recipes and other resources from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me! Also make your own ice cream; see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Have fun, eat healthier and better tasting, and save money by picking your own locally grown fruit and vegetables, and then using our easy  directions

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Yield: 7 to 9 pint jars

Making and canning / bottling your own fruit juice, from many types of fruit, such as berries of any kind (blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) or larger fruit (cherries, peaches, etc.) is quite easy. Here's how to do it, in 12 easy steps and completely illustrated. 

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Ingredients and Equipment

Fruit -  See step 2 for quantities. Large spoons and ladles Sugar - Optional - or other sweeteners - natural or artificial - it's your choice to use any or none. I can't tell you how much to add - it's 0 to 3 cups - depending upon your taste! Strainers - a jelly strainer and/or cheesecloth are needed.  A Foley food mill really speeds up the process and extracts more. see step 6 for pictures and where to buy the strainers and food mill. Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)- Big box stores and grocery stores sometimes carry them; and it is available online - see this page. It's a tremendously useful to put jars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything you need, and at a pretty good price:

At least 1 large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart Teflon lined pots for easy cleanup. 1 Water Bath Canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at big box stores and grocery stores.). Note: we sell canners and supplies here, too - at excellent prices - and it helps support this web site! Ball jars (Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger, Safeway carry them, as do some big box stores - about $7 per dozen 8 ounce jars including the lids and rings) Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once. Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times. Optional stuff: Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) or order it as part of the kit with the jar grabber. Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sanitize them. ($2 at big box stores or it comes in the kit at left)

Grape Juice-making Directions

This example shows you how to make grape juice, or juice from muscadines, scuppernongs and even berries, like raspberries, blueberries, etc..

Step 1 - Pick the fruit! (or buy them already picked)

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality ones!  You can use many types of fruit, such as berries of any kind (blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) or larger fruit (cherries, peaches, etc.) or grapes, including muscadines and scuppernongs. And as I pointed out above, you can use other types of berries, or mix them!  Whichever you choose, you want flavorful grapes.  Plain seedless white/green grapes, for example, have little flavor and make a bland juice.  Most people choose Concord grapes or red grapes.  Seedless or with seeds doesn't matter, as the strainer will remove them (except for very small seeds like strawberry, but most people don't care about those)!

I prefer to grow my own; which is really easy - but that does take some space and time.

Above are grapes that I picked at a pick-your-own farm. If you want to pick your own, here is a list and links to the pick your own farms.

Step 2 - How much fruit?

An average of 25 pounds of fruit is typically needed per canner load of 7 quarts of fruit juice. Of course, this varies, if the fruit has large pits, stones or other waste. Or to make 9 pints of juice, you'll need an average of 16 pounds of fruit. If you are buying in bulk, a  "lug" weighs 26 pounds and yields 7 to 9 quarts of juice; which is an average of 3-1/2 pounds of fruit needed per quart of juice.

Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle, the water bath processing will sanitize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sanitize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used.

NOTE: If a canning recipe calls for 10 minutes or more of process time in the canner, then the jars do not need to be "sanitized" before filling them. But really, sanitizing them first is just good hygeine and common sense!  See this page for more detail about cleaning and sanitizing jars and lids.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 10 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot juice.

Step 3 -Wash the fruit!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in a large bowl under running plain cold water.

Remove the fruit from the stems and pick out any stems and leaves that became mixed in!

 

 

 

Step 4 - Crush or chop the fruit (optional)

You can cook the fruit with out first chopping or crushing them, but I find it speeds up the process. It's up to you! A simple potato masher (far right) works fine, or a food processor, below. You could also use a juicer

NOTE: If you have a electric juicer, you can simply juice the fruit, then skip to step 7 to heat the juice to boiling.

 

Step 5 - Heat the fruit on the stove

Put the berries or other fruit in a pot and add enough water to just cover the fruit. Put the crushed fruit in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to prevent burning) for until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. We just want to soften the skins to help release the juice and break down some of the fruit to help it pass through our juice strainer.

Step 6 - Sieve the cooked fruit

You can either put the soft cooked fruit through a juice strainer (about $9.00, see ordering at right) which results in the most clear juice and is easiest to use, or pour them through cheesecloth in a colander. Or if you don't mind chunky juice, just let the juice stand for 20 minutes, and decant (pour off) the clear liquid to use and leave the solids behind.

You may also want to run the crushed cooked fruit through a Foley food mill  (about $20 - see this page) BEFORE the juice strainer - unless you ran the fruit through a juicer, the food mill would help to extract more juice and separate the seeds, stems and skins that will clog the strainer.  It's not necessary, but helps you get the most out of the fruit.

If you need a stopping point and want to finish up the next day, this is a good place. Sometimes, juice gets crystals, called tartrate crystals, forming in the juice.  They're not harmful and don't affect the taste, but some people don't like the appearance.  I rarely even see them! But if you do, let juice stand in a in the fridge overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp cheesecloth to remove any crystals that have formed.

There is also a VERY nice, versatile strainer pictured at far right!  Click on the links there or see the bottom of this page for more information and to order! The VillaWare model can handle higher volumes than a Foley food mill (without giving you cramps!)

To see a greater variety of strainers in other types, sizes, and prices, click here!

Step 7 - Polishing and further filtering

If you read the USDA's guide, they have additional steps to polish the juice so it is crystal clear.  I don't bother with these as it adds a day or two to the process and most people like the natural look, anyway!

But if you do want the polished look, here what to do:

• Refrigerate juice from step 6 for 24 to 48 hours.
• Without mixing, shaking or disturbing it, carefully pour off clear liquid and save; discard the sediment.
• If desired, you may now strain through a paper coffee filter for a clearer juice.
• Continue to step 8.

Step 8 - Get the lids warming in hot (but not boiling) water

If you didn't do so already, put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?

Get them all here, delivered direct to your home, at the best prices on the internet!

 

Step 9 - Sweeten (if desired) and bring to a boil

I find that homemade grape juice, made using sweet fresh fruit, rarely needs any additional sweetness.  However if you have a sweet tooth or are using very tart fruit, this is the time to add your sweetener (sugar, Stevia (in a prepared form like Truvia, it measures same as sugar; if you use another form, you'll need do your own conversion) - or Splenda, if you prefer, , honey, etc.).

Bring the juice to a boil.

 

 

 

Step 10 - Fill the jars and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within 1/4-inch of the top, wipe any spilled juice off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Then put the filled jars into the canner!

This is where the jar tongs come in really handy!

 

 

 

 

Step 11 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath

Keep the jars covered with at least 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling.

See the table below for the length of time to process the jars recommended for your altitude and size of jars used.

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended process time for Fruit Juice in a boiling-water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Jar Size	0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Pints or Quart jars	5 min	10 minutes	15 minutes
Half-Gallon jars	10min	15 minutes	20 minutes

 

Step 12 - Remove and cool the jars - Done!

Lift the jars out of the water with your jar lifter tongs and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last up to 12 months if kept in a cool dark place, like a basement..

 

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Other Equipment:

From left to right: Jar lifting tongs to pick up hot jars Lid lifter - to remove lids from the pot of boiling water (sterilizing ) Lid - disposable - you may only use them once Ring - holds the lids on the jar until after the jars cool - then you don't need them Canning jar funnel - to fill the jars

 

 

You can get all of the tools in a kit here:

Home Canning Kits See the seller's website for more information, features, pricing and user reviews! This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to juices and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

Canning books Canning & Preserving for Dummies by Karen Ward Price: $11.89 You Save: $5.10 (30%)

The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes Paperback This is THE book on canning! My grandmother used this book when I was a child. It tells you in simple instructions how to can almost anything; complete with recipes for juice, jellies, pickles, sauces, canning vegetables, meats, etc. If it can be canned, this book likely tells you how! Click on the link below for more information and / or to buy (no obligation to buy) Click here for more information about the Ball Blue Book of Preserving

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Answers to Common Questions Why should cooked juice be made in small batches? If a larger quantity of juice is used, it will be necessary to boil it longer thus causing loss of flavor, darkening of juice, and toughening of juice. It really doesn't work. Trust me; I've tried many times! Can I use frozen or bottled juice instead of fresh? Yep! Good flavored fruit can be hard to find fresh and are expensive! Juice works just fine, just start with step 7. Just be sure to get unsweetened juice.  You can use frozen concentrate; just follow the directions on the package in terms of how much water to add. What do I do if there's mold on my jellied fruit product? Discard jams and jellies with mold on them. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin (poisonous substance that can make you sick). USDA and microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining jam or juice. Why did my jellied fruit product ferment, and what do I do? Jellied fruit products may ferment because of yeast growth. This can occur if the product is improperly processed and sealed, or if the sugar content is low. Fermented fruit products have a disagreeable taste. Discard them. I just finished making my second batch of grape juice.  The first one came out perfect, the second one is not clear like the first.    I'm sure the taste is fine, it's just the appearance. You can clarify the juice more next time.  Try filtering it through several layers of cheesecloth or muslin - or even coffee filters.  Also try avoiding any contact with metals - use plastic, glass and/or Teflon coated bowls and cookware - acids in the juice may react with the metals to become cloudy! What happens if my jam or juice doesn't gel? Remaking cooked runny jam or juice instructions can be found on this page

Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

[ Easy Home Canning Directions] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]