MY MEMORIES OF GRAPE JELLY ARE INEXTRICABLY linked to my childhood. Though we were more of a strawberry jam kind of family, my maternal grandparents regularly stocked Smucker’s Concord Grape Jelly in their refrigerator. When we visited, I would beg to be allowed a slice of white bread toast, smeared with margarine and this grape jelly. While I opt for real butter and whole grain bread these days, I still love the flavor of Concord jelly on a slice of toast.
3 cups/600 g granulated sugar
1 (1.75 ounce/50 g packet) powdered pectin
4 cups/960 ml unsweetened Concord grape juice
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Measure the sugar into a bowl. Whisk the powdered pectin into the sugar to blend.
In a large, nonreactive pot, combine the grape juice and the pectin-spiked sugar.
Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 15 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the volume in the pot is greatly reduced. While you continue to stir, clip a candy thermometer to the pot and watch until the pot reaches 220°F/105°C. There will be a great deal of foaming and bubbling before it reaches this point. It should look thick and syrupy and the bubbles should look glossy.
Test the set of the jelly using the saucer test described on page 77. If it doesn’t pass, return the pot to the heat and cook for an additional 5 minutes before repeating the test. When the jelly has reached the desired consistency, pour it into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11).