Continuing on a theme this year, I made grape jelly in early October. Mid-summer, I sought Concord Grapes from local sources, knowing they would be ready in Fall. I waited for them to be at their peak, then had a lovely morning drive to Catoctin Mountain Orchard to buy a half bushel of lovely Blue Concords. It was a delight to be in true farm country and to purchase the fresh cider, fruits, pies, and other such treats that they had for sale. They clearly have some of the Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, based on the styles and types of baked goods. This makes me very happy, indeed.
After lugging my grapes home, I then set about making first juice, then jelly. It was a long, grueling day, and I hope you find the story and pictures interesting.
I first made grape jelly back when I lived in Colorado. A coworker had some Concords growing, and was complaining about her back, so I offered to help harvest if I could take some. She offered to lend me her borrowed steam juicer to make the job easier, and I took her up on her kind offer. It was an amazing day, the first time my house was filled with utter grape-i-ness. My first batch didn’t set, and since I had so many grapes, I made a second, then a third, and they turned out much better. We enjoyed it and gave it as presents and a couple of years later, I made a second batch.
That was six years ago, and we’ve been jonesing for more since our last jar ran out a few years ago. A toasted piece of wheat bread with a bit of butter, peanut butter, and this jelly is a wonderful, quick breakfast or snack when you’re feeling a bit funky from hunger, allergies, or stress. The difference in flavor between home-canned jelly like this and store-bought is astounding; how they manage to remove so much of the flavor and nuance is beyond me. The one downside is the large amount of sugar.