Grape Jellies, along with grape juice, are one of the favorites of Americans, young and old. Most of the grape juices, jellies, and jams come from Concord Grapes, which was named after a town in Massachusetts, despite being bred as long as 1000 BC. Concord grapes were famous for being able to survive the rugged New England soil and climate.
Making grape jellies begin by extracting grape juice. The extraction and preservation of grape juice can be credited to Dr. Thomas Welch, his wife, and his 17-year-old son, in 1869. Dr. Welch also applied the theory of pasteurization to preserve fresh grape juice. His success in this industry contributed to the commercialization of his product which will be known as the Welch brand.
Grape Jelly Trivia
- Grapes are classified as berries since all the fruits come from a single flower in the vine.
- Ancient grape varieties have been around for 65 million years, evolution, and cross-breeding led to the modern grape descendants that people have been familiar with. In fact, people have been breeding and cultivating grapes for more than 8000 years.
Grape Jelly Buying Guide
Grape jellies are produced by both commercial and artisan producers. When buying grape jellies, look at the ingredients and avoid those jellies with heavy doses of artificial sugars, chemicals, and toxic preservatives.
It’s best to buy grape jellies during the grape season at the end of summer or during early August because harvest season is also the prime of the fruit’s flavors and natural juices.
Grape Jelly Production & Farming in Texas
People usually think of cold places when growing grapes since these fruits are sensitive to temperature, climate, and geography. However, people should know that grapes have been growing in Texas for thousands of years. They are usually thriving along rivers and streams. There are even a wide variety of native grapes in Texas that are crucial for both fruit and wine production. Some of the wine grapes abundantly growing in Texas include Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Viognier, Mourvèdre (Monsatsrell & Mataró), Alvarinho/Albariño, Tannat, and Touriga Nacional, among others.
Preservatives and Chemicals
It has been said that the artisan crafts of making jellies, jams, and preserves are now a dying art as people resort to commercially produced products that have very different tastes and textures from the handcrafted ones.
Sugar is the most obvious preservative added in grape jellies. However, there are different types of sugars in preserved fruit products. For instance, preserving sugars with high pectin are added to jams, preserves, and marmalades. On the other hand, jelling sugar or jam sugar already contains other chemical additives such as pectin which acts as a gelling agent and citric acid as a preservative.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is one of the most toxic sugar additives in jellies. Consuming foods with high fructose corn syrup adds an unhealthy amount of fructose to the body which leads to more health problems such as obesity, fatty liver disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Most commercially produced grape jellies contain artificial flavoring and coloring to enhance the looks and taste of the final product.
Packaging
Jams, jellies, preserves, and marmalades require highly sanitized and extensive procedures to preserve the shelf-life of the food products and maintain food safety.
Grape jellies both contain pectin, sugars, and fruits. In this case, the canning method or the boiling water bath works as the most reliable food packaging method.
Check the jars for any cracks, chipped areas, and even mold. Once you find these irregularities, immediately discard the jars instead of repairing or saving them. Remember that the consumers’ food safety is the top priority.
Boil the jars in hot water and let them cool for a while. Ladle the grape jellies leaving 1-inch headspace otherwise, the jar will crack or explode. Place the magnetic lids and metal rings tightly, ensuring that no air enters the mixture and close tightly. Return the jar with the jam mixture into the boiling water for 5 more minutes.
Let the jars cool down for 24 hours and store in a cool place, away from the sun for up to a year.
Enjoying Grape Jellies
Grape jelly enthusiasts have uncountable ways to enjoy grape jelly. One of the basic ones is spreading it onto pancakes because it is one of the easiest and most delightful methods. Jelly-filled fried donuts are another classic. There’s just something very comforting about fried dough and refreshing grape jam that’s such a delight to many people.
Storage
Home-made jellies must be stored in the refrigerator and can be stored for at least a month. Avoid frequently opening and storing the canned jellies at room temperature as it can shorten their shelf-life. Check the lid of the jellies for any contaminants such as molds and yeasts.
If the jelly smells of yeast and begins to form a watery texture, get rid of it as it’s already spoiled.
Cooking
OLD FASHIONED GRAPE-JELLY
INGREDIENTS
2kg dark grapes
Juice of 2 lemons
1kg white sugar
EQUIPMENT
Large preserving pan
Jelly bag or muslin
Clothes pegs
4-liter container (square is easier for pegging the muslin cloth)
Small jars, sterilized
Wax paper discs
Cellophane seals
Rubber bands
PROCEDURE
- Wash the grapes carefully and lightly so as not to bruise them. Discard any stems and damaged fruit then leave the grapes to dry in a colander – do this overnight for a perfectly dry fruit.
- Place the grapes in the preserving pan and gently mash with a potato masher. Squeeze the lemon juice over and bring to a slow, gentle simmer. No stirring or turning is required. The skins should be bursting and the juice should slowly bubble. This stage takes around 20 minutes.
- Once most of the juice has come out, turn the heat up and bring it to a slow boil. Crush the grapes further with the masher to bring out all the liquid.
