Black Grape Juice
I started juicing black grapes when a bag went soft in the fruit bowl, and it turned out better than anything from a bottle: deep, sweet and properly grapey, with no added sugar. The dark skins carry polyphenols, the same compounds behind the small studies on grape juice and memory. Ten minutes from bunch to glass, and it keeps a couple of days in the fridge.
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
For the juice
- 700 g black seedless grapes washed and pulled from the stems; one generous bunch. Seeded black grapes juice fine too, but pick the pips out if you're using the blender method
- 1/2 lemon halved and juiced, pips out. It lifts a very sweet juice and stops it browning, but it's a background note, not a main flavour
- 100 ml cold water only for the blender method, to help the blades get going
Instructions
Juicer method
- Wash the grapes and pull them off the stems. It's the fiddly bit, but big stalks can clog a juicer, so take a minute over the bowl.
- Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into a jug, fishing out any pips.
- Feed the grapes through the juicer a handful at a time. The juice comes out deep purple, and the foam on top settles within a minute or two.
- Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and pour into glasses or an airtight bottle. It's best properly cold, so add ice or give it an hour in the fridge.
Blender method
- Prep the grapes the same way: washed, off the stems and into the blender jug. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Add the cold water and blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds until the grapes are completely broken down.
- Pour through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve and squeeze firmly to get every last drop. The pulp left behind goes straight on the compost.
- Taste and serve. The blender version has a little more body to it, which some people prefer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1glassCalories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 1gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 210mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin C: 6mg
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