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.

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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.
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.
Jam
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.
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.
Step by step Instructions with images
Before you start, make sure you sterilize the jars. You can place them in the dishwasher at high heat or boil them in water.
Mashing the grapes
This is how to proceed:
- Remove the grape from their pedicel
- 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:
Option 1: 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
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
- Stir to dissolve the sugar
- Simmer for almost 2 hours
- 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
Hint: Do not cook the jam for too long otherwise, it will crystallize
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Top tip
For more information on how to can grapes, you can read: National center of home food preservation
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.
📋Italian Grape Jam (No Pectin)
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
- 8 lb concord grape uva fragola
- 3.5 lb sugar
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
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 pedicel8 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 sugar3.5 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
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