Kitchen Jam

Image by thudfactor via Flickr

When I want peanut butter and jelly, I want fresh ground, no-sugar-added peanut butter slathered with good old fashioned grape jelly. But once I’d made my own grape jelly from this easy recipe inspired by one found in the insert of the Sure-Jell Low-Sugar pectin box, I could never look at a jar of Welch’s grape jelly with the same tastebuds.

Use the freshest, no-sugar-added bottled grape juice you can find – organic if possible. I prefer the fruity taste of Concord grape juice, but I’d like to try this with a white grape juice, too. But for the traditional sapphire-dark purple of concord grape jelly, start with concord grape juice.

Easy Grape Jelly
3 cups bottled no-sugar-added grape juice
1 package powdered low or no-sugar pectin
4 cups sugar

Directions:

• Combine grape juice and pectin in a large saucepan.
• Bring the juice mixture to a rolling boil.
• Stir in the sugar until it dissolves and return the jelly mixture to a rolling boil.
• Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat and skim any foam that rises to the surface.
• Ladle hot jelly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Makes 5 half-pints (5 cups)