Fruits and berries » Grapes
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Kira Stoletova
Grape juice is one of the healthiest and most delicious natural drinks. Sweet berries contain a large number of substances beneficial to the body.
Methods for preparing grape juice
Chemical composition
Regular consumption of grape juice at home improves overall health and increases immunity. This drink contains many useful components:
- fructose and glucose, which saturate the body with strength and energy;
- fruit water is a valuable source of vitamins, mineral salts, sugar and acid;
- tannins, which prevent and eliminate inflammatory processes in the digestive tract;
- organic acids that accelerate metabolism and normalize the acid-base balance;
- vitamins of group B, PP, C, E, which increase immunity and have a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body;
- bioflavonoids (natural antioxidants), which remove toxic components from the body;
- trace elements: magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, boron, which normalize the functioning of all internal systems.
Grape varieties for pressing
In order to prepare delicious juice from grapes, you should choose the right variety; it must have increased juiciness of the berries.
Therefore, wine crops are chosen to make this drink, these include the following grape varieties:
- Lydia;
- Bianca;
- Cabernet;
- Armalaga;
- other succulent varieties.
The juice is often made from black grapes; most of these varieties release a larger amount of liquid, but when using white berries, it turns out to be richer and more tasty. If you squeeze dry varieties, the amount of drink will be significantly lower compared to dessert crops.
Eating grapes is very beneficial for the human body, since its fruits contain a large amount of the following substances:
- vitamins A, B, C;
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- phosphorus;
- gland;
- calcium;
- other minerals.
The fruits of this crop are used in folk medicine to prevent the occurrence of various viral diseases. In addition, grapes contain flavonoids, which slow down the aging process of cells in the human body.
Grape juice is squeezed using two methods: mechanically and manually. The first uses special devices (blender, juicer, meat grinder, screw press); after releasing the liquid, it is passed through a filter in the form of gauze or a very fine sieve.
When extracting juice manually, a masher is used to mash the berries, and then filter the resulting liquid through a sieve or cheesecloth.
Calorie content
100 g of nectar contains 70 calories, which is 3.3% of the daily dose recommended by nutritionists.
The calorie content of berries is higher than that of grape juice. This allows you to include the product in your diet. It is especially useful for those who want to lose extra pounds. It also cleanses the body of toxins and promotes fat burning. After drinking a drink with a high content of glucose and sugars, a feeling of satiety sets in, which makes a person forget about snacking.
Nutritional value per 100 g of product is:
- proteins - 0.15-0.9 g;
- fats - 0.2 g;
- carbohydrates - 10-30 g.
The content of dry substances in the concentrated drink is 63-65, density is 1.3 g/cm3.
Healing properties
The beneficial properties of homemade grape juice have long been appreciated by modern medicine. He:
- prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases;
- indicated for stroke and heart attack;
- helps get rid of shortness of breath;
- used during intense physical exertion as a restorative agent;
- normalizes heart rate and stabilizes blood pressure;
- treats sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, laryngitis, tuberculosis and pleurisy;
- indicated for mental workers, as it stimulates brain activity;
- helps normalize sleep, improves memory, increases stress resistance;
- contains a large amount of fiber, therefore useful for constipation and hemorrhoids;
- has a diuretic effect, so it should be used for chronic nephritis.
The benefits of grape juice are reported by patients suffering from severe disorders of the central nervous system.
All of the above are reasons why natural grape juice is stored for the winter.
What's the harm?
Juice causes tooth decay
Nectar has not only beneficial properties. If the rules of consumption are not followed, the juice can cause harm:
- It is drunk before eating, not during. The drink, consumed with food with other liquids, often causes intestinal upset.
- During the treatment period, avoid drinks that cause fermentation: kvass, soda and beer. Grape nectar does not go well with them.
- After each dose, rinse your mouth with water: the concentrated drink provokes caries.
- For diseases such as gastritis, cholelithiasis, obesity, and exhaustion, the drink is consumed in limited doses.
To get the maximum benefit from the product, nutritionists advise drinking it on an empty stomach three times a day. In the first doses, the dose is 200 g, in subsequent days it is increased to 400 g per dose.
Storage rules
Freshly squeezed juice can be kept in the refrigerator, tightly closed with a lid. The shelf life of this drink is 24 hours. It is believed that the maximum benefit from home-made nectar can be obtained in the first 10 to 30 minutes after pressing. There is an exception to this rule - beet juice, which will have to be refrigerated for some time before use.
If you plan to take freshly squeezed juice on a picnic or a long walk, you will have to take care of having a thermal bag and a portable refrigerator.
To extend the life of fresh juice, add a few drops of lemon.
Apple fresh
The apple drink can be stored for only 4 hours in a cold place. The vitamins in this product are destroyed extremely quickly and the taste quickly changes. To extend the shelf life to 60 minutes, add lemon juice to the drink. In addition to increasing storage time, the described technique allows the drink not to darken due to its high iron content.
Orange
Freshly squeezed orange drink retains its properties for 48 hours. It is extremely important to store the orange liquid in a tightly closed glass container on the refrigerator shelf.
Contraindications
Nectar has some contraindications. Fresh pressed as well as natural concentrate is contraindicated for women during pregnancy, starting from the third trimester.
Until the 28th week of gestation, such a drink is useful for both the expectant mother and the baby, but after that it is undesirable to drink it: it helps accelerate the baby’s growth and causes bloating and abdominal cramps in the pregnant woman. It is also forbidden to drink the drink during breastfeeding: the baby will suffer from severe pain and colic.
The natural product is contraindicated for children under 2 years of age: it provokes flatulence, stomach upset and destroys tooth enamel. Even after 2 years of age, children should be introduced to this drink gradually to avoid side effects.
special instructions
Grape juice should not be drunk if you have certain diseases:
- gastrointestinal ulcer;
- diabetes mellitus;
- renal and liver failure;
- diarrhea and bloating;
- urination problems;
- tendency to allergic reactions;
- acute form of fever;
- advanced stage of caries.
You should not drink a fermented drink, as it can cause severe gastrointestinal upset.
Knowing the benefits and harms of grape juice, as well as its contraindications, it is easy to use it correctly.
How to cook and store
Store freshly squeezed young concentrate in the refrigerator at a temperature no lower and no higher than 2°C-3°C. The shelf life is 2-3 days. Homemade grape juice prepared for the winter is stored for up to 9 months at a temperature of 2°C to 20°C.
There are several ways to prepare grape juice at home, depending on the purpose of use and shelf life.
Freshly squeezed
Freshly squeezed juice is very healthy
Freshly squeezed grape juice is of greatest value. It contains the maximum amount of useful substances.
Not all grape varieties are suitable for making natural grape juice. It is important to select types with a high content of sugars and glucose: Riesling, Kesha, Cabernet, Isabella, Saperavi Sauvignon and Pukhlyakovsky.
The recipe is simple:
- Fruits that are dense and without mechanical damage or rot are selected. There is no need to separate the stalks and seeds. The harvest is washed well and placed in a colander.
- The juice is squeezed through a juicer. Both electric and manual juicers are suitable for this. It’s easy to squeeze the berries with your own hands.
- The liquid is filtered through cheesecloth. True, such extrusion will take a lot of time.
Natural grape juice is ready to drink.
For the winter through a juicer
It is possible to make juice from grapes for the winter from any variety. If a dark and white variety is used, during the preparation process the berries are sorted into separate containers. During the selection process, the fruits of overripe, unripe and rotten grapes are removed.
To better separate the juice during pressing, the berries are crushed. The white fruits are immediately passed through a juicer. After crushing, the harvest of red varieties is heated to a temperature of 60°C-70°C for better juice release. The pulp is diluted with water: 1.5 liters of water are used per bucket of crushed grapes. During the heating process, the mass is constantly stirred.
The prepared grape juice is poured into a container, preferably enameled, and heated to a temperature of 80°C. The finished juice, squeezed through a juicer, is poured into sterile jars and sealed.
The workpiece is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 months at a temperature of about 2°C. During this time, the juice will be clarified. You can re-roll the pre-evaporated drink at a temperature of 75°C for an hour. As soon as the water has cooled to a temperature of 50°C, the jars are removed and rolled up. Such production makes it possible to obtain a tasty, healthy drink with a shelf life of about 3-4 months.
Juice cooker recipe
To prepare nectar in a juicer, a fresh harvest is selected, rotten and damaged berries are removed, and washed. The harvested fruits are placed in the upper compartment of the juicer no higher than the side. If not too sweet varieties are used, it is permissible to sweeten the juice from sour grapes. To increase the sweetness, the berries are sprinkled with sugar.
The next step is assembling the pressure cooker. Water is poured into the lower container. A juice reservoir is installed above it. Place a container with berries at the very top. Before cooking, the juicer hose is boiled.
The juice is boiled for an hour
A clamp is placed on the hose. The juicer is placed on a lit burner. The juice is boiled for about 50-60 minutes. Then remove the clamp from the hose and pour the evaporated drink into a pre-prepared enamel container. The prepared grape juice is poured through a juicer into sterile jars and rolled up.
The product is produced using steam and does not require repeated sterilization.
A drink prepared using a juicer at home has a lower content of vitamins than a freshly squeezed one, but it contains a lot of pectins.
In a steamer
It is possible to prepare juice from grapes in a double boiler.
To obtain such nectar you will need three ingredients:
- berries - 6.5 kg;
- water - 1 l;
- sugar - 200 g (in case of using sour varieties).
The grapes are washed, only berries suitable for consumption are selected, transferred to a double boiler, filled with water and sprinkled with sugar. Afterwards, cover with a lid and place on medium heat. After boiling, reduce the heat to low. The grapes are simmered for 15 minutes, after which the finished juice is poured into sterile jars and rolled up.
The product in a double boiler turns out tasty, aromatic and healthy. The yield from this amount of ingredients is approximately 2-3 liters.
Juice with seeds
Some people use homemade containers to make grape juice at home.
This will require 8 kg of juicy and ripe berries.
Step-by-step preparation:
- wash the fruits, discard rotten, shriveled and damaged ones;
- transfer to a colander previously secured over a bucket or large bowl;
- squeeze the berries with your hands;
- strain twice through double cheesecloth and pour into a saucepan;
- cook: bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes;
- pour the concentrated drink into clean jars and roll up.
Juice from grapes through a juicer
It is very convenient and quick to prepare grape juice at home if you have a juicer in the house, and a simple recipe will help you prepare it.
Red grape juice
Ingredients:
- Berries – 5 kg
The procedure for preparing the drink is as follows:
- Separate the berries from the branches. Remove spoiled, limp, unripe fruits.
- Soak suitable berries in water for 40 minutes to remove any remaining dust and debris. Drain the grapes in a colander, rinse under running water and dry on cotton towels.
- Using a juicer, extract grape juice. Pass the drink through several layers of gauze 2 times in a row.
- Heat the drink to a temperature of 60 degrees and leave for 2-3 hours until a sediment forms.
- Pour the juice into another pan so that the sediment remains in the old container.
- Place the pan with the drink on the fire, bring the liquid to a temperature of 90 degrees.
- Pour the juice into disinfected jars and seal.
- Cool the roll upside down under a warm blanket.
Attention! The drink does not lose its beneficial properties for 3-5 years.