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| 6-7 years ago my boss planted some grape vines on uncertain parentage in our garden at work. (We refer to it as "a feral Concord".) This is the first summer the grapes colored up, and they were not only good, they were fantastic! Rich and spicy and super sweet -- I couldn't get enough! I think I ate a pound a day last week. So I decided to capture that in jelly. (They are too little and seedy to make grape pie worthwhile.) I picked 5 pounds and followed the Sure Jel low-sugar recipe. It jelled wonderfully, a nice quivering mass. And it tasted like.... Welch's Grape Jelly. Not bad (and it certainly didn't need any more sugar!) but none of that spicy complexity I loved in the raw grapes. Does anyone have suggestions for spices or other flavours I can add to... well... spice it up a little? We've got another 6-7 pounds on the vine, and I'd love to have something a little more sophisticated than I can get on the grocery store shelf! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 19:35
| sounds wonderful as is. I love concord grape jelly. I had to show one of my DIL what real grape jelly was after making some true Concord grape jelly. Tastes nothing like store stuff. |
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| You might try boiling a cinnamon stick in the juice and removing before adding the sugar (if using powdered pectin) or pectin (if using liquid pectin). Even a spice bag with whole cloves, allspice, whatever - depends on how you like it. I always mix apples with my wild grapes since I don't like the really intense fox-grape taste. But the one time I tried using red table grapes the jelly was bland (a pretty pink though). |
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- Posted by balloonflower CO 5b (My Page) on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 20:11
| Just did a couple batches of grape jelly (though unfortunately have to buy grapes for it) myself. Both low-sugar, using Pomona's. One a plain Concord grape--just wanted to see what it turned out like, which I like (and have two toddlers). The other I used champagne grapes, and though I know they're not the same grapes used in making champagne, used 3c juice to 1c champagne. It turned out very nicely for a grown-ups grape jelly. You also could try a little bit of spice--I'm not a cinnamon fan, but if you are, a cinnamon stick, a star anise or a tsp of fennel seed into the grapes while cooking, prior to straining. |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 21:02
| Concords straight off the vine, either yours or an orchard that knows when to pick them are the best. It takes some knowledge to know when the time is, not just when they look ripe. |
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| My mother always did a few batches of grape jelly up each year mixed with elderberry. It gave it a little zing and the elderberry is often ripe when grapes are an too cloying to use by themselves. |
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| Some good ideas, here -- I'll give them a try! I'm trying to figure out what made the difference in the harvest this year. In previous years there were a fair amount of grapes, but in previous years they were almost all green and painfully sour. Last fall my boss cut the vines waaaaay back, to the main trunk. This spring the vines quickly re-covered 20' of chain link fence, and set double the number of grape clusters. Which, for the first time, all ripened to a nice dark purple. I'm tempted to think the hard cut-back led to the growth spurt and the number of clusters, but the unusually gentle summer weather led to the wonderfully ripe fruit. At least one of those we can replicate next season! |
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| There is much to be said for the proper pruning of grapes and it took me years for it to finally make sense and then two years to retrain my vines to full productivity. Next to pruning correctly, I must say weather and rainfall is 'everything' and our grapes never are the same any two years in a row. Much has to do with rainfall......... All of our fruit went crazy this year. It was a PERFECT fruit year and one just be thankful when it all comes together like that. |
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- Posted by booberry85 z5NY (My Page) on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 8:40
| I make grape jam with the wild Concords that grow in our back yard. The skins definitely add some flavor. In the past I've also made spiced grape jam, much like what Ajsmama suggested and also grape lime jam, adding lime juice. This year I'm making cinnamon grape preserves from Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving. Tastes great, but at the moment, I'm hoping it sets up a little more. I know preserves aren't as firm a set as jams, but a little firmer would be nice. I'll give it a couple of weeks (just made it Monday - will probably make more tonight). It seems to be a great year in my back yard for grapes - the first in a few years. |
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| There were masses of wild fox grapes growing along an abandoned field next to our road and I had been anticipating all summer going and picking them and making jelly Labor Weekend. I almost wrecked the car coming home from work Friday - the blankety-blank-blank county came along sometime during the day with one of their MUTILATING machines and chewed down every one of the vines. Not to mention all the beautiful wild roses and the hawthorns the birds depend on in the winter. Arggh!!!!!! So now I'm going to have to find someone who grows grapes to buy some to make my jelly. Hiss Boo. But when I do, I think I will try adding some spices, that does sound good! Edie |
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