wild grape harvesting

[yukon cornelius]

anyone harvest wild grapes? we have several wild grape vines and last year when clearing for our well to go in we had a tree with lots of grapes in it. they weren't ripe so we didn't get to try them. I have several new vines popping up everywhere. im thinking about trying to cultivate them and train them to something I can pick off of. I have heard they are great for juice or jam. maybe some wild grape wine or brandy?

[GAB]

YC: I have picked some and made some very tasty grape jelly.
Mine were small and it took a long time.  Oh, by the way you sport purple fingers for a few days.
Gerald

[reswire]

Do you have any pictures of your wild grape vines??   I think they are around here too, but I'm not to sure what their fruit looks like. ???
Thanks,

[Southside]

Any chance they are Muscadine grapes?  Big purple / black fruits.  If so they are really, really good.  Great to eat off the vine, make good jelly, juice, and wine.  We have quite a lot around the farm and this year with all the rain the past two seasons it looks like they may produce quite well. 

[ND rancher]

We have harvested wild grapes here in ND for years.They make great juice,jam,wine,sort of like concord just stronger. you can can or freeze pure juice and  use later. Just be sure they are grapes and not something else,some creepers have look alike berries with red stems.Takes getting used to to eat off vine, but I like them that way.

[Cedarman]

Year before last we had a bumper crop.  We harvested in bunches.  Then pulled the grapes off the stem.  Put them in a big pot with enough water to cover and cooked for a awhile.  Ran them through one those crank deseeder machines to get the pulp and juice.  Made jelly the regular way.  Best grape jelly ever. Intense grapy flavor.
I am leaving the vines around woods edges just so we can harvest again when there is a good crop.
Store bought grape jelly cannot compare.

[GAB]

Reswire:
No I do not have any pictures.
The fruit is a deep purple and on the smallish size, with the average diameter being slightly larger than a pencil eraser.
Also around here the wild turkeys like them.
I agree with ND Rancher's statement "you can can or freeze pure juice and  use later" as I have froze some and made jelly later.  Gerald

[Woodboogah]

They make great jelly!

[ozarkgem]

Larry. I have lots of vines but the critters get them about the time they are ready for jelly making. Most of the time they are high up in the tree. Need a bucket truck. I stick with Blackberries and Elderberries. Sometimes cherry and wild Gooseberry jelly.

[Den Socling]

Something is wrong with the critters this year. We have tons of mulberries on the trees and ground underneath. Normally, the trees are full of birds. I've seen only a couple crows. Normally, we would have Black Bears eating them Haven't seen any poop. It doesn't make sense.

[easymoney]

 when i was a kid my momma would make muscadine jelly it was good. in this area a lot of people cut the vines and roll them into wreaths for sale. some people have made real good money buying the wreaths from the people that roll them and reselling them to flower shops and craft shops. actually i was into that business until a few years ago. i shipped mainly to the north eastern states. i even sold some wreaths made from saw briars and honeysuckle. i shipped honeysuckle in bulk as far away as california.