Valiant grape vines flourish along the fence on the west side of the garden, tucked behind squash plants.
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| Delicious juice |
The first few years, we had no grapes. The 4th year, we had enough grapes to make a few jars of jelly. This past year saw grapes galore, on long vines, ripe for picking in late August, and into September.
Valiant grapes are deep dark purple, somewhat tart but flavourful. They do have a seeds in them. They make a good jelly. I prefer to use the grapes to make juice to drink fresh.
Make Juice
I use an immersion blender (pictured above) to gently mash the grapes in a big bowl. The seeds will remain whole. Pour this mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Squeeze the grape 'must' with a big spoon. The seeds and skins remain behind in the strainer and a deep juice will drip out. I add the fresh juice to a smoothie, but taste it fresh & straight up, too. It is really delicious and powerful. It must be super healthy.
Even though I harvested a bushel of grapes, once the frost killed the leaves, many grapes were left on the vines. I neglected to prune the vines the year before so the vines were dense. Next year I will be sure to harvest the full crop. I will also prune the canes.
Well, it's late October, 2024 and I didn't get all the grapes off the vine. Some bunches are still there, easily visible because the leaves have shrivelled and died. We have had frosts, several nights of frost, and these fresh picked grapes have become sweeter and more flavourful. I've been emulsifying them lightly with the immersion blender and straining out the seeds. The fresh 'ice' juice is delicious and full of nutrients.