Thoughts:

Concord grapes are such a fundamental element of my autumns that I simply cannot get enough of them. Perhaps because it is one of those increasingly few foods that is still seasonal, and briefly so, at that. I tend to compulsively buy boxes of them whenever I come across them in the store, because I never know if those might be the last of the season. 

This is one of the easiest things to make with Concord grapes, and possibly one of the most delicious. It’s essentially the same grape pie filling I’ve used in other recipes, but reduced down to a thicker, jammier consistency. I’ve dispatched it with great effect on crumpets, biscuits, cheesy crackers, and definitely straight from a spoon. It also freezes well, so you can enjoy it during the rest of the year, too.

Recipe for Concord Grape Jam

Prep: 30 minutes       Reducing: ~1 hour

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Concord Grapes
• 1 cup sugar
• lemon juice

Squeeze the pulp out of the skins into a saucepan, saving the skins in a bowl. Cook the pulp over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the guts break down and the seeds separate from the grape.

Press the cooked grapes through a sieve and add to the skins. Discard the seeds. Add sugar and lemon juice to the grapes, then simmer until the mixture has thickened considerably. A good test is to spread a bit of the jam mixture onto a cold plate: if it gels, then it’s ready. You’ll probably want to taste it periodically off of the spoon- just be careful not to burn your tongue. :)