Simple Concord Grape Jam Recipe
Bursting with the sweet and tangy flavour of ripe Concord grapes, this jam is a nostalgic taste of summer preserved in a jar. With just grapes, sugar, and a touch of lemon juice, you can create a delicious spread that's perfect for spreading on toast, dolloping on pancakes, or adding a fruity twist to your favourite recipes.
Equipment
- large pot
- wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- stainless steel colander or strainer
- potato masher
- potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
Ingredients
- 7 cups grapes
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preparing 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.
Cooking the Grape Mixture
- Measure the required amount of grapes as per the recipe.
- Mix the grapes with lemon juice and sugar.
- Use a potato masher to break the grape skins and extract their juices. Allow the mashed grapes to sit for about 2 hours to help dissolve the sugar.
- Place the pot over medium heat, bringing the grapes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the grapes uncovered for 4-6 hours or overnight to enhance flavors. Use a mesh screen to protect your jam from flies and wasps.
Straining the Jam
- Use a mesh kitchen strainer or colander and a ladle or large metal spoon to press and rub the cooked grape pulp 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 soft ricotta cheese 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. Begin sterilizing Mason jars at the same time as you start this step
- One the jam begins to boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly, and simmer the jam for another 20 minutes.
- Perform a doneness test by spooning a teaspoon of jam onto a fridge-chilled plate. It should thicken to the finished product consistency.
- For a thicker jam, extend the cooking time by 10 minutes.
- (!) Ensure the jam is boiling as you proceed to can your Concord Grape Jam. Have your Mason jars ready because the next step, filling them with piping hot jam, must follow immediately.
Notes
The specified in this jam recipe quantity of ingredients should yield enough jam to fill two 8 oz. (250 ml.) mason jars. The final yield may vary based on your preferred level of doneness.