I have been up to my elbows in fresh, seedless concord grapes from our backyard vine. If you have never had one - you have never tasted a real grape. The flavor is incredible, and here in Utah, they grow really well!
I love grape jam and jelly - but have never had much luck with canning it. And when you can it, it gives it more of a "cooked" taste, then fresh - so I almost always make freezer jam (out of any fruit).
And this recipe calls for much less sugar than most pectins - so you can taste the tartness of the yummy fruit.
This year I have made about 6 batches. I have tried out all kinds of pectin brands and styles. I scoured the internet and couldn't find much about making grape freezer jam/jelly, so I thought I would write this post to help someone else out!
I took NO pictures. Sorry. When you are up to your purple stained elbows in grapes, it is best not to grab your fancy camera!
My steps:
1. Pick grapes, take the stems off, and wash them.
2. Put them in a large pot - add a bit of water - one cup is plenty.
3. Cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will make them burst and release the juice and awesome grape flavor/color.
4. Run them through a juicer or grinder. One that gets rid of skins/seeds - but it is okay to have bits of the pulp (or not, your call). If you don't have one, you can hand juice them or run them through a cheesecloth, but it will take a lot longer. Mine looks like this:
I have tried the Mrs. Wages and Ball brand, both work well.
This calls for 4 cups fruit, 1.5 cups sugar or Splenda, and the pectin. The directions do not list grapes or grape juice, but it still works! Just use 4 cups of your grape juice instead of the listed crushed fruit.
Grape juice is really concentrated - so if you find you don't have quite 4 cups - you can add some water to make it 4 cups. I wouldn't add more than 1/2 cup of water and in my trials, if I am a little short on the fruit amount, it hasn't goofed with the consistency.
The instructions say to mix the sugar and pectin, then add the fruit and stir for 3 minutes. Then pour into jars (plastic or glass) and sit on the counter for 30 minutes before you put them in the freezer. It sets up really well, and if yours is a bit too runny, just keep it in the freezer and when you want to put it on toast, just take out a scoop.
It is the fastest way to make homemade jam and it is great! I have tried many other kinds of fruit with it and never had a bad batch.
Enjoy!
