Concord grape juice – Hootido.com

It’s here!

This time of year in Sonoma County is often referred to as the “Crush.” Little Joe helped me squeeze my first batch of concord grape juice. He lasted a little over a minute and said his purple hand came clean. When I showed him mine…

…he said I just needed to use soap, his came right off. Hmmm, maybe he didn’t crush long enough cause mine’s not coming off.

Got an entire bucket of grapes off one vine, only from the bottom vines.

Wasn’t sweet enough to drink straight, gonna have to cut and sweeten it I think.

Sonoma County Crush is on!

Ok, so I was a little early, the wine crush is here but the Concords were not quite ready last week.

Several years ago I hooked up with my summer sister who personally delivered over 500 lbs of concord grapes from the hundred year old vines lining the drive at the vineyard where she worked. The Concords were purely ornamental so I got as much as she could harvest in the late summer heat. I promised her that I would make her grape jelly in return but over a two year period I only made jelly one time. I really did think that I would do it every time…it’s just the juice was pure perfection and we just couldn’t get past that. I did make it up to her in other ways. Man I miss that woman!

Here’s my first harvest of the year, in fact the first juice from my own vines. I just couldn’t resist picking them–every time I pass the by there is an overwhelming sweet grape scent.

(I did have to add a smidge of sugar, please don’t tell anyone!)