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Spiced Grape Jelly

Photo Credit
Kcuxen/Shutterstock
The Editors
Yield
Makes about 11 medium-sized glasses of jelly.
Category
Pickles and Preserves
Course
Side Dishes
Preparation Method
Cook
Sources
The Old Farmer's Almanac Colonial Cookbook
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Our Spiced Grape Jelly has an autumnal feel reflecting the harvesttime—with apple vinegar, cloves, and cinnamon. It tastes especially yummy with wild or Concord grapes. Often, grape jelly can taste a little bland, but this recipe takes it up a notch!

In the American colonial days, this recipe was sometimes called “Venison Jelly” because it was a condiment for game. Spiced grape jelly does indeed go well with cooked meats as well as your regular morning toast!

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

Making the Grape Juice

Ingredients
3 lbs. fully ripe grapes
1/2 cup apple vinegar
1 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Wash and stem the grapes, place in a kettle or stainless-steel pot, and crush thoroughly.
  2. Add the vinegar, cloves, and cinnamon.
  3. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent from sticking.
  4. Place the crushed fruit in a dampened jelly bag or a colander or sieve lined with wet cheesecloth and strain out the juice. This may take 2 hours or more.  
  5. Measure the juice and complete as follows …

Making the Grape Jelly

Ingredients
4 cups juice
7 cups sugar
1 (3 oz.) pouch of liquid pectin
Instructions
  1. Place the juice and sugar in a large saucepan and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil and at once add the bottled pectin, stirring constantly. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 30 seconds or until it reaches 220°F measured using a candy thermometer or jelly sheets off a spoon.  
  2. 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.  
  3. Ladle the hot grape jelly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace.  
  4. Wipe the rims of the jars and add lids that have been washed and dried. Add screw bands and tighten until fingertip-tight.
  5. Place jars on a rack in a 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 oz jelly jars for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid for 5 minutes, then remove the jars to a towel on the counter, and cool for 12 to 24 hours. Test the sealing of jars by pressing lightly in the center of the lid and storing jars that have been sealed.  Any jars that don’t seal may be refrigerated and used. Learn more about water bath canning.
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The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

We love introducing fun new recipes as well as time-tested recipes, straight from the archives! Read More from The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

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