Fall is in the air and that means it’s time to preserve!! Today we’re going to get our groove on as we be jamin’ with some concord grapes. Being the health nut that I am, I wanted to do something different and make this jam in a more healthful way than many traditional recipes or store bought jams. As you’ll see in the video, I undress two great products that are fantastic substitutes for traditional white sugar and the common pectin found at the grocery store.
To be frank, I really had no idea what I was doing when I started out on this jam making adventure. Having never made jam before, and at the same time making up my own recipe, I was a bit scared that it would be a disaster. Fortunately, luck was on my side and the jam turned out AMAZING!!
A Quick Story about my Grapes
Last summer Steve and I bought our first house. We could tell that at one point it was owned by an Italian family and likely an Italian family that was in the tiling business since they even tiled half way up many of our walls. The reason I say they were Italian is that half of our backyard is covered by this amazing grape vine awning similar to those you would see in Italy. When we first moved in we had no idea what kind of yield their would be. However, we soon realized we had a grape growing frenzy on our hands. When the grapes are finally ready to harvest it is a race between myself and the local pack of tubby raccoons, to see who can use them up faster. I wouldn’t mind so much if they ate the whole grape but they only eat the inside and then scatter the skins all over my patio. What a mess!!
I have never done anything with concord grapes before but thought that I better figure something out fast before my patio was ankle deep in grape skins. I juiced some and froze it into ice cube trays then bagged the cubes. These are great for making ice cream and sorbets. I also froze a bunch of them which are great for smoothies. I gave a whole bunch away to my neighbour who is in the process of attempting to make wine out of them. Lastly, I decided to make some jam!!
Click Here to Download a PDF Version of the Recipe
Check out the video to see my jam making experience and the undressing of two great products!
P.S. My friend Leanne (featured in the video), is a jam making expert. She said that she has only ever made jelly out of concord grapes. After her visit with us on jam making day she decided to make grape jam this year instead of the jelly. Good news folks!! She loved the jam and said she is always going to do it that way from now on!! So there you have it, the stamp of approval from a real canning/jarring superstar.
Enjoy the Jamin’
RECIPE
Ingredients
8 cups concord grapes
1/2 cup water
2 cups organic Sucanat
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest (heaping)
3 tsp Pomona’s Universal Pectin
4 tsp calcium water (from Pomona’s Universal Pectin)
~6 canning jars/lids/rings
Directions
Pull the grapes off of the stems. Pinch the grapes to separate the skins from the flesh (innards). Put the skins in a large saucepan and the innards in a medium pan as you go. Add the water to the pot of skins and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the grape innards to a simmer until it loses shape. Approximately 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly and run through a food mill to remove the seeds.
To sterilize the jars, place them in a cake pan and in the oven at 250? for 15 minutes. Submerge the tops and rings in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Add the milled innards, lemon juice, lemon zest, and calcium water to the saucepan with the skins. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add Sucanat and pectin (mix these two ingredients together in a bowl before adding to the pot). Stir until the Sucanat dissolves, bring back up to a boil and then remove from heat.
Use a jarring funnel and a sterilized ladle to spoon the jam into the jars. Note, if you don’t have a jarring funnel then sterilize a glass measuring cup and use that to pour the jam liquid into the jars. Don’t fill the jars to the top. Leave about 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. Put the lid and ring on the jar. Submerge the jars into a pot of boiling water so they are covered for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Make sure the tops pop down for a proper seal. Store in a cool place and refrigerate after opening.
I LOVE this jam because it is jam packed with flavour and it isn’t overly ‘smack you in the face’ sweet.
