It won’t make a sound.. as long as a big ‘ole grape vine is holding the top up.

Thanks to a windstorm earlier this year, these grapes were in reach, well almost in reach. Balancing on the trunk like a primitive tyrolean traverse, I could pull the vine down and hold it in reach to pluck the end of the season grapes.

If you want to make organic, anti-oxidant rich grape juice, read on:

1. Remove the stems from your correctly identified grapes (toothed margins, tendrils, and multiple seeds – Thayer)

2. Mash the berries and squeeze the juice out with a jelly bag. Wash your hands regularly as some people report that the tartrates can cause a painful reaction.

3. Let the juice sit overnight in the fridge to let the tartrates settle out

4. Pour off the top layer and dilute with a little water if you like.

5. Scramble some eggs, mix in some sheep sorrel, and you will really have a breakfast fit for champions.

If this hackberry had fruited, it would have been a trifecta of foraging, but I am happy with two food sources. Hog peanut has claimed some of the tree and has loads of bean pods that I will gather at a later date.