This homemade grape jelly can be made with grape juice prepared from fresh grapes or with bottled 100% grape juice. If you have fresh grapes on hand, making your own juice gives the jelly a wonderful homemade flavor, but bottled grape juice is a convenient option when fresh grapes aren't available.
Because the amount of juice and sugar differs depending on which type of juice you use, choose the ingredient list below that matches your juice.
Option 1: Using Fresh Grapes
- 5 cups prepared unsweetened grape juice
- 1 package (1.75 ounces) regular powdered pectin
- 7 cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine, optional, to reduce foaming
Option 2: Using Bottled Grape Juice
- 3 cups bottled 100% grape juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 package (1.75 ounces) regular powdered pectin
- 4½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine, optional, to reduce foaming
Directions
- Prepare your boiling-water canner, jars, and lids.
- Measure the juice according to the option you're using. If using bottled grape juice, add the 1 cup of water.
- Pour the juice into a large saucepan or stockpot. Stir in the powdered pectin and the optional butter or margarine.
- Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. A full rolling boil is one that continues boiling vigorously even while being stirred.
- Add the appropriate amount of sugar all at once. Stir constantly and return the mixture to a full rolling boil.
- Boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and quickly skim off any foam.
- Ladle the hot jelly into hot, prepared jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and bands.
- Process the jars in a boiling-water canner using the processing time appropriate for your elevation.
- Remove the jars and allow them to cool undisturbed. Check the seals after the jars are completely cool.
Making Juice From Fresh Grapes
Wash the grapes and remove the stems. Crush the grapes and place them in a large saucepan. Add water according to the juice-making recipe you're following, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Strain the cooked grapes through a jelly bag or damp cheesecloth to extract the juice.
For especially clear grape jelly, the juice can be refrigerated overnight and strained again before making the jelly. This also helps remove naturally occurring tartrate crystals that sometimes form in grape juice.
Measure 5 cups of the prepared juice to make the fresh-grape version of the jelly.
Yield
Fresh grape juice version: About 8–9 half-pint jars.
Bottled grape juice version: About 6 half-pint jars.
GRAPE JELLY
Yield:
Fresh grape juice version: About 8–9 half-pint jars.
Bottled grape juice version: About 6 half-pint jars.
Option 1: Using Fresh Grapes
- 5 cups prepared unsweetened grape juice
- 1 package (1.75 ounces) regular powdered pectin
- 7 cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine, optional, to reduce foaming
Option 2: Using Bottled Grape Juice
- 3 cups bottled 100% grape juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 package (1.75 ounces) regular powdered pectin
- 4½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine, optional, to reduce foaming
Directions
- Prepare your boiling-water canner, jars, and lids.
- Measure the juice according to the option you're using. If using bottled grape juice, add the 1 cup of water.
- Pour the juice into a large saucepan or stockpot. Stir in the powdered pectin and the optional butter or margarine.
- Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. A full rolling boil is one that continues boiling vigorously even while being stirred.
- Add the appropriate amount of sugar all at once. Stir constantly and return the mixture to a full rolling boil.
- Boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and quickly skim off any foam.
- Ladle the hot jelly into hot, prepared jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims and apply the lids and bands.
- Process the jars in a boiling-water canner using the processing time appropriate for your elevation.
- Remove the jars and allow them to cool undisturbed. Check the seals after the jars are completely cool.
Making Juice From Fresh Grapes
Wash the grapes and remove the stems. Crush the grapes and place them in a large saucepan. Add water according to the juice-making recipe you're following, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Strain the cooked grapes through a jelly bag or damp cheesecloth to extract the juice.
For especially clear grape jelly, the juice can be refrigerated overnight and strained again before making the jelly. This also helps remove naturally occurring tartrate crystals that sometimes form in grape juice.
Measure 5 cups of the prepared juice to make the fresh-grape version of the jelly.