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 stream beds.
Our Concord grape vines were overgrown when we purchased our property, and they continue to be a work in progress. Last year, we hacked back 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 Concord 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 real 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 Concord grapes this year, but it was enough for a small batch of Concord grape jelly.
Tips for Making Honey Sweetened Concord Grape Jelly
I used a different recipe than the one I usually use from the pectin package. I wanted to reduce the amount of sugar for this batch. I turned once again to Pomona’s Universal Pectin, and I am very pleased with the honey-sweetened version.
Pomona’s Universal Pectin powder is a citrus pectin that lets you use less sugar than your regular boxed pectin. It is a little different than your typical boxed pectin in that it uses calcium powder to gel instead of lots of sugar. So the fruit flavor shines in your jellies and jams rather than the sweetness of the sugar.
You can find Pomona’s Universal Pectin on Amazon.
When making juice or jelly, I like to split the process over a couple of days to allow extra time for the juice to strain and the sediment to settle. Here is how I extract the Concord grape juice and can it to drink or to be made into jelly later: Homemade Concord Grape Juice.
Don’t have access to Concord grapes? You can also make Concord grape jelly using organic, unsweetened Concord grape juice that can be purchased at the health food or grocery store. You will need 4 cups of juice. Skip steps 2 and 3 in the recipe.
Equipment:
- Water Bath Canner
- 5 half-pint jars
- Lids and bands
- Canning tools: lid lifter, jar lifter, canning ladle, funnel, and bubble popper
- Jelly strainer
- Candy thermometer
- Plus basic kitchen supplies such as a large sauce pot, small pot, towels, potato masher, measuring cup, and knife.
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.
- 4 pounds Concord grapes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 - 1 cup honey (or 3/4-2 cups cane sugar)
- 4 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona box)
- 4 teaspoons Pomona’s Universal Pectin (included in the Pomona box)
Prepare your calcium water ahead of time by combining 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder with 1/2 cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Store extra in the refrigerator.
Remove the grapes from the stems and wash the grapes in plain water. Extract the juice by combining the fruit and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a simmer over low heat. Gently mash the grapes with a fork or potato masher to release their juices and continue simmering over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Strain through a damp jelly bag or double layers of cheesecloth. Allow the fruit to strain for several hours, or overnight. 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.
Prepare your jars and lids by washing in warm, soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. Place jar rack into water bath canner, set jars in the canner, add water, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Warm your lids in a small pot over low heat. Keep jars and lids warm until ready to use.
In a small bowl, add sugar, pectin powder, and stir to blend together. Set aside.
Measure out 4 cups of grape juice (add water if needed) and pour into a saucepan. Add calcium water and stir to mix well. Bring juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pectin-sugar 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.
Spread kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove warm jars from canner, drain, and line up on the towel. Use your canning ladle and funnel and add the jelly to warm jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims. Use your magnetic lid lifter to lift lids out of the warm water, center lid on the jar, and screw on band until it is fingertip tight.
Using jar lifter, place jars carefully into canner leaving space in between them. Once jars are all in canner, adjust the water level so it is at least one inch above the jar tops. Add more boiling water if needed so the water level is at least one inch above the jar tops. When adding water, use the hot water from the small pot your lids were in. Pour the water around the jars and not directly onto them.
Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, continue boiling for 10 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. (adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary).
When processing time is complete, turn off heat and allow the canner to cool down and settle for about 10 minutes. Spread a kitchen towel on the counter; remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face. Use a jar lifter to lift jars carefully from canner and place on the towel. Allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24-hours. You should hear the satisfactory “ping” of the jar lids sealing.
After 12 to 24-hours, check to be sure jar lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate the jar and use up within a few weeks.
Remove the screw on bands and wash the jars. Label and date the jars. Store your jars in a cool, dark place and use within 12 months. Refrigerate once opened and consume within 3 weeks. Yields about 4-5 half-pint jars.
More Articles for Preserving Fruit:
- Honey Sweetened Concord Grape Jelly
- Homemade Crabapple Jelly with No Added Pectin
- Small Batch Chokecherry Jelly
- Spiced Apple Jelly with No Added Pectin
- Cherry Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Homemade Blueberry Syrup with Honey
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Brandi Schepers says
How much water do I add to grapes when putting in large pot to boil?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Brandi, About 1/2 cup of water just to help prevent the grapes from sticking. Once the grapes heat up, they will release juice.
Julia Richardson says
If using Juice instead of Grapes, how much Juice should I use? Thanks!
©Rachel Arsenault says
4 cups of grape juice.