Concord Grape Jelly

If you liked store bought grape jelly, you will love making your own from vine ripe grapes! This is an amazing jelly sure to be a family favorite.

 

Juicing Grapes and Other Soft Fruits

1.  Wash the grapes and stem them.

2.  As you stem them put them in a quart measuring cup.  With each quart of fruit you will need to add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water to a sauce pan.

3.  Bring fruit to a boil, turn it down and let it simmer. As the fruit softens mash with a potato masher.

4. Strain the softened fruit through a dampened jelly bag or through a Victorio Sauce Maker and let the juice drain into a bowl

5.  I put this juice in a half gallon jar and let it set overnight in the refrigerator.  Grape juice has a lot of sediment that you don't want in your jelly.  It will make it look cloudy.

6.  The next day in a large measuring bowl put food grade cheese cloth over the top and hold it in place with a rubber band.  Without shaking or stirring contents of juice pour the juice through the cheesecloth.  You will need 4 cups of juice.  Do not pour out the sediment that settled to the bottom.

Making Concord Grape Jelly

4 cups of Concord grape juice
7 cups of sugar
1 pouch of liquid pectin

Mix the juice and sugar in a large saucepan.  Bring it to a boil and add the liquid pectin.  Return to a full rolling and boil for 1 minute.

Skim the foam off the top. There is a lot of foam with this jelly so do not double the recipe and use a large pot. Ladle jelly into hot sterile half pint jelly jars.  Adjust two piece caps.  Process in a water bath canner for 10 mins.  At 5000 ft add another 10 minutes.

When the time is up turn off the heat and remove the lid of the canner.  Wait another 10 minutes before removing jars from the canner.  Let them rest till cool on the counter.

This makes a beautiful, clear jelly that is so delicious.

 "Wish I hadn't Done That!" Wisdom

After the juice has settled for a day, do not use milking filters to strain the juice.  I tried this and it barely dripped through the filter. It would have taken days to filter. I recommend cheese cloth.