This Concord grape jelly is the easier version of a regular grape jam. In Italy, it is called gelatina d'uva Fragola. It has an intense ruby color, a gooey, luscious consistency, and a mild strawberry flavor. Only made with grape and sugar, it is a great way to store Concord grapes for the winter. Serve it with cheese, foie grass, or wild meat to counterbalance their rich tastes. It is a unique edible gift perfect for Christmas.
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This type of grape, called Concord grape, is original from North America. It is very popular in Italy and known as strawberry grapes.
As they are not easy to find, many, like me, plant them in their garden.
These grapes are in season for a very brief period in September, so if you have an abundant harvest is best to preserve them.
Besides this jelly, you can make grape jam or Concord grape wine Fragolino.
Making it yourself is the only chance to drink this wine.
Its commercial use is banned here in Europe but allowed to make for personal consumption.
What is Concord grape jelly?
Concord grape, Uva Fragola, has a unique strawberry flavor, so the origin of its name. Its skin is hard but easily removed by squeezing the grape.
While the jam is very time-consuming, as each grape has to be unseeded, this jelly is straightforward as the juices from the cooked grapes are easily percolated through a cheesecloth.
This Concord grape jelly is the original jelly used for peanut butter and jelly sandwich, very popular among my American high school boarding classmates.
I would also rather eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich than the school canteen's mushy spaghetti.
Ingredients
For this recipe, you only need two ingredients:
- Concord grape Uva Fragola
- Sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step instructions with images
This is how to proceed to make the jelly. Before you start, sterilize the jars. You can place them in the dishwasher at high heat or boil them in water.
Boiling the grapes
The grapes are cooked before the juices are extracted.
- Remove the grapes from their pedicel
- Rinse them with fresh water
- Place them in a pan and simmer covered for 1 hour. You do not need to add any water.
- Then let them cool down completely
Filter the juices
- Place a large strainer over a deep bowl
- Cover it with a cheesecloth
- Pour over the grapes and their juices and let them filter through the cheesecloth
- Fold over the cloth and put a heavy object over the grapes
- Let it filter overnight
- The next morning remove the colander and the grapes
Boiling the jelly
- Weight the juices and weigh the same amount of sugar
- Place the juices and the sugar in a pan and simmer for 2 hours
- With a colander strainer spoon, remove the foam that forms on the surface
- After two hours, you will see that the juices have thickened
- Pour the jelly into the sterilized jars
- Close them tightly
Hint: For more information on how to pasteurize grapes jam check the National Center of Home Food Preservation in the USA.
Pasteurizing the jars
- Place the jars into a large pan wrapped in cloths to prevent the jars from breaking while boiling.
- The water level in the canner/pan should be 1 to 2 inches - 2.5 to 5 cm above the tops of the filled jars. The water should boil vigorously for 10 minutes
- Let the jars in the water overnight, so they cool down completely. Remove once cold
How to serve it
You can serve this Grape jelly on a cheese platter or Foie Gras. You can also use it to marinate wild meat like duck or wild bore.
The children will also love it in a sandwich with peanut butter.
Storage
Store the jars in a dark, fresh, and dry place, they will keep for several months. Once the jar is opened, store it in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Substitutions
You can use a different type of grapes, although the flavor and the cooking time may differ.
If you want to substitute the sugar with a sugar-free alternative, ensure it has the same preserving properties.
Read the product instructions for equivalent quantities to use.
Equipment
As you don't need to strain the grapes, these are the only pieces of equipment you need:
- Cheese cloths
- Vegetable washer
- Large strainer
- Colander Strainer Spoon
- Glass jars for canning (quarter pint 150 ml)
- Fire Gloves BBQ to hold the hot jar
- Ladle with spout
- Large Saucepan
Top tip
For more information on how to can grapes, you can read: National center of home food preservation
FAQ
Concord grapes are native to North America, Massachusetts. They are very different than regular grapes. Their skin is dark blue and thicker than regular grapes. The skin is easily removed, called the skin-slip variety.
In Italy, Concord grape is called uva fragola because it has a unique strawberry taste. Although if you bite the grapes, the inside is very bitter.
So, we eat them by squeezing them out of their skin and swallowing them like a pill. You only taste the strawberry!
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📋Concord Grape Jelly
Verified Culinary AuthorityVideo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 lb Strawberry grapes - Concord grape yield about 3 lb - 1.5 kg of juices
- 3 lb sugar
Instructions
Sterilize the jars
- Before you start, sterilize the jars. You can place them in the dishwasher at high heat or boil them in water.
Boiling the grapes
- Remove the grapes from their pedicel5 lb Strawberry grapes - Concord grape
- Rinse them with fresh water
- Place them in a pan and simmer covered for 1 hour. You do not need to add any water.
- Then let them cool down completely
Filter the juices
- Place a large strainer over a deep bowl
- Cover it with a cheesecloth
- Pour over the grapes and their juices and let them filter through the cheesecloth
- Fold over the cloth and put a heavy object over the grapes
- Let it filter overnight
- The next morning remove the colander and the grapes
Boiling the jelly
- Weight the juices and weigh the same amount of sugar3 lb sugar
- Place the juices and the sugar in a pan and simmer for 2 hours
- With a colander strainer spoon, remove the foam that forms on the surface
- After two hours, you will see that the juices have thickened
- Pour the jelly into the sterilized jars
- Close them tightly
Pasteurizing the jars
- Place the jars into a large pan wrapped in cloths to prevent the jars from breaking while boiling.
- The water level in the canner/pan should be 1 to 2 inches - 2.5 to 5 cm above the tops of the filled jars.
- The water should boil vigorously for 10 minutes
- Let the jars in the water overnight, so they cool down completely. Remove once cold
- Eat it with cheese, foie gras or peanut butter, or store for the winter
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