Şıra (Fresh Grape Juice, Turkish Style)
شیرا (ترکی انداز کا تازہ انگور کا رس)
At grape harvest time in Turkey, fresh grapes are pressed into *şıra*, a sweet, cloudy juice that's drunk straight away or cooked down into grape molasses. This recipe is the simple fresh kind: black grapes crushed and strained, with a little cinnamon and clove for an Ottoman touch. It's best made the day you drink it. In Pakistan, the dark grapes from Balochistan and the Quetta markets work beautifully.
- ⏱ Total: 15 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Wash the grapes well. Pulse them with the cold water in a blender in short bursts, just until crushed. Long blending breaks the seeds and makes the juice bitter.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, pressing gently. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves and sugar if needed.
Chill for 30 minutes and serve cold over ice the same day.
Pour into glasses.
Kitchen notes
Fresh grape juice starts to ferment if left out. Keep it in the fridge and drink it within a day.
Seedless grapes are easiest. With seeded grapes, pulse very briefly.
Green grapes work too, giving a pale, sweeter juice.
The taste of the harvest
Turkey is one of the world’s biggest grape growers, and in late summer and autumn grapes are everywhere: eaten fresh, dried into raisins, and pressed into juice. Şıra is the name for that fresh juice. Some of it is boiled for hours into thick pekmez (grape molasses); the rest is drunk fresh and cold.
Fresh, not fermented
Fresh grape juice is full of natural sugar and wild yeasts, so it begins to ferment on its own within a day or so at room temperature. That’s why this recipe is meant to be made and drunk the same day, and kept in the fridge in between. If it starts to fizz or smell sour, throw it away.
Getting the best juice
Dark grapes give the deepest colour and flavour. The key is to crush, not purée: a few short pulses in the blender break the skins and release the juice without grinding the seeds, which taste bitter. Straining through muslin gives a clear, silky juice.
Serving
Serve very cold, on its own or with a meal. For another fruit drink from the Turkish table, try nar suyu, fresh pomegranate juice.
Questions people ask
Is şıra fermented?
This recipe isn't. In some parts of Turkey the word is also used for juice that's been left to ferment slightly; we make only the fresh kind and keep it chilled.
Can I use a juicer?
Yes. A slow juicer gives a clearer juice with no bitterness from the seeds.
What's it served with in Turkey?
On its own, or with grilled meat. It's also a traditional companion to some kebabs in the southeast.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 150
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
