There’s been a whole lotta grape pickin’ going on at the Damsel’s place.
This is a funny picture, because it looks like the Damsel is tightly clutching a bunch of grapes, about to yank them off the vine. That would be a silly way to pick grapes because of smashage and droppage. Rather, she is gently holding the bunch while clipping the stem with nippers.
The Damsel likes picking grapes because it brings back warm memories of childhood, and plus, being outside on a sunny autumn day is tops. Her most favorite way to pick grapes is to go tandem with the Knight. He holds up the vines while she picks. Teamwork!
Now then. Making the stuff into juice is simple as kindergarten. There are other methods, such as stomping with bare feet, but the Damsel really, really likes this way:
This gadget is a steam juicer. The Damsel highly recommends its addition to your arsenal. Grape juice is only the beginning of what it can do, and it makes doing grape juice easy-peasy.
Simply dump the freshly picked grapes–stems and all–into the juicer’s insert, the one with holes in it. It sort of looks like a big colander. Rinse, but don’t stress. Everything is going to get very hot and sterile soon. The Damsel’s main goal is to rinse off spiders.
Now you just put the juicer together. You fill the bottom pan with water and stack the rest on top, turn on the heat, and wait. As you can see the Damsel’s juicer (called “the still”, lol) is way old. It was old when the Damsel was a kid, and it still works fine. After about two hours, you press open the clamp on the hose and juice flows out. You can drain the juice into a pitcher, or straight into a canning jar as you see here. (The Damsel has the canning jar set inside a pot, sitting on a chair, just in case it spills. She has learned through sad experience that grape juice isn’t nice to light-colored grout)
The juice is boiling hot so be careful. If you drain it straight into a canning jar, put the lid on straight away, and it will probably seal itself because of the heat. Technically you should still process the bottles in a waterbath canner for 30 minutes. A juicer-full of grapes will yield about 4 quarts of juice.
Grape juice is the easiest canning project. No peeling, slicing, blanching, or standing for hours hunched over a sink. And with a steam juicer, your feet stay non purple. Win-win.
I’ve never even heard of a steam juicer before. Do you make other types of juice, too? I’m planning to grow grapes next year. I’m quite looking forward to it. That is, if I can keep them alive. I’m not the most confident gardener.
I’ve never heard of one either. I have two jars of grape juice from my mother sitting in the kitchen and it occurs to me I have no idea how she made them, because I know she doesn’t have a steam juicer. It also occurs to me that for that very reason, I probably should have drank them long before now….
Great. Now I want a steam juicer.
Thanks damsel…
buy buy buy buy **wicked laugh
Actually, considering how much you’d save and how easy it is, they really aren’t that expensive. I also do apple juice in it (all you do is hack up the apples a bit and throw in!!!! yessssss) and I’m sure there are other unexplored uses.
I also make apple juice, so easy. Good luck with your grapes! They take a while to get established, but so worth it.
missing the yummy ness that is the Damsel’s juice of the vine!!!
The lush in me is asking if you can use this grape juice to make wine!!!! What other juices can you make? I’ve never heard of this but is sound fantastic. thanks.
Nat Alea from OK
Hi Damsel, Grandma had her steam juicer out the other day. I’m very familiar with the equipment in your pictures. I have an idea for a guest spot would you like to email me and find out what it is?
I was always fascinated by that clamp. As kids we were told not to linger in the kitchen while the juicer was on. I was always so tempted to squeeze the clamp and see what would happen!
Any wine recipe that begins with grape juice can be used. I also make apple juice…and really, anything that would release its juice by steaming could be done the same way. Sorry I don’t know more about wine making, but I assume you start with fresh grape juice. Let me know how it goes!
Check out this web page for wine making instructions…
http://www.food-skills-for-self-sufficiency.com/making-wine.html
enjoy…
Fish
cool!!!