Recently I learned how to can Grape Jam from a dear, sweet friend. Canning is a skill I’ve always wanted to learn, and I’m blessed to have friends who are kind enough to teach me! This is so much easier than I thought it would be!
Grape Jam is SO good when it’s made from scratch. This recipe is not only delicious, it’s simple too. Guys, canning isn’t hard. I’ve always been paranoid to try it, but it’s not as hard as I thought! I started off my summer learning how to make these easy Refrigerator Pickles (which are AMAZING by the way), and now I’m making my own jam! Woohoo!
So, before we start, there are some things you NEED in order to do this correctly, and easily.
You will need:
Canning Jars (half pint are best for this recipe)
Canning Jar Funnel (you really need this)
Sure Jell (you will need one packet per batch)
Concord Grapes (with or without seeds) (you will need 4 cups of juice per batch)
Manual Crank Strainer (okay, you don’t NEED this, but it sure made it a LOT easier)
Blender or Juicer
3 cups of sugar (per batch)
Pinch of salt
Silicone spatula
Large pot
How To Can Grape Jam
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The first thing you will need to do is pulverize your grapes to turn them into juice. Do NOT use store bought juice. It won’t work. If you use grapes with seeds in them, it will be thick. Use a strainer to get some of the seeds out. Concord grapes can be pretty seedy, so you don’t want the jam to be crunchy.
Next you will want to add 4 cups of your strained juice to a large pot with a pinch of salt. Bring it to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a rolling boil, remove it from the heat. In a large bowl, add three cups of sugar, and the packet of SureJell and mix until it’s well combined. Pour in the whole bowl into the pot, and stir until it’s all dissolved. Place back on the heat and let it come to a rolling boil again. Once it reaches a rolling boil, let it stay at that point for about thirty seconds, then remove it from the heat.
Next, use a big spoon or ladle and your canning jar funnel and fill your jars while the mixture is still very hot. It’s best to have your jars ready and to do this as soon as you remove the pot from the heat.
Every time you fill a jar, put the lid on as tightly as you can, and then immediately flip it upside down. The details on why I’m supposed to do this are still a little shady, but that’s what my wise friend said to do, so I’m passing it along to you! Once the jars are cool enough to touch, flip them right side up.
The jars are hot enough that it will cause the lids to seal themselves. You will notice the lids will bow in a bit once they’ve popped, and sealed properly. These jars don’t have to be refrigerated, but can be stored in a cool, dry place to use at a later date. IF a lid doesn’t pop, which does happen sometimes, just pop that jar in the fridge and eat it first. Once you open a jar of jam, you must keep it refrigerated.
That’s it! Now you know How To Can Grape Jam like I do! If you make it, please share with me in the comments so I can be excited with you! Happy canning! If you like making things from scratch like I do, check out these “from scratch” posts!
