Concord Grape Jam
In the ancient world, the grape harvest was one of the most sacred activities and one of the most sacred times of the year. Mabon, the autumn equinox, is the second of the three harvest holidays. It is the harvest of orchard fruits, and most especially it is the harvest of grapes. Grapes were so revered among our ancient western ancestors that, just as Lammas revolves around the wheat harvest, the second of the harvest holidays revolves around the grape harvest. With Lammas, it is easy to understand why the golden heads of wheat were a sacred crop: grains can be milled into flour, and flour baked into bread. As sacred and filling as a loaf of bread was, it was accompanied in sacredness by a ewer of wine -- and wine, as we all know, is the provenance of grapes. Just as bread was sacred for its ability to sustain and fill us, wine was sacred for its taste and for its ability to induce altered consciousness.
It would be fine if grapes gave us wine and stopped there, but they give us so much more. They are a treat popped into the mouth as one of nature's finest snacks, and dried, a box of them becomes a snack that any school kid recognizes. They are a versatile ingredient in most homes, from the bowl of them that crowns the mantle during Harvest Home to the bottle of juice waiting in the refrigerator door all year long. And, returning to the sacredness of the crop, that juice may be the kosher kind that is part of the Jewish holidays that occur during September, and in the communion cups at a Christian church service.
It's likely that that grape juice is Concord, one of the most highly cultivated strains in the United States, and one whose story, both during this sacred season of Mabon and the political season of an impending election, is exciting to viticulturists, citizens, and anyone with taste buds. For as popular as the Concord grape is, it is hearty and temperamental at once, sweet when pressed but elusive when pursued, capable of great yield but demanding a certain amount of perseverance -- in other words, just like the Yankee landscape upon which it was born.
Grapes were not unknown to Native America but their presence as a native species was scattered at best, mostly along the eastern seaboard with the greatest concentration of those in what is now New England and the middle Atlantic. Though there were western species of grapes, remember that the new world had not spread that far during the Colonial period. Most colonial settlers who planned to harvest grapes planted seedlings brought from Europe, where the practice of viticulture stretches far back into history, and some strains -- indeed some vines -- go just as far back. In the major grape producing regions of Europe -- France, Italy, Spain and Germany -- grape cultivation had become such an exact science that they had not only long since identified which strains grew best in which regions, they knew that right down to the slope and ridge. They had identified how to coax each vine to its fullest potential in any given season so that the berries could in turn be coaxed into their fullest expression in the fermentation vat.
Any viticulturist will tell you that grapes can be temperamental, and if the vintners of Europe had developed relationships with their charges that were so finely attuned that they knew each vine by its mood and often by name, then when cuttings from those vines were introduced into less coddled circumstances on the other side of the world, they went into a state somewhere between shock, depression and defiance. Not unlike the colonial homesteaders themselves, many vines transplanted from Europe didn't prosper in American conditions, and some didn't survive at all.
But colonials, horticulturists and grapevines are nothing if not intrepid, and as an avocation and with no few of them admittedly motivated by the cost of wine imported, viticulturists worked diligently to engineer a species that was sweet, hearty, and maintained character during fermentation. One such was Ephraim Wales Bull, a farmer of sturdy Yankee stock who lived on a homestead outside of Concord, Massachusetts. He planted over 20,000 seedlings crossbred from a variety of native American species of grapes, determined to develop a berry that was full-flavored and that ripened before first frost. There is a myth that Concord grapes are one of the fruits native to the Americas; they are not, they are an engineered species. But their ancestors were native to the Americas, and their creator was Mr. Bull. Mr. Bull created the first Concord grape vine in 1849 and introduced the berries to the public in 1853 at the Boston Horticultural Society Exhibition.
From there, the Concord grape's importance at the American table speaks for itself. With the advent of pasteurization, a certain Dr. Welch saw to it that Concord grape juice was bottled and sold with the goal of appearing on every breakfast table in the country. That juice is the standard for the jelly whose only competition for popularity is apple. There are Concord grape pies, aspics, conserves, and fish courses, each as tart, sweet and necessary to interact with correctly as the Yankee womenfolk who presided over their creation. One such may have been your very own grandmother, whose kitchen, aside from jelly, may very well have dispensed a yearly output of Concord grape jam.
No one who's had a PB&J can disparage Concord grape jelly, but a well-made concord grape jam is a revelation. Something about compressing the berries releases a secret of their nature, something as deep and sweet as the flavor that Mr. Bull was so passionate about isolating and whose labors unlocked it. Below is a recipe for concord grape jam that celebrates the season of the harvest by sealing it into a jar. This recipe yields a densely flavored, richly textured jam. It is best to use authentic Concord grapes for this jam, which will require the skinning and seeding steps, but that goes quickly and is in the spirit of the ancestral kitchen that gave us this jam to begin with. Seedless Concord grapes do exist, though the berries are smaller and the flavor isn't as intense. If you do decide to use seedless grapes, have the vendor confirm that they are Concord and not one of the blue-skinned cultivars like Venus, Monnukas or Black Thompson that unscrupulous vendors sometimes label as "seedless Concord." These will still make a fine jam, but you should know what you're getting as it may affect the gel quality and the setting time.
CONCORD GRAPE JAM
It is essential to follow safe canning practices. For instructions on safe canning, click here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html, or here: http://www.freshpreserving.com/getting-started.aspx. If you are using seedless black grapes, omit steps 4 - 7 below. Pulse the grapes with their skin until finely chopped and proceed with step 8.
4-1/2 pounds Concord grapes
It would be fine if grapes gave us wine and stopped there, but they give us so much more. They are a treat popped into the mouth as one of nature's finest snacks, and dried, a box of them becomes a snack that any school kid recognizes. They are a versatile ingredient in most homes, from the bowl of them that crowns the mantle during Harvest Home to the bottle of juice waiting in the refrigerator door all year long. And, returning to the sacredness of the crop, that juice may be the kosher kind that is part of the Jewish holidays that occur during September, and in the communion cups at a Christian church service.
It's likely that that grape juice is Concord, one of the most highly cultivated strains in the United States, and one whose story, both during this sacred season of Mabon and the political season of an impending election, is exciting to viticulturists, citizens, and anyone with taste buds. For as popular as the Concord grape is, it is hearty and temperamental at once, sweet when pressed but elusive when pursued, capable of great yield but demanding a certain amount of perseverance -- in other words, just like the Yankee landscape upon which it was born.
Grapes were not unknown to Native America but their presence as a native species was scattered at best, mostly along the eastern seaboard with the greatest concentration of those in what is now New England and the middle Atlantic. Though there were western species of grapes, remember that the new world had not spread that far during the Colonial period. Most colonial settlers who planned to harvest grapes planted seedlings brought from Europe, where the practice of viticulture stretches far back into history, and some strains -- indeed some vines -- go just as far back. In the major grape producing regions of Europe -- France, Italy, Spain and Germany -- grape cultivation had become such an exact science that they had not only long since identified which strains grew best in which regions, they knew that right down to the slope and ridge. They had identified how to coax each vine to its fullest potential in any given season so that the berries could in turn be coaxed into their fullest expression in the fermentation vat.
Any viticulturist will tell you that grapes can be temperamental, and if the vintners of Europe had developed relationships with their charges that were so finely attuned that they knew each vine by its mood and often by name, then when cuttings from those vines were introduced into less coddled circumstances on the other side of the world, they went into a state somewhere between shock, depression and defiance. Not unlike the colonial homesteaders themselves, many vines transplanted from Europe didn't prosper in American conditions, and some didn't survive at all.
But colonials, horticulturists and grapevines are nothing if not intrepid, and as an avocation and with no few of them admittedly motivated by the cost of wine imported, viticulturists worked diligently to engineer a species that was sweet, hearty, and maintained character during fermentation. One such was Ephraim Wales Bull, a farmer of sturdy Yankee stock who lived on a homestead outside of Concord, Massachusetts. He planted over 20,000 seedlings crossbred from a variety of native American species of grapes, determined to develop a berry that was full-flavored and that ripened before first frost. There is a myth that Concord grapes are one of the fruits native to the Americas; they are not, they are an engineered species. But their ancestors were native to the Americas, and their creator was Mr. Bull. Mr. Bull created the first Concord grape vine in 1849 and introduced the berries to the public in 1853 at the Boston Horticultural Society Exhibition.
From there, the Concord grape's importance at the American table speaks for itself. With the advent of pasteurization, a certain Dr. Welch saw to it that Concord grape juice was bottled and sold with the goal of appearing on every breakfast table in the country. That juice is the standard for the jelly whose only competition for popularity is apple. There are Concord grape pies, aspics, conserves, and fish courses, each as tart, sweet and necessary to interact with correctly as the Yankee womenfolk who presided over their creation. One such may have been your very own grandmother, whose kitchen, aside from jelly, may very well have dispensed a yearly output of Concord grape jam.
No one who's had a PB&J can disparage Concord grape jelly, but a well-made concord grape jam is a revelation. Something about compressing the berries releases a secret of their nature, something as deep and sweet as the flavor that Mr. Bull was so passionate about isolating and whose labors unlocked it. Below is a recipe for concord grape jam that celebrates the season of the harvest by sealing it into a jar. This recipe yields a densely flavored, richly textured jam. It is best to use authentic Concord grapes for this jam, which will require the skinning and seeding steps, but that goes quickly and is in the spirit of the ancestral kitchen that gave us this jam to begin with. Seedless Concord grapes do exist, though the berries are smaller and the flavor isn't as intense. If you do decide to use seedless grapes, have the vendor confirm that they are Concord and not one of the blue-skinned cultivars like Venus, Monnukas or Black Thompson that unscrupulous vendors sometimes label as "seedless Concord." These will still make a fine jam, but you should know what you're getting as it may affect the gel quality and the setting time.
CONCORD GRAPE JAM
It is essential to follow safe canning practices. For instructions on safe canning, click here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html, or here: http://www.freshpreserving.com/getting-started.aspx. If you are using seedless black grapes, omit steps 4 - 7 below. Pulse the grapes with their skin until finely chopped and proceed with step 8.
4-1/2 pounds Concord grapes
1 1.75 box powdered pectin
7-1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.
2. Position an in-sink colander into place. Pick each berry off of the stem and place into the colander. Inspect as you go, discarding any berries that have mushy patches or display mold or other damage.
3. Once you have picked through all of the grapes, rinse the grapes under cool water.
4. For concord grapes, place a large pot and the reservoir of a blender or food processor near the colander. Working one at a time, pinch the skins so that the berry pops out; it should easily do so. Place each skinned berry into the pot and each skin into the reservoir of the blender as you go. Once you develop your rhythm, this step will go quickly.
5. Place the pot containing the skinned berries on the stovetop. Turn the burner to medium and heat until the pulp expresses its water, approximately 10 minutes.
6. While the grape pulp is heating, measure 1/2 cup cold water into the reservoir containing the skins. Pulse the skins until finely chopped; the liquid should express its dye to form a thick blue-black slurry.
7. Once the grape pulp is soft, turn the burner to low. Position a fine mesh sieve over the pot containing the pulp. Working in batches, use a large wooden spoon to scoop up pulp, transfer it to the sieve and press it through the sieve so that it returns to the pot while the seeds are caught by the sieve. It is okay if you have to press the mixture a couple of times; after no more than a couple of rounds, the mixture will be seedless. Remove the sieve and rinse the seeds to dry and plant.
8. Measure the sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir them together.
9. Add the skin-water mixture to the seedless pulp. Use a wire whisk to stir the mixture until it is well incorporated. Turn the heat to medium-high.
10. Open the box of pectin and remove the envelope inside. Open the envelope and dump all of the pectin into the jam mixture. Use the whisk to incorporate the pectin into the jam mixture.
11. Measure the lemon juice into the jam mixture. Use the whisk to incorporate the lemon juice into the jam mixture.
12. As the mixture starts to thicken and bubble, add the spiced sugar to the jam at once. Use the whisk to incorporate the spiced sugar into the jam, stirring well and frequently so that all of the ingredients incorporate.
13. Readjust heat to medium-high and cook, whisking constantly, until jam reaches a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
14. Once jam reaches full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, use a slotted spoon or skimmer to skim foam off of jam and into the bowl that contained the sugar. Turn off the heat.
14. Once jam reaches full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, use a slotted spoon or skimmer to skim foam off of jam and into the bowl that contained the sugar. Turn off the heat.
15. Place a clean towel on a counter near the canner.
16. Use canning tongs to remove hot jars from water bath. Do your best not to touch the hot jars; let the tongs do the work. Place hot jars mouth up on the clean towel.
17. Wrap a clean tea towel around a hot jar, being careful not to let the towel touch the rim of the jar. Use the towel to transport the jar to the pan containing the hot jam. Place a clean canning funnel into the mouth of the jar. Use a clean spoon or ladle to fill the jar with jam to the ½-inch mark. Continue until all of the jars are filled. It is okay if there is jam left over; refrigerate it for use within 1 month.
18. Check for and remove air bubbles if any (see instructions).
19. Use a clean, damp sponge to wipe the rim of each jar. Center a clean, hot lid (see instructions) on each jar. Screw a band down on each jar until it meets resistance; increase just until tight.
20. Use canning tongs to return the jars to the boiling water bath. Add more water if necessary to ensure that the jars are completely covered by boiling water by 1 inch. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
21. After jars have processed for ten minutes in the boiling water bath, turn off the heat. Remove the canner lid and set aside. Let jars sit in hot water ten minutes.
22. After ten minutes, use the canning tongs to remove the jars. Being very careful of the hot jars, lids and liquid, place jars upright on the towel. Allow to sit 24 hours. After 24 hours, check for a vacuum seal (see instructions). Label each jar with the contents and the date prepared. Safely prepared, stored and sealed, the jam will keep for one year from date of preparation.
16. Use canning tongs to remove hot jars from water bath. Do your best not to touch the hot jars; let the tongs do the work. Place hot jars mouth up on the clean towel.
17. Wrap a clean tea towel around a hot jar, being careful not to let the towel touch the rim of the jar. Use the towel to transport the jar to the pan containing the hot jam. Place a clean canning funnel into the mouth of the jar. Use a clean spoon or ladle to fill the jar with jam to the ½-inch mark. Continue until all of the jars are filled. It is okay if there is jam left over; refrigerate it for use within 1 month.
18. Check for and remove air bubbles if any (see instructions).
19. Use a clean, damp sponge to wipe the rim of each jar. Center a clean, hot lid (see instructions) on each jar. Screw a band down on each jar until it meets resistance; increase just until tight.
20. Use canning tongs to return the jars to the boiling water bath. Add more water if necessary to ensure that the jars are completely covered by boiling water by 1 inch. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
21. After jars have processed for ten minutes in the boiling water bath, turn off the heat. Remove the canner lid and set aside. Let jars sit in hot water ten minutes.
22. After ten minutes, use the canning tongs to remove the jars. Being very careful of the hot jars, lids and liquid, place jars upright on the towel. Allow to sit 24 hours. After 24 hours, check for a vacuum seal (see instructions). Label each jar with the contents and the date prepared. Safely prepared, stored and sealed, the jam will keep for one year from date of preparation.
Comments
Post a Comment