Preserving advice please.

hey ladies if you don't have grapes like this lady is blessed with you can always buy Welch's Concord Grape Juice in a jar at any grocery store. Just make sure it is 100% and no sugar although it will say 2gs on the front of the jar. Get u some sure jel and yes you have to have it or it won't set and go by the recipe on the paper inside the box and u can't go wrong. The only thing I do different is I boil it for 3 minutes instead of 1 minute before I ladle the jelly into jars. Mine seal every time. You can also use Motts 100% apple juice too. I have great results every time. When you are boiling the jelly after you put the sugar in be sure and stir it the whole 3 minutes or it will stick and you will have a mess. I have a long wooden spoon I stir mine with.

Did you people major in Home Economics or what? You put us to shame with all this homeliness (and I mean that in the nicest sense of the word). My goodness, chill out, go sew!

2 comments

by sewilso 15 Sep 2014

lol!!! We gotta eat. Anyway that's what is so great about this forum, a little bit of everything for everyone. :)

by spendlove 16 Sep 2014

She's right - we have to eat!

I did find the jam recipe on this page. We didn't put as much sugar in as said, riper grapes may not need as much sugar, I believe we used about 4 cups of sugar for 4 pints.

Grape Jam

This is from the Ball Blue Book. This yields about 7-9 half pints of jam.

Ingredients

2 qts. stemmed Concord grapes
6 c. sugar

Separate pulp from skins of grapes. Chop skins in a food blender or chopper. Cook skins gently 15 to 20 minutes, adding only enough water to prevent sticking (about ½ cup). Cook pulp without water until soft; seeds should start to separate out of pulp (about 10-15 minutes); press through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp, skins and sugar. Bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost to jellying point, about 20 minutes.
As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour, boiling hot, into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

3 comments

by sewilso 15 Sep 2014

I made two different batches of jam, for my second batch if I would have had pectin I would have used it for my ripe grapes, since I didn't have that I did not add any water to my chopped skins when I cooked them, we did cook the second batch longer and it may have been somewhat thicker than batch one. However it was so tasty, I've never had store bought taste that good.

by spendlove 16 Sep 2014

Sounds good to me. What are Concord grapes?

by sewilso 16 Sep 2014

It's a variety of grape. They have lots of flavor and seeds. It is the one they use for jellies and jams, and juice available on the market. http://www.concordgrape.org/bodyh... is one of many links from google.

A week ago Saturday I bought 18-20 lbs of concord grapes from the Amish for $10.99. Hubby wanted jam so that's what I did. I followed the recipe in the balls blue book for that. The beauty of jam it didn't require pectin though mine did turn out a bit thin. However you don't need to strain it like you do jelly. It yielded a bit over 12 pints. The thing about pectin per the blue book it says that riper grapes have less pectin. With jam you have the fruit in it too not just juice, it had an awesome flavor. Also I would like to mention Ball makes an instant pectin too for making a non cook type product you put in your freezer. Let me know if you want the jam recipe. Sharon

Sue I messing up as usual I put my recipe under baydreamers message/Lillian

Looks like you can make some "Folly Wine" also.G

1 comment

by spendlove 16 Sep 2014

Mike is determined to make some wine - we may be fighting over the grapes!

I have not made it before so please be sure to show yours when your done. what a great bountiful harvest here! well done

Last year I boiled some apples with the grapes and poured the mix through a jelly bag, this year I added the juice of half a lemon to 1 l of grape juice and 1 kg of sugar. Both gave nice jelly.
My blue grapes were ripe in August, my green one needs another week or so.

1 comment

by spendlove 16 Sep 2014

Thanks - I thought I might add apples (we have plenty of those as well!)

Yes, you need pectin. do you have Sure-Jell (pectin) There is a recipe in the box. Wash and stem the grapes, in a large kettle put a small amount of water and bring to a boil.. about 15 minutes. Press through cheese cloth or a jelly bag. Then you can follow the directions on the Sure-Jell (which is the easiest) or you can
measure the juice, you'll need about 3/4 cup of sugar for each cup of juice. Boil rapidly, pour into jars and process in a water bath for 5 minutes. Method with the pectin is a fool proof way, as long as you follow the directions OR you can take your chances, use the second method ( without pectin). Good luck

All I remember is is it doesn't jell you can boil it again.

Forget the jam , If I remember you are a great baker. Make Pies and freeze them. I have never used this recipe but have included one just incase . I love concord grapes I can't eat enough of them :)

3 comments

by spendlove 15 Sep 2014

Thanks but high cholesterol levels make pies just a dream!
Also these grapes have seeds, so I thought jelly would be perfect.

by lbrow 15 Sep 2014

Sue this is called real Grape jelly 1 qt. grapes - 1/2 cup water - 3&1/2 cps sugar. Combine all ingredients in kettle, bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 5 mins. Press through a ricer. return pulp to kettle and simmer for 20 .mins. Ladle into hot sterilized jars and seal, This recipe came out of Shanksville, Pennsylavania. the other recipe I have is with pectin. /Lillian

by spendlove 16 Sep 2014

Interesting - that sounds more like jam to me though.