At the farmers market last week, I found big juicy concord grapes. I have never tried them before but was drawn to them because they looked so big and picture perfect. The farmer allowed me to try a grape and I couldn't believe how much it tasted like grape juice! So, that makes at least two things I learned this summer at the farmers market…
- Raspberry candies taste like black raspberries - I didn't know there was a raspberry out there that actually tastes like a candy, but I found them at the market this summer
- Grape juice and jelly tastes just like concord grapes - I didn't know there were grapes out there that taste as sweet as the juice!
Anyway, I had to buy the grapes after my discovery! Even though they are extremely delicious, the skin is tough and chewy and they have a lot of seeds, so cooking them seemed like the natural thing to do.
I found a recipe online for grape jam that only requires grapes and sugar and thought that is the perfect recipe for me! I followed her directions exactly, except for the amount of grapes and sugar. I only had 1 lb of grapes and used about ¾ cup of sugar total. The jam came out amazing! Here is the fantastic step-by-step guide that I followed: http://chefinyou.com/2011/10/concord-grapes-jam/
Here is a pic of me squeezing the grapes. It is amazing how the insides are all white… and how they came right out of the skins. I think it is because the skins are so thick.
I put the skins aside, as directed, so that I could put them back into the jelly when cooking. I was nervous when I put the skins back into the pot that they would be too thick, but they weren't at all. In fact, they cooked down quite nicely.
Once it was all done, I poured it into a glass jar and put it in the fridge. Well… after I ate some straight off the spoon! :)
Look at the amazing purple color of the jam. If concord grapes are still in season this week, I know what I'll be buying at the farmers market!
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