Grape Jelly Recipe
Turn fresh grapes into a smooth, fruity jelly that’s perfect for spreading or cooking with. A simple recipe to enjoy summer’s sweetness year-round. This recipe makes 450ml jelly.
Equipment
1 stockpot
1 sieve
cheesecloth / kitchen towel
1 large bowl
digital food thermometer optional
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
- 1 kg grapes (*see note 1)
- jam sugar with pectin (*see note 1)
- lemon juice (*see note 1)
Instructions
ADDITIONAL PREPARATION STEPS:
- Place some saucers in the freezer overnight (you can use them to test the jelly).
- To sterilise the jars you can plunge them in a large pan of boiling water for 10 mins. Alternatively you can also wash them in warm soapy water, rinse them and put them on a baking tray in the oven heated up at 100°C/225°F for 10 mins. Make sure everything is very clean. You do not want to do this too far in advance as the jars should be warm when the jam is poured into them.
TO MAKE THE JELLY:
- Wash the grapes. Remove the grapes from their stems discarding spoiled ones. Place the grapes in a large heavy-bottom stockpot.1 kg grapes
- Crush the grapes with a potato masher to release some of their juice.
- Stirring occasionally, bring the smashed grapes to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for around 10 to 15 minutes, or until the grapes have broken down and released their juice.
- Place a sieve lined with a cheesecloth or kitchen towel on top of a large bowl.
- Pour the grape mixture in the sieve and leave to strain overnight. Avoid squeezing the grapes as this can release some bitter compounds from the skins or seeds.
- The next day, measure how much juice you have and work out the amount of sugar and lemon juice needed. The ratio I use is 600ml (US 2 1/2 cup) juice for 450g (US 2 1/4 cup) jam sugar and the juice of 1/2 lemon.
- Place the juice, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy-bottom stockpot.jam sugar with pectin, lemon juice
- Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Skim off any scum or foam from the surface with a spoon and discard.
- Allow the mixture to bubble steadily until it reaches setting point 105°C (220°F) on a digital food thermometer.
- If you do not have a thermometer, you can test if the jelly has set, by putting a teaspoon of jelly on one of the cold saucer. Let it cool for a minute. The jelly is done when it wrinkles and holds its shape when pushed with your finger.
- Pour the jelly in the sterilised jars. Seal the jars.
- Store in a cool and dry place away from the light. Keep in the fridge once opened.
Notes
Note 1:
This recipe is written for 1kg (2.2 lbs) of grapes, but you can scale this recipe up or down as needed. Feel free to adjust the quantities depending on how many grapes you have. The key is to stick to the ratio below:
- The standard ratio for jelly making is 600ml (US 2 1/2 cup) juice for 450g (US 2 1/4 cup) jam sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 46kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 0.5gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.005gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 44IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.2mg