Grape Jelly and Conserves

OK—It is a Jamboree of Jelly and Jam over here.   (Sorry, I couldn’t resist but remember you haven’t had to sit through Peach Palooza and Gala of Grapes this year.)

I have been picking about 5 pounds of grapes every afternoon after work and coming in to make jams and jellies.     Instead of of stretching these posts out over days and weeks I decided to give you a twofer today.

I love my vintage Farm Journal Country Cookbook and most of my preserve recipes have come out of there this year.

Here is the first one I want to share that also made my house smell like Christmas.    The cookbook calls this “A de luxe jelly.”

Spiced Grape Jelly
From Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook

3 lbs. grapes
1 t. ground cloves
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. white vinegar
8 c. sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Cook grapes in a large kettle with spices and vinegar.   Use a potato masher and crush grapes while they are cooking.

After juice forms, boil 5-10 minutes.

Strain juice by running it through a chinois and pressing the grapes, separating the seeds and the grape peels.  (Discard these. For a super clear jelly, use cheese cloth to further strain the juice.  I skip this step and simply use my chinois.

Return juice to kettle and add sugar.     Heat, stirring, and boil rapidly to jelling stage (219 degrees).    Add pectin and stir hard.   Boil for 30 seconds.    Skim; pour quickly into hot sterilized glasses.   Seal at once.   Makes about 12 (6 oz. jars).

Spiced Grape Jelly

This recipe made the kitchen smell wonderful.    I know this will be wonderful on PBJs.    But, I have to confess, I don’t know how it will turn out.   I added the pectin, whisked it in, and set the timer for 30 minutes (not 30 seconds as the recipe called for).  After about four minutes, I realized it was looking a bit different than any other jelly I had ever made.   I went ahead and canned it up.   We will see….

My next recipe turned out much better because I read the directions more carefully.

Grape Conserve
Juicy purple grapes and oranges get together with raisins and nuts.    

6 c. grapes
6 c. sugar
Juice of 2 oranges
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
10 oz. seedless raisins
1 c. chopped walnuts

Place grapes in a kettle and cook.   Use a potato masher to smash grapes to release juice.   Cook until seeds can be separated by forcing pulp through strainer.

Combine grape pulp with sugar, orange juice, water,  and salt.    Bring to a boil.   Add raisins.   Simmer 20 minutes or until thick.

Add nuts; cook for a few minutes more.   Pour into hot sterilized jars.   Seal at once.   Makes about 5 pints.

Grape Conserve

I am so scared that I will poison someone when home canning (and really, this has never happened).   I also don’t own a pressure cooker because my grandmothers scared me to death with their old hissing monsters and stories of these things blowing up and impaling people with metal shards.

But, whether or not a recipe calls to water bath jams, jellies, or pickles, I do it anyway.   I set my jars back in a boiling water bath and processed them for 10 minutes for both these recipes.

Abby, my chives are blooming again.

When my youngest nephew was two years old, he would go out to the garden, pick all the chive flowers and eat them all.   He didn’t have the sweetest smelling breath.  🙂

Hugs and giggles today sent specially to you Abigail.