Honey Sweetened Concord Grape Jelly

Make and preserve your own homemade Concord grape jelly! Concord grapes have a slightly tart, musky flavor but can be transformed into a delicious grape jelly with a little sweetening. This old-time favorite is sweetened with honey in this recipe.

Concord grapes are behind the flavor of grape jelly traditionally used in peanut butter and jelly sandwich that many of us grew up eating. Ephraim Wales Bull originally developed the Concord grape in 1849 at his farm in Concord, Massachusetts. The variety was cultivated from native grape species that thrive in the cold climate of New England. The vines are so hearty that it isn’t unusual to find them growing wild on old homesteads, in the woods, and along streambeds.

Our Concord grape vines were overgrown when we purchased our property, and they continue to be a work in progress. Last year, we hacked the vines that escaped the trellis and wound their way up the nearby pine trees. We were unforgiving and cut the mature grape vines back about 90% almost to their trunk.

It doesn’t take long for vigorous grape vines to become unruly, and ideally they should be pruned every year when vines are dormant. It had been several years since we had pruned the vines, and the grape production dwindled a little each year because the plants’ energy was diverted into too many directions. It was time to reel it in.

Grapes bear fruit on one-year-old canes, so we had to wait patiently a few years until the vines produced. We didn’t have a large harvest of grapes this year, but it was enough for a small batch of Concord grape jelly.

Tips for Making Concord Grape Jelly

This jelly recipe uses Concord grapes, but feel free to try it with other grape varieties. The flavor will be different, but still delicious. You can also make this jelly with purchased frozen or bottled grape juice if you don’t have fresh fruit.

Harvest the Grapes at Peak Sweetness

The best way to tell if the grapes are ready to harvest is by tasting them and checking the seed color. As the fruit ripens, it will become sweet and the seeds will change from green to brown.

Make Small Batches of Grape Jelly

I know it may be tempting, especially if you have lots of grapes, but don’t double this recipe. Small batches are much easier to manage ingredients, heat, and get the jelly to gel successfully. If you have a lot of grapes, consider freezing or canning grape juice for later.

Use Pomona’s Universal Pectin

This recipe for grape jelly uses Pomona’s Universal Pectin. It is a citrus pectin that lets you use less sugar and other sweetening alternatives than your typical boxed pectin. It works differently than regular pectin in that it uses calcium powder to gel instead of lots of sugar. This allows the fruit flavor to shine in your jellies and jams rather than the sweetness of the sugar. You can find Pomona’s Universal Pectin in stores with the canning supplies or online.

Allow Plenty of Time

When making jelly from fresh fruit, you will need a couple of days to extract the juice and allow the sediment to settle.

Concord grapes have a lot of sediment and can form tartrate crystals. Allowing the juice to rest overnight in the refrigerator will let the residue separate from the juice and settle on the bottom of the container.

Use a Mild Flavored Honey

Depending on where the honeybees gather nectar, the flavor of honey can range from mild to bold. You will want to choose a mild honey to sweeten jelly so the honey flavor won’t overwhelm the grapes. Generally, light-colored honey made from alfalfa or clover is milder in taste.

How to Make Grape Jelly

This homemade grape jelly is made by extracting the juice from homegrown Concord grapes, sweetening with honey, thickened with Pomona’s Universal Pectin, and processed in a boiling water bath canner for shelf stable jars.

Don’t have access to fresh Concord grapes? You can also make jelly with frozen or bottled grape juice that can be purchased at the grocery store. You will need 4 cups of juice for this recipe.

If you are new to canning or haven’t canned in a while, it may be helpful to review this article on water bath canning at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.

A more detailed and printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this post, but these are the general steps for making Concord Grape Jelly from fresh fruit.

Step 1: Gather Your Canning Equipment

• Water bath canner with a canning rack
• 5 half-pint canning jars
• Canning lids and bands (new lids, bands can be reused)
• Canning tools: jar lifter, canning ladle, funnel, and bubble popper
• Jelly strainer or cheese cloth
• Kitchen Scale
• Small clear jar with a lid for the calcium water
• Plus basic kitchen supplies such as a large prep bowl, large sauce pot, spoons, towels, potato masher, and measuring spoons and cups.

Step 2: Prepare the Grapes

Harvest the grapes at peak sweetness. Pluck the grapes from the stems and rinse well in plain water to remove bugs, dust, and debris. You’ll need about 4 pounds of grapes to make 4 cups of juice.

Step 3: Extract the Juice from the Fruit

Extract the juice by combining the grapes and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce to a simmer. Gently mash the grapes with a potato masher to release their juices and continue simmering over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strain the juice through a damp jelly bag or double layers of cheesecloth. Let the fruit strain for several hours. If you want clear jelly, do not squeeze the bag. I care more for flavor rather than appearance, so I often give the bag a squeeze to press out all the flavorful juice. Discard the solids.

Step 4: Refrigerate the Grape Juice

Place the juice into the refrigerator to sit for 24-48 hours. During this time, tartaric acid crystals will form, and the sediment will settle to the bottom.

Step 5: Prepare the Canning Equipment

When you are ready to make the jelly, wash your jars, lids, bands, and canning tools in warm, soapy water. Rinse well, and set aside until you are ready to use them.

Jars must be heated before filling to prevent breakage due to thermal shock. Place the jar rack into the water bath canner, set the jars upright on the rack, and add water to fill the pot covering the jars. Bring the canner to a simmer (180˚F) for 10 minutes, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions for preparing the lids. Pre-heating lids is no longer necessary before using, but it is still safe to simmer (180°F) the lids if you want to. Just place lids in the canner while you heat your jars.

Step 6: Mix the Calcium Water

Pomona’s Universal Pectin uses calcium water to get the jelly to thicken and gel. Make this by combining 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder (from the small packet in the Pomona’s pectin box) with 1/2 cup water in a glass jar with a lid. Shake well and set aside. You will need 4 teaspoons of calcium water for this recipe. Store extra in the refrigerator for other canning recipes.

Step 7: Make the Grape Jelly

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the honey with the pectin powder. Set aside.

Remove the grape juice from the refrigerator without disturbing the settlement at the bottom. Strain the juice again through a jelly bag or double layers of cheesecloth to remove the crystals. Stop when you see the sediment reach the lip of the container. The jelly bag or cheesecloth will catch the crystals.

Measure out 4 cups of the juice into a large saucepan. Add the lemon juice, calcium water, and stir to mix well. Bring juice to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the pectin-honey mixture and stir to dissolve. Continue stirring until the jelly comes back to a boil. Once it boils, remove from heat and skim off foam.

Step 8: Can the Jelly

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use the jar lifter to remove a jar from the canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.

With the canning funnel and ladle, add jelly to the jar leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Run the bubble popper through the jar to release any trapped air bubbles.

Wipe the rim with a damp towel to remove any residue. Center a lid on the jar, place the band over the lid, and screw it on until fingertip tight. Place the jar back into the canner, and repeat with the rest of the jars.

Once the jars are in the canner, adjust the water level so it is covering the jars by two inches, bring the canner to a boil, and process the jars for the times indicated in the recipe below.

Let the jars cool completely, and then test the seals. Refrigerate any jars that failed to seal. Remove the bands and wash the jars well with warm soapy water to remove any residue. Label, date, and store in a cool, dark place, between 50 to 70 degrees F. Use within 12 to 18 months. Refrigerate the jar once opened and consume within 3 weeks.

This article was originally published on September 17, 2016. It has been reviewed and updated.

More Jelly and Jam Recipes:

• Homemade Crabapple Jelly with No Added Pectin
• Small Batch Chokecherry Jelly
• Spiced Apple Jelly with No Added Pectin
• Maple Vanilla Peach Jam

Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden

Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.