Concord Grape Jam
Peanuuuuut, peanut butter…AND JELLY!
Anyone know that song? Anyone at all? Maybe you guys are too young, or too old, or maybe you didn’t religiously watch Barney and Friends with your younger siblings…
That’s okay, I found you a poor quality Youtube version here (that led to me spending a good 20 minutes watching all of the old Barney songs I could find, and singing along…I swear I’m an adult, you guys).
The point of all of that was, I made jam…which is kind of like jelly. Actually, it’s better than jelly because it is made from the fruit and not just the juice, like with jelly. Jelly is not welcome in my PB&J’s. My J stand for Jam.
Oh, and I have a confession (aside from the fact that I listened to at least 5 Barney songs in a row at the age of 26): this was the very first time I ever ate a Concord grape.
Is that weird? I never ever came across them in Florida. Maybe they are a more Northern thing?
Eating one was like the biggest “aha” moment for me, because all my life I had never understood the flavor “grape.” It did not taste like the only grapes I had ever eaten which were red, green, or black. YOU GUYS! “Grape” is Concord grape! Like every grape candy, medicine, juice…
There’s a very good chance that I’m the last one to the party on this one and that every other human has known of my little “revelation” all along.
In any event, I made some awesome Concord grape jam, and it makes for the absolute best PB&J, ever. It’s thick, sticky, sweet, and super fresh. And guess what? There are only THREE ingredients: grapes, sugar, and lemon juice! There’s no pectin or any other firming agent—that comes from the natural pectin inside the grape skins which are blended up and added to the jam.
I’ve been kind of slathering this stuff on every bread or cracker-like thing I can find, but I have dreams of using it in a donut. I’m pretty positive these dreams MUST become a reality some time this week.
PrintConcord Grape Jam
This thick, sticky, sweet jam is made from only THREE ingredients, contains no added pectin, and is completely vegan!
Yield: about 1 pint
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 to 2 lbs Concord grapes (I used 1 lb 12 ounces)
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- juice of 1 small lemon
Directions:
- Wash your grapes, then squeeze the insides from the skins (a crazy easy process that is just a tad time-consuming) into a heavy-bottomed pot. (I like to use my enamel Dutch oven.) Do not discard the skins! Instead, put them into the bowl of your food processor, along with the sugar.
- Puree the skins and sugar together, then scrape into the pot of grapes innards along with the lemon juice. Bring to a light boil over medium heat, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has mostly broken down.
- Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into the pot, and discard the seeds and any remaining solids. (You're going to need to spend a little time pressing it all through with a wooden spoon.)
- Place a plate in your freezer (you'll need this to test the jam).
- Bring the strained mixture back to a lox boil over medium or medium-low heat, and cook for another 35minutes, stirring occasionally.
- AT this point, take the plate out of the freezer, drop a bit of the jam onto the plate, and put it back in the freezer for 1 minute. Take it out and hold the plate sideways. If the jam stay in a mound, it's ready, but if it drips, continue cooking and test every 5 minutes.
recipe adapted from here
I love the idea of making homemade jam! This looks super delicious!
Rachael replied: — October 15th, 2014 @ 10:43 am
Thanks, Jess! It's so much better than the store-bought stuff!
I never knew I needed a grape jam recipe in my life until I saw this post!!! Also, you are not the last person to figure out the grape flavored thing because I did not know that. And now I need to find some concord grapes to test that theory!
Rachael replied: — October 15th, 2014 @ 10:44 am
Oh my gosh I am so relieved to hear that! Haha! And yes, once you try one, your mind will be blown!
Concord grape jelly is my absolute favorite! LOVE how easy this looks! This would definitely spruce up my boring ‘ol PBJ’s. š
Rachael replied: — October 15th, 2014 @ 10:45 am
Thanks, Sarah! I actually couldn't believe how simple it was!
Wow grape jam!! looks and sounds phenomenal.. Love it! š
Rachael replied: — October 15th, 2014 @ 2:34 pm
Thank you, Arpita! You're so sweet š
This is exactly what I needed.
Believe it or not, but I had my first ever concord grape this year. I feel like a changed man. Seriously, I never thought a grape actually could taste “grape” if you get what I mean.
Rachael replied: — October 16th, 2014 @ 10:58 am
I know EXACTLY what you mean. I really though "grape" was an artificial flavor like "cherry." Mind blown.