Still at it...this time, grape jelly

[MontyJ]

The concord I use for jelly revealed a pleasant surprise this morning. I thought most of the grapes were lost to black rot, but I was wrong. I did lose many, but still managed to pick the water bath canner completely full twice and half filled the 16 quart stock pot.



Started the washing cycle to clean the grapes and drown the critters:





Then I got 30 half-pint jelly jars into the pressure canner for sterilization:



Dew helped me pluck the grapes. This is just a few, all clean and critter free:



Now the long part...4 pounds grapes, 1 cup of water...crush the grapes...



and simmer for 10 minutes:



Then run the juice through the jelly strainer. It didn't stay white for long:



If you have ever made grape jelly, you know how fast paced the next part is...so no pics of that. But here are the first 28 jars, fresh out of the water bath canner:



I ran out of time, pectin and lids so the last 8-9 quarts of juice will have to wait until I get home later in the week. Dew is going to can it for me tomorrow so it doesn't spoil.

 

[so lucky]

Good grief! That's a lot of work. Are you sure you're not on Adderall?

 

[dewdropsinwv]

that's funny so lucky!!!! He might be on adderall, but I'm wore out!!!!! That's a lot of grapes, I'm glad it's only jelly canning season once a year..... along with everything else we can up for the year!

Needless to say I'm about canned out.

 

[Carol Dee]

YUMMY, we just planted 2 concord grapes o add to the 2 pink and 1 white vines we already have. I Am the one wanting concord for jellies, etc... Monty and Dew you two sure are busy! How \many vines do you have?

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Carol Dee that came off of one concord vine!!!!! But we have 4 total... 3 other varieties I'm not sure of. I'd love to have a tomson grape vine. I love those kinds of grapes.

 

[Carol Dee]

oh boy, so if the new vines do well I could be swamped with grapes someday!

 

[dewdropsinwv]

All I can say is hold on to your hat..... you will probably be giving grapes away!
Just the one vine gives us enough grapes to make jelly for a year.

 

[journey11]

Yum! That's what I'll be doing tomorrow... Grape jelly and peach jam.

 

[baymule]

That looks so yummy!!

 

[897tgigvib]

I'm hoping for at least a sample Chardonnay crop next year.