Wild “Oregon Grapes”, Mahonia repens, grow wild and abundant in much of the western United States. Extracting a nutritious juice is a skill that has been used by creative and thrifty types for generations. The juice is sweetened and used for jelly, or slightly sweetened and put up for the winter as wild grape juice.

Wild Oregon Grape Juice Recipe

About 2 quarts oregon grapes

1 quart filtered water

Sugar to taste, or about 3 cups

Pick your wild Oregon Grapes by placing a box or bag underneath the berries while they are on the bush. Brush them off of the plant and into your box or bag with a gloved hand. They should be easy to remove. Pick out any debris, rinse, and place into a large stock pot.

Add 1 quart of water heat to a boil. Boil the grapes and water for 10 minutes. Next, mash the fruits with a potato masher. Boil for up to 5 minutes longer or until the fruits are softened and the liquid is dark. Strain the liquid through a regular or fine strainer and save in a large bowl.

Rinse your stock pot and return the strained juice to the pot. Add sugar to taste. For me this was about 3 cups of sugar. Keep in mind that oregon grapes are similar to cranberries in that they need added sweetness in order to be used in most recipes.

Process the sweetened juice the same way you would can any juice and enjoy.

*Oregon grapes are tart, but like cranberries a little sugar goes a long way in making them delicious.

*The flavor of Oregon grape juice is something of a cross between a cranberry, concord grape, and black currant.