Grape Expectations> Juice saves the flavor of fall

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Last weekend my children and I celebrated the Columbus Day holiday with a visit to my mother, who lives in Norway, Maine. The drive through the western part of the state was spectacular. Each tree we encountered seemed more brilliant than the last, with radiant shades of red and gold. Local farm stands were bursting with the autumn harvest, bouquets of hardy mums, orange pumpkins and bushels of potatoes.

Our too-brief sojourn included an outing in nearby Waterford to visit a buffalo farm and pick apples. To get there we took the back roads, winding ruts of dirt through pastures dotted with trailers and logging roads with fresh cut brush at the side. Up over a slight rise, we rounded a corner and before us spread an orchard with rows and rows of trees covered with apples. I had never seen such a sight. We walked between the rows, selecting only those trees with the most perfect fruit.

A wire link fence alongside the driveway was covered with grape vines. A quick inspection revealed clusters of grapes basking in the afternoon sun. Cautiously I tasted one. The fruit was tart, and the flavor was rich. Excited over the largess of harvest bounty, the children and I quickly filled a paper grocery sack with the bright purple bunches.

When we returned to Bangor, the challenge became how to capture the rewards of our unexpected harvest. My first thought was jelly, but my frugal Yankee intuition said grape juice. Canned grape juice would preserve both the essence of the fruit and the spirit of our day. So I collected all my old quart jars, determined to produce grape juice.

This was easier said than done. In a quick survey of my cookbooks published in the last 20 years, I saw no mention given to the preparation or preservation of grape juice. It seemed grapes could be made into conserves or jelly, but grape juice was mass-produced by large commercial farms and was available in bottles and cans at the local supermarket. But what about those of us blessed with a bountiful harvest of wild grapes? How is the unique, nongeneric flavor preserved to savor in the bitter winter months?

Undaunted, mentally challenged, and with the burden of 20 pounds of grapes in cool storage on my back porch, I went to work in the archives of my culinary library. Seeking the era of kitchen science that was not so distant from the farm, I tried the 1959 version of “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.” The chapter on canning began with the following advice: “Fashions in food preservation are changing rapidly. Modern apartments and houses often lack the cool, dry, dark cupboards needed for keeping home-canned foods in the best conditions. Freezing is a safer and simpler process.”

Wilma Lord Perkins, the editor of the book, then justifies the existence of the chapter with the following: “Commercially canned products are often better than homemade, unless you have a garden of your own or are near a source of freshly picked high-quality produce.”

Regardless of Perkins’ prejudices and the home economic trends of the time, it was grudgingly acknowledged that some cooks were still interested in preserving the unique flavors of local produce and the family farm. Perkins later admits, “Canned juices are delicious as the basis for fruit drinks or sauces or as the liquid for jellied salads or desserts.”

I had it. Now my 20 pounds of hand-picked grapes could become quart jars of inspiration to put on my pantry shelf.

I suppose that for many of us, the question is why bother? The supermarket aisles are lined with glamorous and convenient products. There are scores of very acceptable grape juices in all sorts of containers. A trip to a health food store will yield several juices just as tasty as mine. The time and the effort spent harvesting, processing and preparing the fruit are no economical match for that of a commercial operation.

Yet every time we enjoy our grape juice, we will know that it is part of nature’s bountiful harvest. Some cold, snowy winter evening we can enjoy a grape juice frappe as we recall the brilliant autumn day we walked through the orchard and picked grapes. For a sophisticated dinner, my nectar will create a sensuous dessert sorbet. Our Thanksgiving table will include the inevitable molded salad, this year created from our grape juice.

The story of the grapes will become the link between the food and the land. At our supper table, I will make it the foundation for many lessons in life. Because this year, when life gave me grapes, I made grapeade.

The introduction of a pressure cooker was a real time saver for kitchen science in both the preparation and processing of food. A dear friend of mine, Ruth Pinkham, who taught home economics in the Bangor schools for many years and now lives in Florida, prompted me to purchase a pressure cooker a few years ago. The following recipes can easily be adapted to any fruit you are fortunate enough to have in large quantities.

To make the juice

Wash and stem the grapes. In a large bowl, crush the grapes a layer at a time. Pour the crushed grapes into a pressure cooker and add 1/4 cup of water to each 2 pounds of grapes. Put on the cover and bring the pressure to 15 pounds. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and let the pressure drop to atmospheric (normal). Strain the juice through a fine sieve. Let the juice stand in the refrigerator overnight. Pour off the juice carefully, discarding any sediment on the bottom. Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each quart of juice and boil for 20 minutes. Twenty pounds of grapes yields about 7 quarts of concentrated juice.

To can the juice

Wash and sanitize sealable quart jars. Fill the jars to 1/4 inch from the top with the hot juice and cap. Place jars in pressure cooker with 2 inches of hot water. Tighten lid and bring the pressure in the cooker to 5 pounds. Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let pressure drop to normal. Allow jars to cool to room temperature. Tighten bands, check seals and store.

Grape Waldorf Salad

Concentrated grape juice Unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2/3 cup diced celery 1 cup peeled, chopped apple Watercress

Soak one package of unflavored gelatin in 3 tablespoons of cold water. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of boiling concentrated grape juice. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Chill the jelly in the refrigerator. When the jelly has started to set, fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 2/3 cup diced celery and 1 cup chopped, peeled apple. Pour the mixture into a greased mold and refrigerate until firm.

Line a platter with watercress. Fill a tub with hot water and set the molded salad in the water until the outside edge just starts to soften. Unmold the salad onto the watercress-lined platter. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Grape Waldorf Salad is a wonderful accompaniment to roast turkey or chicken pot pie.

Grape Port Sorbet

Whisk together 3 cups of concentrated grape juice and 1 cup of port wine. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Makes 1 quart of sorbet.

Serve sorbet in stemmed glass as either a taste changer during a formal dinner or as a light dessert. Because the wine is not cooked, it is not recommended for children or persons on an alcohol-free diet.

Grape Juice Frappe

In an electric blender, whirl together 1 cup concentrated grape juice, 1 cup ice and 1 cup ginger ale. Serve immediately in pretty stemmed glasses as a first course or as a party refreshment.