Canning Grapes
Canning grapes is an easy way to preserve grapes past their short harvest season.
Ingredients
- Grapes
- Water or Grape Juice
- Sugar *Optional see note
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner and canning jars before beginning.
- Prepare a canning liquid of your choice. I'd suggest extra light syrup (measurements in notes below), but grape juice is also a good option. Plain water is fine too. Bring the liquid to a boil and keep it hot.
- Wash and stem grapes. Bring a saucepan full of water to a boil on the stove and blanch grapes for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and load into canning jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
- Pour boiling canning liquid over the grapes, maintaining 1-inch headspace.
- Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (for altitudes below 1,000 feet) for half-pint, pint, and quart jar sizes. Higher altitudes and raw packs require different processing times, see notes.
- Remove from the canner and allow the jars to cool completely before checking seals. Store unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Sealed jars will maintain quality on the pantry shelf for 12-18 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
Selecting Grapes for Canning - The best grapes for canning are firm grapes that are just slightly underripe or perfectly ripe. They should have tight skins and a very firm texture. Green grapes have a better flavor and color when canned, and red grapes will bleed color into the canning liquid and be nearly white when strained.
Canning Grapes Yield - On average, it takes a pound of grapes to fill a pint jar and two pounds for a quart jar. That's weighed on the stem as purchased (or harvested) and assumes a hot pack. For a raw pack, you'll need slightly fewer grapes and the jars will finish partially empty as the fruit shrink during canning more if they're not blanched as in a hot pack.
Extra Light Syrup - To make extra light syrup, use 3/4 cups sugar and 6 1/2 cups water (for a 9-pint canner load), or 1 1/4 cups sugar to 10 1/2 cups water (for a 7-quart canner load). Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan and stir to dissolve.
Altitude Adjustments and Raw Pack Canning Times -
Canning times vary based on elevation and the type of pack, raw or hot. Hot pack is described above, but you can simply load the raw grapes into jars without blanching and pour boiling syrup or juice over the top for a raw pack. Raw packs are lower quality generally, and require longer canning times.
Hot Pack Altitude Adjustments
- For 0 to 1,000 Feet: Process 10 Minutes (all jar sizes)
- For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet: Process 15 Minutes (all jar sizes)
- Above 6,001 Feet: Process 20 Minutes (all jar sizes)
- For 0 to 1,000 Feet: Process 15 min for pints and 20 min for quarts
- For 1,001 to 3,000 Feet: Process 20 min for pints and 25 min for quarts
- For 3,001 to 6,000 Feet: Process 20 min for pints and 30 minutes for quarts
- For Above 6,001 Feet: Process 25 min for pints and 35 minutes for quarts