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    Home » Wild Fruit

    Wild Grapes

    Published: Sep 30, 2013 Modified: Sep 12, 2023 Author: Alan Bergo

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    What's that wild vine on tree? Are those grapes?! Wild grapes are closely related to table grapes and easy to identify for beginning foragers. In this post I'll tell you everything you need to know about identifying, harvesting, and cooking with all their edible parts.

    Foraged wild grapes

    Wild grapes are the first wild fruit I ever picked, tasted, and really enjoyed cooking with. I first read about my local riverbank grape (Vitis riparia) that grow in the Midwest in the book The Forager's Harvest by Samuel Thayer.

    A mature wild grape leaf (Vitis riparia).

    Wild Grape Vine Identification

    This post focuses on Vitis riparia-the most common wild grape in North America. Vitis aestivalis, the summer grape, I see occasionally but is not as common. There's many other plants in the grape family you might find, like the fox grape and Oregon grape. Any edible wild grape can be used as I describe here.

    Grape vines and leaves laid out on a table for identification.

    The plants appear as spreading, woody vines with heart-shaped, lobed leaves. They climb trees and other plants to photosynthesize. Once you know them, you'll be able to spot them at a distance from anywhere.

    Key ID Points

    • The tough leaves have toothed edges with raised veins on the underside.
    • Very young leaves are light yellow-green.
    • Mature leaves are darker green. Each vine has small, young tendrils at the edge.
    • Leaves can vary drastically in size with some varieties.
    • The bark peels off in strips on the branches of older grape vines.
    Underside of a wild grape leaf showing the raised veins.
    The underside of the leaf has raised veins.
    Wild grape vines showing young tendrils at the tip.
    Grape vines always have young tendrils at the tip.

    Wild Grape Look Alikes

    There's a few look alikes beginners should be aware of. The two most common I see are Canada moonseed and Virginia creeper. False grape (Ampelopsis sp.) is also a look alike but I don't see it often, and it's harmless if consumed on accident.

    Canada Moonseed (Menispermum canadense)

    Canada moonseed is also a vine, and could be mistaken for wild grapes at a distance. This is the only, real poisonous wild grape look alike I know of.

    Canada moonseed Menispermum canadense vine with young leaves.
    Canada moonseed Menispermum canadense vine with young leaves and flowers.

    Canada Moonseed vs Wild Grape

    Here's a few key points on how to separate them from grapes:

    Canada Moonseed:

    • Lacks teeth on the leaf margins
    • Is often noticeably paler green color, especially when young.
    • The stems are thinner and more delicate than grape vines.
    • Canada moonseed vines spiral around their support, while grapes do not.
    • The fruit contains a single crescent-shaped seed. Grapes have round seeds.
    • The fruit isn't nearly as bountiful as grapes and doesn't grow in tight clusters.
    An info graphic comparing the leaves and fruit of canada moonseed and wild grape for identification purposes.

    Virginia Creeper / Woodbine

    Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a common, aggressive growing vine. It's the most common wild grape look alike I get messages about. The plant has palmately compound leaves made up of five serrated leaflets.

    Virginia creeper or Parthenocissus quinquefolia leaves in the spring.
    Blue Virginia creeper berries (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) on the stem.

    Virginia creeper fruit doesn't grow in clusters like grapes. An easy way to separate it from grape plants is the berries fruit on red stems. The fruit tastes bad, but is harmless.

    Habitat

    Wild grapes grow just about anywhere. I see them creeping up yards and fences, climbing trees, and around the edges of forests. As the name implies (river grape) they also love to grow along rivers and streams.

    Wild grape vine growing on a garage in a backyard.

    My grandmother has a wild grape vine that has grown up her trellises on the side of their deck, and their friends come every year to pick the grapes and make wild grape wine.

    A closed fist held over a large grape leaf to show its size.
    Some grape varieties can make massive leaves.

    When to Harvest Wild Grapes

    Grape harvest season is generally around mid-late August, but my harvest plan begins much earlier. If you're out foraging during the growing season, it's easy to see where the grapes will be fruiting heavy. Make a note of spots you see during the year and come back when they're ready.

    Wild Wisconsin grapes

    When the grapes are ripe and deep purple (preferably without any unripe green grapes), cut off whole clusters with a scissors and put them in a box or other container.

    I never bother to harvest grapes after a frost, as some recommend as, by the time the frosts come, our Midwest grapes will be dried out.

    How to Make Wild Grape Juice

    Once I bring the grapes home, I try to process them into juice quickly so they don't dry out in the fridge. Here's what I do:

    Juicing wild grapes
    Mashing wild grapes with a potato masher.

    Take the grapes, stems and all, making sure they're clean and free of grit (taste a few to make sure and wash if you need/want) and put them in a large pot. Next, I mash the grapes up with a potato masher, mixing it around here and there to make sure I'm getting grapes from the bottom.

    Juicing wild grapes
    Adding a little water to cover the mashed grapes by about an inch.

    When the grapes are mashed up and juicy, I add some water, just enough to make sure that the grapes are completely covered by an inch or so of juice. The reason for the water is that wild grape juice is very thick, and a little extra liquid will make processing much easier-it will not dilute the strong flavor of your wild grape juice. 

    Warming up the mashed grapes to help the juice release.

    After the grapes are mashed up and I've added the water, I put the pot on the stove and allow it to get hot enough to steam. Don't bring the pot to a boil, you just want to get it warm as it makes the juice relax and will help it go through a strainer, which will give you the highest yield possible. 

    Juicing wild grapes
    Separating the juice from the grape mash with a colander.

    I carefully dump the grape juice and skins into a colander in a large bowl, allow it to drain, then I remove the leftover skins and stems, allow them to cool until I can handle them, then wring out the juice.

    Typically I use cheesecloth to wring out the juice, but you can do it by hand if you have to. This can be a messy process, and you'll see in the video at the end of this post that I do it in a garage.

    Juicing wild grapes
    Wringing out the grape juice trapped in the stems and skins.

    From here I strain the thick juice one more time through a fine strainer. The finished grape juice can be frozen, or processed into things like jelly or wild grape reduction, etc. You can use raw grape juice pressed from the fruit, but you'll get a lot less juice, and it's very strong.

    Safety Note: Tartaric Acid

    Wild grape juice isn't something to drink as-is, since it's very tart and thick. I can't drink the juice raw at all, as my tongue is sensitive to it, and I know others that share my sensitivity.

    The most important thing to know is the juice contains tartaric acid and calcium oxalate crystals that can cause loose bowels when consumed.

    Thankfully it's easy to remove the oxalate and tartaric acid as they settle to the bottom of the container after cooking and juicing. Let the juice settle overnight, then pour off the grape juice, discarding any sediment at the bottom.

    What to Make with Wild Grapes

    There's lots of things you can do with your grape juice, as well as the edible grape leaves. Here's a few examples.

    Homemade Grape Vinegar

    There's still goodness left in those wild grape stems, skins and pits, and while you could pour some water over them, mix them up, and strain it to get a weak juice.

    Foraged blueberry, grape, and aronia homemade vinegar recipe
    Wild grape vinegar, made from scraps.

    I prefer to use the leftover mash to make homemade vinegar that I use instead of red wine vinegar. It's fantastic. See the full recipe with proportions for fruit scrap vinegar here. 

    A Red Wine Substitute

    The finished juice is perfect for wine, jams and jellies, but there's lots of other things you can do with it too. I use wild grape juice for all purpose cooking in recipes that call for red wine.

    Wild goose leg confit glazed with wild grape reduction
    You can cook with wild grape juice like a tart sauce, here with goose confit.

    I also make a reduction from it you can use similarly to saba or balsamic vinegar reduction-a sort of wild grape molasses inspired by a traditional fruit juice reduction called pekmez from Turkey (typically made with mulberries). 

    Mushroom and walnut sarmasi with black walnuts and wild grape juice
    Stuffed grape leaves with wild grape reduction I served on the Today Show.

    Stuffed Grape Leaves 

    Wild grape leaves are essentially the same grape leaves sold in many stores, but it did take me a couple years and dating a Greek woman to figure it out.

    Edible wild grape leaves

    Grape leaves should be harvested while you're checking on grapes growing throughout the season. Once the grapes are ready, a lot of the leaves will be past-prime. I can collect hundreds of leaves from a single vine or two in an hour if I'm working quickly.

    Mushroom duxelles and wild rice stuffed grape leaves
    Stuffed, naturally fermented grape leaves with lemon-yogurt.

    Fermented grape leaves are edible and fantastic for their most traditional use: stuffing. Since they're tough, tannic and sour, you're not going to be making a salad out of them, although I've had some preparations where the leaves are pickled or fermented and then cut into pieces and used in dishes.

    Fermented Grape Leaves
    Jars of fermenting wild grape leaves.

    Fermented grape leaves are traditionally used for stuffing (dolma, dolmathes, dolmades, etc) and it's hard to find a better way to enjoy the leaves.

    If you've ever had commercially pickled grape leaves, they can be very strong on the vinegar, and I know plenty of people that don't care for them. Foraged grape leaves you pick yourself though, are a blank canvas for whatever flavor you like. See my recipe for fermented grape leaves. 

    Grape Tendrils 

    These are small, but fun if you have some grape vines growing in the house or around the backyard. The young, tender tendrils/tips of grape vines are nice and tart, and add a great taste to salads. Try them! 

    Wild grape vine tendrils
    Wild grape tendrils, while small, add a great tart bite to salads.

    Wild Grape Jelly

    Foraged grape jelly is one of the best you'll ever have. It's the grown up version of what you put on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but with a flavor beyond comparison of the watered-down jelly in stores. It's easy to make, and I often don't even use pectin as the seeds are naturally high in it.

    Wild Grape Recipes 

    Wild Grape Reduction

    Fermented Grape Leaves

    Grape Leaves Stuffed with Fruit and Nuts

    Bison Cooked in Wild Grape Juice

    Goose Confit Glazed with Grape Reduction

    Foraged wild grapes
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    How to Process and Juice Wild Grapes.

    How to harvest and process wild grapes into juice.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Cooling time20 minutes mins
    Total Time50 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Wild Grapes
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • Large stock pot (stainless steel)
    • Potato masher
    • Colander
    • Fine mesh strainer
    • Very large mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    • Wild grapes, at least 4-5 pounds, preferably more.
    • Water, enough to cover the mashed grapes by an inch or two.

    Instructions

    • Harvest ripe wild grapes. I like to use a scissors to remove the whole clusters to make sure they don't get bruised or smashed during transport.
    • Inspect the grapes and eat one of two to see if they have any grit, mine are often so clean I don't bother to wash them, but this can vary depending on where you harvest. Grapes on the edge of a working field might be very dirty.
    • Put the grapes into a pot, stems and all, then mash them up until juice nearly comes to the top with a potato masher or another blunt object.
    • When the grapes are well mashed, add some water to cover them by about an inch.
    • Cover the pot and put it on a burner, then warm it until the pot is steaming. Do not allow it to boil.
    • Working in a place that's easy to clean, like a garage or outside, put a large colander into an even larger bowl then carefully pour the grape juice and stems into the colander. Allow the juice to drain out, then remove the wild grape mash and allow to cool until you can handle it.
    • Wring out the excess grape juice from the warm mash. Reserve the mashed grapes to make wild grape vinegar (optional). Strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer, then portion into containers and freeze, or use to make jams, jellies, wine, grape molasses, etc.

    Racking off the tartaric acid

    • Before using wild grape juice, allow the tartaric acid to settle overnight in a fridge in a clear container. Pour off the juice and discard the tartaric acid sludge at the bottom.

    Making vinegar with the leftover skins and seeds

    • Save the leftover skins and stems to make wild grape vinegar (refer to my recipe for fruit scrap vinegar)

    Video

    Notes

    Wild grapes can be stored in a cool dry place after picking for 24-48 hours, but will deteriorate after picking and should be processed quickly for the best result. 
    « Pickled Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms/Maitake
    Heirloom Acorn Squash with Truffled Maple, Honey Truffles and Butternuts »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Johnny

      November 13, 2021 at 11:05 am

      why would you harvest grapes so early in the season? My grandmother harevested grapes after a frost. the grapes are sweeter then and make better juices and jellies

      Reply
    2. Barney Casto

      September 30, 2021 at 8:31 pm

      Alan, I'm 74 yrs old, as a kid my mother made wild grape jelly every year, but in the last 30 years there are no wild grapes here anywhere, would it be possible for you to send me some starts in the spring? I will be more than happy to pay the shipping. Thanks, Garnet.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 01, 2021 at 9:51 am

        I'm sorry Barney, I'm waaay too busy to do that. Wild grapes are very common and widespread, I would ask in a FB group or another wild food forum, they are legion.

        Reply
        • Ellen

          October 03, 2021 at 10:25 pm

          I'd be happy to send you a few jars of my wild grape jelly for you to enjoy.

          Reply
        • Erica Schroyer

          August 28, 2023 at 9:15 am

          5 stars
          While wrangling children and attempting my first simmer of grapes, they boiled for likely a few minutes. Do I need to toss the juice? Will it have cooked in the tartaric acid or anything like that? Luckily it's a small amount but don't want to waste it if it'll still be edible...

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            August 28, 2023 at 9:22 am

            No you're fine, the only thing to know is that you will have activated the natural pectin in the seeds. Not a problem at all, especially if you want to make jelly.

            Reply
            • Erica Schroyer

              September 11, 2023 at 9:14 pm

              5 stars
              Thanks very much! It was my first time, very small & delicious batch (though quite tart perhaps due to early harvest) and we drank it all up happily, without a worry after your response. Looking forward to harvesting and processing more.

            • Alan Bergo

              September 11, 2023 at 9:46 pm

              Glad it worked for you.

      • Robin Roberts

        September 28, 2023 at 11:23 am

        This year I found more grapes than I can use! Ask around like I did and you will find many who still have grapes growing near their house!

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          September 28, 2023 at 11:24 am

          Thanks for sharing Robin.

          Reply
    3. Bill McDuff

      November 02, 2020 at 10:41 am

      Alan, I finally got around to picking some wild grapes along the lake yesterday. The variety appears to be riverbank or frost grapes. They've had a few nights of light frost which should improve the taste. Just letting the tartaric acid settle to the bottom before boiling with sugar and a bit of lemon juice. I'll let you know how it turns out. Keep up the good work your posts are always inspiring. Regards from Canada Bill

      Reply
    4. Jeff Iskierka

      July 12, 2015 at 11:09 pm

      Sitting at the fire station this weekend I had to check on the Black Raspberries that usually grow behind the station. This year there is many vines growing. Look like grapes. So into the station with one I came to have a look at the internet. Yes, there were small grapes starting too. Sure enough, wild grapes, confirmed they were not any lookalikes. (moonseed) So I have about 75 of varying sizes as I am not sure how big/old/tough they will be. I plan to ferment them in a brine much like the kraut. I had to check your site, knowing you would have attempted some sort of dish with them. Again, really enjoy your info you share. I only hope I encounter some not so stringy. If so, I wonder what else fermented grape leaves would be good for? I guess first see how they taste.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        July 19, 2015 at 10:46 pm

        Hey Jeff, I updated the post, thanks for reminding me of it. The grape leaves are actually easy to cook and stuff for making dolmas. Blanch the leaves in salted water first, then you can pickle them, or simply stuff them with meat and rice, wrap them tightly, and steam them until the leaves are tender and the meat filling is cooked through. We've been serving them on the relish tray at the Salt Cellar. If you don't have a steamer, you can improvise one with a colander inside of stock pot, or you could just braise them in the oven, they're great.

        Reply
    5. Jessie

      January 10, 2015 at 7:26 pm

      Hello!

      Husband made the Wild grape jelly and I put "The seeds and flesh of the berries are reserved, put into a container and covered with vinegar. After a month or two or even a few weeks the vinegar is very strongly flavored of grapes, and then I add sugar to the vinegar, cook it down to syrup and then add that to sauces, salad dressings, etc, its also good poured over vanilla ice cream, much like the Italians do with nice balsalmic vinegar."

      Could you advise how much sugar to how much "of the wild grape vinegar" is to make the syrup.

      Would like the recipes for it. Thank You!

      Reply
      • Jessie

        January 10, 2015 at 7:27 pm

        Hello!

        Husband made the Wild grape jelly and I put "The seeds and flesh of the berries are reserved, put into a container and covered with vinegar. After a month or two or even a few weeks the vinegar is very strongly flavored of grapes, and then I add sugar to the vinegar, cook it down to syrup and then add that to sauces, salad dressings, etc, its also good poured over vanilla ice cream, much like the Italians do with nice balsalmic vinegar."

        Could you advise how much sugar to how much "of the wild grape vinegar" is to make the syrup.

        Would like the recipes for it. Thank You!

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          January 12, 2015 at 8:51 pm

          I would combine the vinegar with equal parts sugar and cook into a simple syrup. The consistency can be adjusted by less or more reduction.

          Reply

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