Homemade Grape Juice for Shabbat and Holidays: Make It From Scratch

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 5 MIN

Introduction

It’s almost autumn and grapes are in season again!

Drinking fresh grape juice on Shabbat is absolutely divine. I load up on the grapes starting in the late summer/early autumn when they come into season and make tons of juice. Then I freeze it in 16-ounce jars. I’ve found that drinking a cup of homemade juice is so much more pleasurable than consuming the treacly store-bought grape juice. In addition to high amounts of sugar (34g/8 oz.), the conventional Kedem grape juice contains sulfites, which I can’t tolerate. But even the organic (and sulfite-free) Kedem (35g/8 oz.) and Lakewood (36g/8 oz.) juices are intolerably sweet, although we always have a bottle or two on hand as a backup.

I switched over to homemade grape juice about two years ago. It’s tough to go back. And, like making your own Shabbat challah, it adds a lovely personal touch to the Shabbat meals that the kids look forward to each week. In contrast to the never-changing flavor of Kedem or Lakewood, making your own juice means that each batch has a slightly different flavor profile: some are more tangy, some are milder. Some are sweeter, some are lighter. You choose the grapes that you like best. Oftentimes, I let my kids decide which grapes they want in their juice.

The Nutritional Benefits of Homemade Grape Juice

Grape juice, when fresh, unsweetened and unfiltered, is incredibly nutritious: it contains high amounts of antioxidant compounds resveratrol and flavonoids, as well as providing dietary fiber via the seeds and the skin. Typically, the darker the grape, the more antioxidants are present. These factors contribute to maintaining healthy blood pressure and reducing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Grape juice is also a good source of vitamins B6, C and thiamin, in addition to manganese and potassium.

However, these same benefits are not conferred by store-bought grape juice. The grapes in that juice are mostly pulp, and have been filtered, with skin and seeds removed. Similarly, eating grapes is not the same as crushing them into grape juice. On the other hand, the high-speed blending process of making your own juice pulverizes the skin and crushes the seeds, releasing the flavonoids that are otherwise less likely to get properly metabolized.

The 5 Steps to Making Homemade Grape Juice

Homemade grape juice is shockingly easy to make. It requires just three ingredients: grapes, citrus and water.

• First, procure a good source of fresh grapes. The grapes should preferably be organic, the redder the better, with seeds, skins and even small pieces of stem. The variety doesn’t matter. I’ve used Concord, Thomcord (a hybrid of Thompson seedless and seeded Concord), Scarlet Royal, Autumn Royal, Thompson and Flame.

• Wash about 1.5 pounds of grapes well in a glass bowl to remove all the dirt, then add the grapes to a 64-ounce high-speed blender container.

• Toss in a Meyer lemon (preferably organic, because you will use some rind). This adds flavor and retards oxidation. Rinse the lemon well, then cut a 1/8-inch-thick slice and toss (rind and all) into the blender with the grapes.

• Throw 1.5 cups of filtered water into the blender. The water dilutes the grapes so they aren’t so shockingly sweet. The water also makes the juice go a lot further.

• Run the blender on high for 45-60 seconds.

The Recipe

Homemade grape juice requires just three ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds grapes (washed well)

• A slice of Meyer lemon (with rind)

• 1.5 cups filtered water

Homemade Grape Juice Is Amazing for Kiddush

Homemade grape juice is a guilty pleasure. Your family will love it. It will taste delicious, refreshing and fruity. And the blessing before the wine on Friday night and Saturday afternoon – “Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine” – will be more meaningful.

Have you ever made your own grape juice at home? What's your favorite grape juice blend?⁠

Revised on September 17, 2020