how to make jam.

I wanted a grape vine the first year we moved in our house. A grape vine, I got. It didn't produce any grapes the first year so, I begged my dear sweet husband to dig it up and move it by my garden arbor so the vine could grow up the side. Dig it up he did. There it sat for a year. The following year it magically grew a few grapes...who knew? The hubs snacked on them while he gardened. The rest of the family passed b/c they had seeds. Another year passed, and this year we had grapes. I mean a lot of grapes. The hubs picked them, and brought them inside.

We looked at them. All 12 pounds of them. What are we going to do with all these grapes? They had seeds, so I knew my kiddos wouldn't eat them. Then we had the idea to make jam. Let's make jam! Unfortunately I had no idea how to make jam. So I asked my dear friend Google.

O, to the my, to the goodness. Homemade jam is like heaven in a jar.

You would not believe how easy it is to make. No joke.

You'll need: concord grapes, lemon juice, sugar, and mason jars. that is it.!

1.) Separate the skins and inside of  3 lbs of concord grapes. (see above photo) 2.)Puree the grape skins with 1 cup of sugar. 3.) Put pureed skins in a large pot, add the grape insides, plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, plus 2 cups of sugar. 4.) Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling reduce heat to a simmer. 5.) Cook for 30 mins or more.

Test the jam. To see a step by step on testing jam click HERE. YOU MUST DO THIS STEP!

If jam does not pass the test, keep simmering and testing until it does. ( This could take up to an hour ) (each batch was different for me)

If jam passes the test then you need to drain the seeds. You can do this through a flour sifter or a strainer if you don't have the proper canning tools. Place the jam in a mason jar and keep in fridge for up to 3 months. If you do not plan on eating your jam right away you need to can it. You can jar the jam using a classic water bath, and store the jam for up to a year. See how to water bath HERE. 

Concord grapes are natural in pectin, so you DO NOT need to add pecitn it to make grape jam. I suppose you can if you want…and I am not sure about other types of grapes…you will have to ask my friend Google about that.

Update: We made this jam over a year ago and it yielded about 10 jars…we are down to one…one last lonely little jar of goodness. I can't wait for spring to see if our grape vine is harvesting lovely little concord grapes…please hurry up spring!

Have you ever made jam?

Do you garden?

Have you ever canned food?