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Easy Grape Jelly With Two Ingredients

grape jelly on toast and in a jar with red grapes
Photo Credit
Trum Ronnarong/Shutterstock
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener
Yield
Makes about 4 pints.
Category
Pickles and Preserves
Course
Side Dishes
Preparation Method
Cook
Sources
The Old Farmer's Almanac Colonial Cookbook

Have you ever tried your hand at jelly-making? Making grape jelly is easier than you can think.  This recipe is for the old-fashioned grape jelly, which needs only two ingredients. We think wild grapes or underripe Concord grapes make the best jelly, but regular red grapes will do.

Do avoid seedless white/green grapes, which have little flavor and make a bland jelly. Seedless or with seeds doesn’t really matter, as the strainer will remove seeds.

See our “How to Make Jelly” Guide—and more jelly recipes!

Ingredients
Grapes for juice – use 14 oz of grapes for 1 cup of grape juice
3/4 cup sugar for every cup of grape juice
Optional: 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Wash and stem the grapes. Put into a kettle or large stainless-steel pot, mash down, and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, until the juice flows freely. Water – ¼ or ½ cup for every 4 cups of grapes – may be added a little at a time to prevent scorching or sticking.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover pot loosely and boil gently. Stir and continue crushing grapes until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. 
  3. Strain grapes through a dampened jelly bag or fine-meshed strainer or dampened cheesecloth in a sieve collecting the juice in a bowl.  Leave the strained juice overnight in the refrigerator to allow the white crystals that sometimes form to settle. In the morning, pour off the juice carefully, discarding the sediment, if any, at the bottom.
  4. Measure out 4 cups (leave the rest for another batch) and heat to a boil in a stainless-steel saucepan. For 4 cups of juice, you’ll need to add 3 cups of sugar and bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. Boil quickly, stirring, until the candy thermometer reads 8 degrees above the boiling point of water (about 220°F) or until the jelly sheets off a spoon. 
  5. Note: The jelly needs to be cooked until it’s fairly thick so make sure you cook it long enough or you can add two tablespoons of lemon juice to the grape juice while it’s coming up to a boil and before adding the sugar.
  6. Remove from heat and skim off any foam that forms. To prevent foam from forming, add ½ teaspoon butter or margarine after you add the sugar.  Ladle the hot grape jelly into hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼-inch of headspace.  
  7. Wipe the rims of the jars and add lids that have been washed and dried. Add screw bands and tighten until fingertip-tight.
  8. Place jars on a rack in boiling water bath canner and make sure they are completely covered with water (1-2 inches above the jars). Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Process ½ pints and 8 0z jelly jars for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid waiting 5 minutes, then remove the jars to a towel on the counter, and cool for 12 to 24 hours. Test sealing of jars by pressing lightly in center of lid and store jars that have sealed.  Any jars that don’t seal may be refrigerated and used. Learn more about water bath canning.

About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Bill</span> Mon, 11/03/2025 - 16:14
Can this be made sugar free with Stevia or some other sugar substitute?
<span>Mary</span> Tue, 07/30/2024 - 12:29
Can I use a juice extractor to prepare the grapes for jelly?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 08/01/2024 - 09:32

Hi, Mary. You will get significantly less pectin by using a juice extractor to make the jelly. We would recommend following the recipe.

 <span>Dale</span> Sun, 06/11/2023 - 06:16
I would agree a double boiler would help to save the cook’s temper. And it’s roiling (with an i) boil.
<span>Vicki</span> Sun, 06/11/2023 - 07:01
Actually Roiling is an old fashion term but means the same as Rolling
<span>Kevin Barry</span> Tue, 09/27/2022 - 08:16
This looks and sounds good, but pretty sure it will result in more of a jam type consistency rather than jelly.
<span>Christine</span> Sun, 09/25/2022 - 11:04
Can I do 2 batches at a time if I have 8 cups of juice?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 09/27/2022 - 16:10

Hi, Christine. We would recommend doing one batch at a time.

 <span>Karen</span> Mon, 09/12/2022 - 06:41
My jelly did not set. It is still just juice. What can I do to fix this?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 09/13/2022 - 14:36

Hi, Karen. You can try to boil it again. Put the jelly into a pot and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart of jelly. Bring the jelly to a boil and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If after 4 minutes it is not setting, boil it for another minute.