Alright, let’s talk about them sparkly things in your grape juice, you know, the ones that look like little glass pieces. Don’t you go freakin’ out thinkin’ somethin’s wrong, ’cause it ain’t. It’s just somethin’ called tartrate crystals, and they’re as natural as dirt on a potato.
See, grapes got this stuff called tartaric acid in ’em. When you make juice and it gets cold, that acid turns into these crystals. They’re more common in light-colored grape juice, like that white grape stuff, but you can find ’em in the dark kind too. Ain’t nothin’ harmful about ’em, so don’t go throwin’ out good juice just ’cause you see a little sparkle.
Now, if these crystals bother you, you can get rid of ’em easy peasy. Just pour your juice through somethin’ like a strainer, the kind you use for pasta. If you wanna be extra sure, you can use cheesecloth, you know, that thin white cloth you use for makin’ cheese or somethin’. Fold it up a few times, and pour the juice through that. Gets most of them little crystals out, and you can enjoy your juice without crunchin’ on nothin’.
Sometimes folks get these crystals in their jelly too. Now, that’s a different story. That usually happens when you put too much sugar in your jelly. If you get crystals in your jelly, there ain’t much you can do ’bout it then. So, when you’re makin’ jelly, be careful with the sugar, alright?
I heard tell some folks who make their own grape juice, like from them Concord grapes, find a whole heap of these crystals. Said their juice be half full of ’em! They was throwin’ it out! Can you believe it? Wastin’ good juice! Just strain that stuff, I say. No need to be wastin’ nothin’ these days.
- Strain the juice: Use a colander or cheesecloth to get rid of the crystals.
- Chill the juice: Sometimes more crystals form when the juice gets real cold, so you might need to strain it again after it’s been in the fridge.
- Don’t worry: Them crystals ain’t gonna hurt ya, they’re just a natural part of grape juice.
Some folks, they get fancy with their juice makin’. I heard of somethin’ called ‘flotation’, where they use air bubbles to separate stuff out of the juice. Sounds like a whole lot of fuss to me. I just strain my juice and call it a day. That’s good enough for me and it should be good enough for you.
One fella I know, he was makin’ grape juice and left it sittin’ for a few days. Said it got all covered up with somethin’. Probably them crystals, but maybe somethin’ else. You gotta be careful when you’re makin’ your own juice, make sure things are clean, ya hear?
And another thing, I heard of some folks keepin’ their juice for years! Like, years and years! And then they find these hard crystals in the bottom. Well, I guess that can happen, but I ain’t never kept juice that long. We drink it up pretty quick around here. No time for it to be sittin’ around gatherin’ crystals.
So, there you have it. Them crystals in your grape juice ain’t no big deal. Just a little bit of nature doin’ its thing. Don’t let it scare ya, and don’t go wastin’ good juice. Just strain it out and enjoy your drink. And remember, too much sugar in your jelly will give you crystals too, so watch out for that.
Now go on and enjoy your grape juice, crystals or no crystals. It’s good for ya, and that’s all that matters. Just like the good Lord intended, pure and simple.
Tags: [Grape Juice, Tartrate Crystals, Juice Crystals, Grape Juice Sediment, Natural Juice, Fruit Juice, Juice Making, Food Science, Beverages, Clarification]
