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Home » Recipes » Canned & Jams

Italian Grape Jam (No Pectin)

Published: Oct 19, 2022 · Modified: Jan 13, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Recipe Jump to Video

Homemade grape jam is a delicious way to use a large number of grapes before the end of the season. I have a gorgeous Concord grapes (Uva fragola) pergola that produces more grapes than I can handle. In September, I make large quantities of strawberry grape jam and jelly with only two ingredients grapes and sugar. Its intense ruby color and delicate strawberry flavor make this jam the perfect edible gift to serve in the morning with bread and butter or to bake into crostata.

grape jam on a spoon

Grape jam is not easy to find in the shops, as it is labor-intensive to make. Removing all the seeds and the skin from each grain can be time-consuming.

So I found an easier way to make it using a manual or electrical vegetable strainer. Each method has its advantage and disadvantages, but they are better than doing it one by one by hand.

I use strawberry or Concord grapes as their skin is easily removed. They are called skin-slip varieties.

If you want to try other recipes using this grape, you can check out Concord Grape Jelly or Concord Grape Wine Fragolino.

Jump to:
  • Difference between Jam and jelly
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • How to use it
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • 📋Italian Grape Jam (No Pectin)

Difference between Jam and jelly

The main difference between jam and jelly is that while jam is made using grape pulps, jelly uses only grape juices.

As such, their consistency is very different.

The jam is firm and opaque with lumps of fruit, while the jelly is gooey and clear.

The jelly is much easier to make as it doesn't require deseed.

Due to their different consistency and texture, the jam can be used as a pastry filling like crostata, and the jelly more as a coating or to serve with wild meat like duck or foie gras.

consistency of the grape jam dropping from a spoon

Jam

consistency of the grape jelly dropping from a spoon

Jelly

Ingredients

To make this jam, I only use two ingredients:

  • Concord grape Uva Fragola
  • Sugar

Hint: if you want to reduce its cooking time, you can add pectin.

See recipe card for quantities.

grape picked from the garden pergola

I use Concord strawberry grapes to make this jam. The skin is thicker than the regular grape and easier to remove.

To eat it, you just need to squeeze the grape, and the pulp comes out of the skin.

Its skin has an intense blue color that changes into ruby red once cooked.

the skin is easy to remove from the grape

Instructions

Before you start, make sure you sterilize the jars. You can place them in the dishwasher at high heat or boil them in water.

sterilizing jars in the dishwasher

Mashing the grapes

This is how to proceed:

remove the grape from the pedicel
  1. Remove the grape from their pedicel
rinse the grapes
  1. Rinse them with fresh water a couple of times

You now need to remove the seeds and the skin from the pulp. You can either:

Pass the grapes through an electrical vegetable strainer

Option 1: Pass the grapes through an electrical vegetable strainer

Pass the grapes through an electrical vegetable strainer

Option 2: Pass the grapes through a manual vegetable strainer

Hint: the vegetable strainer will separate the skins and the seeds from the pulp. While the pulp will filter through the strainer, the seeds and the skin is pushed out through the cone. The seeds are not as small as the tomato's, so they tend to block the strainer cone. You will have to clean and unblock it regularly.

Boiling the jam

mess passing grape through a a fruit strainer
  1. The strainer process is messy, but it is much easier than removing the seeds from the grapes manually.
pouring the juice in a pan
  1. Once done, pour the juices into a pan
adding sugar
  1. Add the sugar
stirring sugar and grape juices
  1. Stir to dissolve the sugar
simmering the grape juice
  1. Simmer for almost 2 hours
removing the foam with a strainer
  1. Regularly removing the foam forming on the surface with a colander strainer spoon

Checking if the jam is ready

pouring the jam on a plate
  1. Pour some jam on a plate
checking if the jam is ready
  1. Tilt it to check if the jam has reached the right consistency

Hint: Do not cook the jam for too long otherwise, it will crystallize

Canning the jam

remove the jam from the heat
  1. Once the jam is ready, remove it from the heat
filling the jars
  1. Pour the jam into the sterilized jars
closing the jars
  1. Close them tightly
jars ready to be pasteurized
  1. You now need to pasteurize them

Pasteurizing the jars

jars in a large pan wrapped in cloths
  1. Place the jars into a large pan wrapped in kitchen cloths to prevent the jars from breaking while boiling.
Jars boiling in a large pan
  1. 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.
  1. Let the jars in the water overnight, so they cool down completely. Remove once cold
removing the jars from the pan

How to use it

You can eat this jam for breakfast over bread and butter. You can also use it to fill crostata or cakes.

This jam will taste like mild strawberries mixed with sweet grapes with very low acidity. A unique taste.

Eating the grape jam with bread and butter

Substitutions

If you cannot find Concord grape, you can use regular grape, white or red, depending on your preferred final color.

It may be easier to use seedless grapes, which you can find in the store.

Do not substitute regular sugar with brown sugar. If you do, you will have to use the jam within two to three months of the preparation.

You can use a sweetener for a sugar-free jam, but ensure they are suitable for canning.

open jar of jam with grapes next to it

Variations

If you want to reduce your cooking time, you can add pectin after cooking the jam for 40 minutes.

Although, pectin does not replace the sugar quantity as the sugar is needed to preserve the jam.

If you want to reduce the sugar, you may have to freeze the jam instead of canning it.

Check the National center of home food preservation for the minimum required sugar quantities.

jars of grapes jam next to the grapes

Equipment

I use the KitchenAid vegetable strainer attachment, which makes the recipe extremely easy as it automatically separates the flesh from the skin.

You can also use an electrical or manual vegetable strainer used to make the tomato sauce, as they also separate the skin from the flesh.

If you don't have one, but you would like to make more fruit and vegetable preserved, I would suggest investing in one.

Additional equipment you will need are:

  • Vegetable washer to rinse the grapes
  • Colander Strainer Spoon to remove the foam
  • Glass jars for canning (quarter pint 150 ml)
  • Fire Gloves BBQ to hold the hot jar
  • Ladle with a spout to pour the jam into the jars
  • Large Saucepan to boil the jam and pasteurize the jars
electrical vegetables strainer KithenAid

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.

Jam on a spoon over the opened jar

Top tip

For more information on how to can grapes, you can read: National center of home food preservation

jam served over bread and butter

If you are making this Italian grape jam, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.

grape jam on bread and butter

📋Italian Grape Jam (No Pectin)

Homemade grape jam is a delicious way to use a large number of grapes before the end of the season. This recipe uses Concord grape. Its intense ruby color and delicate strawberry flavor make this jam the perfect edible gift to serve in the morning with bread and butter or to bake into crostata.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Cool down time 1 day
⏲️Total Time 1 day 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 pint jars
Print Rate SaveSaved!
Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 lb concord grape uva fragola
  • 3.5 lb sugar
Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

  • vegetable and fruit washer
  • Vegetable Strainer
  • Manual Vegetable Grinder
  • Jars for canning 67 oz - 2L
  • Fire Gloves BBQ
  • Ladle with spout
  • Pasta pan 8-Quart 3-Piece
  • Colander Strainer Spoon
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Instructions

Steralizing the jars

  • Before you start, sterilize the jars. You can place them in the dishwasher at high heat or boil them in water.

Mashing the grapes

  • Remove the grape from their pedicel
    8 lb concord grape
  • Rinse them with fresh water a couple of times
  • Pass the grapes through an electrical vegetable strainer
  • The vegetable strainer will separate the skins and the seeds from the pulp. Although, you will have to clean and unblock the cone from the seeds regularly.

Boiling the jam

  • The strainer process is messy, but it is much easier than removing the seeds from the grapes manually.
  • Once done, pour the juices into a pan
  • Add the sugar
    3.5 lb sugar
  • Stir to dissolve the sugar
  • Simmer for almost 2 hours uncovered
  • Regularly removing the foam forming on the surface with a colander strainer spoon

Checking if the jam is ready

  • Pour some jam on a plate
  • Tilt it to check if the jam has reached the right consistency

Canning the jam

  • Once the jam is ready, remove it from the heat
  • Pour the jam into the sterilized jars
  • Close them tightly, you now need to pasteurize them

Pasteurizing the jars

  • Place the jars into a large pan wrapped in kitchen 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
  • You can either store the jars for the winter or eat them with bread and butter or to bake cakes

Video

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Notes

For more information on how to can grapes, you can read: National center of home food preservation

Nutrition

Calories: 2154kcal | Carbohydrates: 560g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 1741mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 537g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg
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Laura Giunta Tobin

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