Over this past week my daughters & I canned up 54 quarts of Concord grape juice out in the backyard over two separate canning secessions.
We used the old time recipe of 1 part sugar to 2 parts grapes, fill with boiling water, then Water Bath.
This is the math along with a lesson learned in shopping farmer's markets.
The first peck I bought cost me $12 from Farmer High & Mighty. Total yield was around 29 qt. (one broke due to operator error).
Had I walked down the full length of the market I would have discovered that Farmer John was selling a peck for $8.
Normally all the vendor's prices are the same be it peppers or peaches. I had worked the night before so that is the lame excuse I'm gonna go with, " Don't shop when your tired & defenseless against natures bounty ". Needless to say when I needed grapes a few days later I visited Farmer John's stand. Lesson learned.
So the second grape purchase ran around $12 for a half bushel. He gave me a buck off since DH was talking apples to him, as in we are in need 5 bushels of mixed cull apples nothing windfall for cider making.
So all totaled Concord grapes ran me $24 for one peck & half a bushel.
Sugar was .99 for a 5 lbs. store brand bought last year during mega mart's holiday baking sales. Used 2 bags of sugar altogether. Total $2.00.
Lids bought for $1 per dozen used 54 so $4.40 ish.
Total was $30.40 for 54 quarts (makes a qt. & 1/2 juice) so .56 cents per quart which really is a qt. & a half when diluted with water.
Have no clue what nearly 65 gallons of Concord Grape juice runs retail.
Factor in the luxury of having it on hand in the pantry.
Since jars are all paid for & my fuel was free (firewood) those weren't factored into the math.
So aren't those quarts a pretty shape of purple?
~~ Pelenaka ~~
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