DIY Grape Juice in Production
by The House of God Rotorua
The Beth-El Messianic Fellowhip in Tauranga
made their own grape juice from Te Kauwhata Grapes for the Passover event in 2022:
Overview of Home-made Grape Juice Production:
A How-to video for Making and Bottling the Grape Juice:
Another tried and proven Grape Juice Recipe:
Grapejuice Preservation Process
by Allen Foote, chaplain from Rotorua
This is one method for processing freshly cropped grapes to ensure the juice remains pure and unfermented.
This is especially important when using it for Communion Services.
The grapes used are red ones, preferably the darker ones.
Here is the process I use.
The important factor is to make sure the juice cannot ferment so it must be stored accordingly.
The Process
1. Take the picked grape bunches and separate the grapes from the stems.
Eliminate any that are bad or only half ripe.
2. Tip the grapes into a pot. (A large pot may be required)
3. Mash the grapes until they are broken up.
This could be done separately in a bowl before putting into the pot to ensure they are well mashed.
Important – do not add any water or sweetening to the grapes.
4. Bring to simmer point and allow the juice to run freely.
It will allow the red colour to come out of the skins. It helps at this point to mash the grapes a little more,
but not too vigorously..
5. A large bowl will be needed at this moment, covered with a double layer of very fine muslin cloth.
Peg this cloth to the outside rim of the bowl.
6. Take a jugful of the grape mixture from the pot and pour it onto the muslin cloth.
The juice will percolate through the muslin into the bowl.
It can gently be stirred a bit to help the flow but not too vigorously or some of the pulp will be forced through.
7. Take the remaining pulp on the muslin cloth and place in another bowl.
There will still be some juice within it.
8. Transfer the juice under the cloth to another pot.
9. Continue the process until all the juice and pulp are separated.
10. Take the separated pulp and enclose it in small amounts in the muslin and squeeze out the remaining juice.
Add to the other juice.
11. A. For bottling:
Bring the juice back to simmer point and bottle in hot, sealable jars.
These can be thoroughly cleaned beer bottles that are sealed with a pressed-on cap
(Heineken or Steinlagers are OK.), or in Agee preserving jars.
B. For Freezing:
Put in freezable containers very soon after separating the juice and freeze.
Do not leave out for some time, to avoid fermentation.
Properly preserved the juice will remain good for a long time.
Once opened, though, it needs to be consumed or refrigerated for a few days.