Mostarda-inspired Concord Grape Jam Preserve Recipe

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While we cherish classic jam recipes, our culinary journey occasionally leads us to creative experiments. Indeed, our concord grape jam recipe is an outcome of such experimentation. In the same fashion as all our culinary adventures, this canning recipe began with inspiration. This time, we found it in the harmony of sweet and savoury Italian Mostarda flavours.

Grapes used in this jam recipe

Occasionally, our friends like to surprise us with free produce from their homesteads. Whenever that happens, we always have a clear plan on how to handle it. However, when a friend gave us a crate of Concord grapes, we wondered what to do with them. If you never tried Concord grapes, the best way to describe these is as both sweet and tart grapes. The skin of Concord grapes can be quite tough, tart and tannic. The inner pulp tends to be sweet and juicy. In truth, these are not the best table grapes. While you can eat them raw, these grapes are more commonly used in various grape preserve recipes, such as grape juices and grape jam preserves.

Low Sugar

We usually make our jam preserves low-sugar, and this Concord grape jam preserve is no exception. What’s unique about this recipe is that we didn’t use pectin, often found in low-sugar jams. Wondering how? The secret lies in the ingredients we used.

Mostarda Concord Grape Jam Recipe

Tired of the same old grape jam recipe? Get ready for a treat! Our Concord grape jam preserve draws inspiration from the centuries-old Italian Mostarda recipe and reimagines it as a sweet and savory grape preserve. Whether you need a sauce for your roasted meats or a jam to complement various cheeses, look no further!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting time 6 hours hours

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Ingredients

• 9 cups grapes
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp dry mustard
• 1 ½ cup white wine
• 9 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 small anise seed pods
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 small bay leaf

Instructions

Prepare the grapes

• Begin by placing the grapes in a bowl of cold water or your salad spinner.
• Allow them to soak for a few minutes, then wash and destem the grapes.
• Remove any shriveled, moldy, or cracked grapes. Drain excess water using a colander or salad spinner basket.

Cook the Grape Mixture

• Measure the required amount of grapes as per the recipe.
• In a separate bowl combine dry mustard and wine. Mix thoroughly till mustard is fully dissolved. You may want to warm up the wine –mustard mixture gently to help mustard dissolve better.
• Take a suitably sized, heavy-bottomed, wide-sided pot, such as stock pot or brazier, and combine all ingredients.
• Place the pot over medium heat and bring the grapes to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer grapes for 20-25 minutes, turn off the heat. Leave the grapes uncovered for 4-6 hours or overnight to help flavors develop. Use mesh screen to protect your jam from flies and wasps.

Strain the Jam

• Remove the rosemary sprigs, bay leaves and anise pods.
• Using a mesh kitchen strainer or mesh colander and a large metal spoon press and rub the cooked grapes and grape skins against the mesh to push the pulp and juices through the mesh. This step will remove grape seeds and will keep most of the grape skins out. Jam should resemble buttermilk in consistency. If you don’t mind the seeds and like the skins, you can skip this step altogether.

Second Round of Cooking

• Return the grape jam to the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat.
• Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly, and simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Perform a doneness test by spooning a portion onto a chilled plate. It should thicken to the desired consistency.
• If you want a thicker jam, extend cooking time by 10 minutes.

  (!) Ensure the jam is boiling as you move to the next step.

  Have your Mason jars ready for immediate canning of your Concord grape jam preserve.

Yield

The quantity of ingredients specified in this jam recipe should yield enough jam to fill two 8 oz. (250 ml.) mason jars and one 4 oz (118 ml). The final yield may vary based on your preferred level of doneness.

Preserve Type Jam

Cuisine European | Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free | Kosher | Low Fat | Vegan | Vegetarian

Keyword canning grape jam | concord grape jam low sugar recipe | concord grape preserve | grape jam recipes | grape preserve recipe | how to make concord grape jam | Italian mostarda recipe | mostarda recipe

Enjoy your Concord Grape Jam Preserve!

• Use it as a sauce for grilled or roasted chicken and beef. Warm it in a saucepan first and gently drizzle on top of or on the side of the meats.
• This jam is great if served alongside cheeses. Alternatively warm it up slightly and drizzle over whipped goat cheese, as in this picture showcasing our recipe of figs with whipped goat cheese and our mostarda-inspired Concord grape jam.
• If you have questions about this grape jam recipe, or have questions about our jam recipe ideas, please leave us a comment or drop us a line and we’ll be sure to get back to you.

Can I Use Frozen Concord Grapes in this jam recipe?

You can use fresh or frozen Concord grapes for this jam preserve. If using frozen grapes, ensure they were washed before freezing. We do not recommend washing frozen berries.

Can I Substitute Other Grape Varieties to make this jam?

While you can use any grapes for caning grape jams, Concord grapes are a must to make this jam recipe. It’s not named “Concord Grape Jam Preserve” for nothing, right? Seriously though, Concord grapes have unique sweet and tart flavor that you won’t be able to replicate with other grapes. Additionally, the cooking time in our recipe accounts for the tough grape skins. With other grape types, you might need to tweak your cooking time quite a bit.

Can I Reduce Sugar and Add Pectin to make this jam?

We advise against reducing sugar and adding pectin. Sugar not only helps to set the jam but it also creates a unique flavor profile. Altering sugar level and substituting sugar with pectin may yield unpredictable results.