What to do when you have too many grapes? Make jelly!
We gave away tons of grapes, even to the local food bank. We even made sorbet, and some just had to be discarded.
So, it was time to take action and make jelly!
A basket of grapes like this only yields about 8 pints of jelly.
After washing and picking through the grapes, stemming them and discarding the bad ones, we processed them minimally in a food processor. Just enough to crush them.
They are then cooked for about ten minutes until all the juice is released.
Then strained through a cheese cloth strainer. The goal is to gather 5 cups of pure grape juice.
We boiled the 5 cups of grape juice, 7 cups of sugar and one package of pectin for one minute. This should be a hard boil!
The hot jelly is then poured in to warm, sterilized pint jars and sealed, being careful not to tighten the rings too tight.
They then are put in a processor to boil for 5 minutes. This kills any bacteria and also seals the lids. Lift out with tongs and let cool for 24 hours.
You know the lids are sealed when the lids are sucked down, not popping up and down.
Luckily, all mine sealed tight. The jelly will last up to a year in a cool dark place.
We ended up with 24 pints of grape jelly!
They will make perfect little gifts for the holidays for friends and family.
Just tie on a fabric scarf with twine!
Homegrown in Asti, and handmade with love! What could be better?
For a detailed tutorial on how to make grape jelly click here.
I'm joining the Foodie Friday party at Designs by Gollum.
