Home Ec Project: Preserving Grapes

Grapes are wonderful fruit. But you can do more than create jelly and raisins with them. Here are some other recipes for preserving grapes. Always remember to complete the lesson on canning safety before beginning any food preservation activity.

Grape Leather

1½ c. any variety grapes, washed, with skins and seeds

Puree grapes in blender until seeds and skins are well blended and smooth. Seeds may be a little crunchy in finished leather. Prepare one leather tray. Spread as directed. Dehydrate 8 to 10 hours or until leather will pull away from liner. Yield: 1 leather.

Grape Leather Chips

Dry fruit leather until brittle. These can be eaten as a snack, chopped to make toppings on cereals and puddings or reconstituted to flavor yogurt, ice cream, milk shakes, and baby cereal. Store dried chips in airtight glass or plastic contaners.

Grapes – Dried (aka Raisins)

Select fully ripe sweet grapes which are firmly attached to the stems. They should be smooth and plump and well-colored. Dry at 160F for one to two hours, then at 130F until dry. About 4½ pounds grapes yield one pound raisins.

Fruit Sherbet

Ingredients:
1 env. unflavored gelatin
½ to ¾ c. sugar
dash salt
½ c. water
2 c. fresh fruit puree
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
3 egg whites
¼ c. sugar

In large saucepan combine gelatin, ½ to ¾ cup sugar (to taste), and salt. Stir in water; heat and stir til gelatin dissolves. Stir in desired fruit puree and evaporated milk. Turn into a 9x9x2" pan, cover and freeze until firm. In small mixer bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gredaully add ¼ cup sugar, beating till stiff peaks form. Break frozen mixture into chucks; turn into chilled large mixer bowl. Beat until fluffy. Fold in egg whites. Return to pan; cover and freeze until firm. Makes about 1½ quarts.

Spiced Grapes

Ingredients:
7 pounds grapes
5 pounds sugar
1 t. ground allspice
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. cloves
1 c. vinegar

Wash grapes and remove hulls from pulp. Heat pulp, then run it through a sieve to remove seeds. Put pulp and hull together in a pot. Add sugar, spices, and vinegar. Cook and stir frequently until thickened. Pour into sterile jars and seal.

Grape Conserve

Ingredients:
2 qts. stemmed grapes
6 c. sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts or other nuts

If using Tokay or Malaga grapes, cook grapes whole. Otherwise, separate pulp from skins of grapes. Cook skins 15 to 20 minutes, adding only enough water to prevent sticking (about ½ cup). Cook pulp wihtout water until soft; press through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Combine skins, pulp and sugar in a large sauce pot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until thick, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add nuts the last 5 minutes of cooking. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving quarter inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 7 half-pints.

Mountain Grape Catsup

In a enamel pot pout 5 pints of washed grapes. Cool slowly for about 25 minutes put through a colander. Mix with 4 cups (packed) brown sugar, 1 pint vinegar, 2 T. powdered allspice, 2 T. cinnamon, 2 T. cloves, 1 t. mace, 3/4 t. cayenne and 1 t. salt. Boil until thick about 45 minutes. Stir frequently. Pour into jar.

Spiced Grape Jelly

Ingredients:
6½ c. sugar
2 cans (6 oz. Size) grape-juice concentrate, thawed
½ t. cinnamon
1 bottle liquid pectin (6 oz.)
½ t. cloves
½ t. allspice

Prepare 10 jelly jars. In large kettle combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice with three cups water; mix well. Cook over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to full, rolling boil, stirring constantly; boil hard 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in thawed concentrate and pectin, mixing well. Ladle into hot jars. Seal. Yield: about 10 half-pints.

Grape Jam

Ingredients:
2 qts. stemmed Concord grapes
6 c. sugar

Separate pulp from skins of grapes. If desired, chop skins. Cook skins gently 15 to 20 minutes, add only enough water to prevent sticking (about ½ cup). Cook pulp without wter until soft; press through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp, skins and sugar in a large sauce pot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring unti sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost to jellying point, about 10 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving quarter inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about three pints.

Grape Butter

Ingredients:
1 gallon grapes
¼ c. water
honey, to taste


Put grapes in enamel or stainless steel kettle with water. Heat and mash grapes. Continue cooking as the mixture thickens, about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. When thicker, put through a foodmill and remove skins and seeds. Return to heat and cook two to three hours until thick. If you want to sweeten butter, add honey to taste, just before canning. When thick, pack in hot, scalded jars, leaving ½” headspace, and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yield: three half-pints.

Green Grape Marmalade

Ingredients:
1 qt stemmed, green Concord grapes
1 c. water
4 c. sugar

Add water to grapes and cook until tender. (If seeds of grapes are not tender, cut grapes in half and remove seeds before cooking.) Add sugar; bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to jellying point, stirring frequently. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving quarter inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 5 half-pints.

Grapes -- Canned Ripe

Make light or medium syrup. Wash and drain grapes. Remove stems. Pour about half cup boiling syrup into hot jar. Fill jar with grapes. Shake jar to pack grapes closely wihtout crushing, leaving half inch headspace. Addm ore syrup, if needed, to cover grapes, leaving half inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps. Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

Grapes -- Canned Unripe

Green grapes, canned before the seeds harden, are used in pies. Make medium or heavy syrup. Wash, drain and stem grapes. Pack into hot jars, leaving hafl inch headspace. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving hafl inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps. Process pints and quarts 20m inutes in boiling water bath.

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