In the Meditteranean culture, and actually in many other countries in the world, grapes have been known as “the queen of fruits” for their flavor, texture and health benefits. Grapes, in fact, have some special components giving them “super food” status; they reduce the risk of the many conditions such as obesity, several types of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, allergies and constipation.
A few days ago a friend of mine who has a beatiful fruit garden gave me some tasty white grapes. With an abundance of fresh and delicious grapes at home there was no excuse not to make homemade jam, a simple and quick way to capture all the goodness this fruit has to offer. It’s my little ritual to make jam every season because the taste and the texture of homedade jam is superb, something you cannot compare to an industrially-packaged product. My recipes usually contain less sugar, because I like to taste thhe fruit rather than an overhelming sweetness, and the texture is smoother. If you want to try a delicious apricot low sugar jam check my last book The Mamma Mia! Diet. Grape jam is a tasty condiment for seasoned cheese such pecorino and caprino. I love the combination of sweet and piquant.
CONFETTURA D’UVA BIANCA (WHITE GRAPE JAM)
Preparation time : 5 minutes Cooking time: 35-40 minutes Yield: 450 g (1 pound ) jam
INGREDIENTS
1.2 kg (about 3 pounds) white grapes, seedless
400 g (2 cups ) granulated sugar
1 organic lemon, juice
15 g (1 tablespoon) pectin
DIRECTIONS
1. Clean and wash the grapes. In a medium size pot cook the grapes on medium heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Use the back of a wooden spoon to help the grapes break apart
2. Add the sugar, pectin and lemon juice. Stir well to combine all ingredients
3. Bring to simmer and cook on medium-low heat for about 25 minutes. Skim off the foam with a spoon
4. Turn off the heat and allow to cool just a little bit. While still warm, puree to a desired consistency using a hand blender. Place back on the stove (on medium heat) for about 5-10 minutes until thickness is similar to honey, stirring occasionaly. Good jam should cook until the temperature reaches 220-222°F/104-105°C on a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, use this test: Place a small amount of jam on a spoon and pour back sideways on a plate. At first it will be liquid,then the jam is ready to be removed from the heat when it falls off the spoon as a single drop.
5. You can store the jam in jars in the refrigerator up two weeks. However, if you prefer to keep it longer, you should preserve it, using for example the following canning method as described in strawberry jam.
Note: Most of the grape jam recipes remove the skin and add it back in after some cooking. I skip that step because it does not make a noticable difference and saves some preparation time. I suggest adding pectin because grapes, like many fruits with a soft pulp, do not contain a lot of pectin, a soluble fiber also used as a thickining agent for many jams. – Paola
This recipe has been out there a couple of years, but I still had to leave a comment. I just made this and it is so yummy. The grapes deepen in flavor and are just the right amount of sweet for a jam. When I googled white grape jam several places said that is it too bland to be worth it but this proves that is a fallacy. The grapes caramelize and was easy to do. Well worth it.
Thanks so much Vicky. Homemade grape jam is tastier and healthier than the one you buy! Paola
Please share your step on getting the carmalization color to your jam ☺️
Dear Donna,
Thank you for your comments. I cooked it the time mentioned in the recipe. The different color you get it is probably due to the type of grapes you use. I know that American grapes are different than Italian grapes. Mine one had a green-yellowish color. Grapes shpuld be ripe too. Please let me know. Thanks and happy cooking. Paola
When do we add the lemon juice? It is listed as an ingredient, but it is never mentioned again?
Hi Katy,
Thanks for stopping by and your comment. Actually the answer to your question was in point 2, now I have made it more clear. Happy cooking. Ciao, Paola
I just made your Grape jam yours is a pretty pumpkin color. My jam looks like split pea soup.
Hi Suzanne. Thanks for making one of my recipes and your comment. The different color depends on the different white grapes used.What type did you use? I used Sugraone. Ciao, Paola
Mine too- pea soup
Dear Denise, I am sorry for that. It is probably due to the type of grapes that grow in Italy and other countries. Maybe you should add more pectin. Best regards, Paola
I just picked 10lbs of these little green grapes that are delicious. They are not seedless and I am searching for a recipe. Your recipe and the comments compelled me to stop here but I’m wondering about the seeds. There are two to three tiny seeds per grape. Will they be challenging to remove or strain from the cooked grapes?
Hi my mum always put the whole cooked jam through the colander but didn’t blend it first. I’ve done this too and also used a mueli using the middle size holes – but that’s because I make a lot of jams, pickles & chutneys. Both methods work and by not blending you get a clearer jam.
Hi Sheryl,
Thank you for your comment and tip. I will try your method too. Best regards, Paola
Hi Shirley. If there are very few, you can easily remove them before cooking. Thanks so much for stopping by and choosing my recipe. Happy cooking! Ciao, ciao Paola
I’m making grape jan right now. I cut every grape in half long ways and took out the seeds, 3 1/2 hours. But to me it was worth it, made 4 pint jars and it is delicious!!! lol
Good! Glad you like! You must be an excellent cook. Cheers, Paola
I run my grapes thru my Kitchen Aid fruit straining attachment… works perfectly!!
Meg
Great. I am happy for that. Ciao ciao Paola
Hi Sheryl. Thanks for your comment. There is a seeds remover for grapes. It is time consuming but it works. The other option is to sieve the jam still warm to remove the seeds. I would use the first method, maybe with some help. Happy cooking 🙂 Paola
I use the microwave to make jams, it is perfect, just use 2/3min at a time &I stir, all pies &
Puddings, the same way, saves U so much work,
Something I have not tried yet!
I don’t know what variety of white grape I have but it seems similar to a concord. The skin is thick and sour but the inside is sweet and juicy. Do you think it will be OK to still use the immersion blender to purée or should I put it through a sieve? Thanks
Hi Jody, Thanks for your message. Yes you can use concord grape. You can use a immersion blender, the grape should be seeds-free. Otherwise, put it through a sieve. Happy cooking, Paola
How did you give your jam the carmalization color instead of green grapes looking like pea soup jam?
i have realfruit low sugar pectin.. I am hoping a table spoon of this will be equivalent. To the lady above, the jam will continue to get browner with time.
Thanks for your comment. Realfruit low sugar pectin is much better. The amount depends on the brand. One tablespoon should enough. Please let me know. Happy Cooking, Paola
I made your confettura today; it SET! yay!! i put the skins of a few black grapes into it for color
Good idea!!
How much water do I add to the grapes to cook them?
Hi Judy,
Thanks for your comment. I do not add water because it is not neccessary. I cook the grapes in their juice. Ciao, Paola
your recipe is great the only thing I would like to comment on is if you use 1 tablespoon of butter while cooking the grapes you will not have to skim off the foam as there will be none. Learned this trick years ago making jam and jelly with a very good friend. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks so much Laura! I will certainly try. It is always useful learning tricks!
Best regards,
Paola
About to try this recipe. Glad that you mentioned the thickness is similar to honey. A very helpful comparison and eliminates a lot of guesswork.
Hi Mirian,
Thank you for stopping by and for your nice comment.
Happy cooking,
Paola
When you say pectin, are you referring to boxed “Sure-Jell” type pectin with added sucrose, etc? Just trying my first ever jam, using our home grown white seedless Niagara grapes.
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for your comment. I live in Italy and the pectin I am referring too, is the one you commonly buy for jams. The amount of pectin sometimes varies from brand to brand. I would suggest that, if is the first time you use that brand, you should do a test on small quantity of jam. Happy cooking, Paola
I used this recipe as the basis for my attempt at using up some green grapes I had purchased that were just way too sour to eat. I didn’t have a huge amount only about 4 cups so I used your method and adjusted the other ingredients to taste. It turned really great and the taste is super. I only ended up with 250ml but it suited me better than throwing out the grapes!1 Thanks
Thank you for stopping by and for your nice comment. I am glad you like my recipe. I love homemade jams. Here the season for good fruits is starting, cannot wait to make strawberry jam. Happy cooking. Ciao, Paola
This jam brings back memories!
Thank you so so much. I’ve been wanting to make this jam but couldn’t find the recipe. My mum used to make this jam- we did not have seedless grapes back then.
We had to do the tedius job of peeling and de-seeding the grapes (imagine) . I miss those days. And nothing was wasted, we used to make jelly with the peels and seeds hmmmm yummie!!
Glad to hear that you like it. I agree seedless grapes are the best for this type of job. Actually, in Italy they are so popular.
Happy cooking,
Paola
Hi, thanks for your recipe!
I just made this jam with 4 pounds of seedless green grapes, 2 1/2 cups sugar and the lemon juice. Only got 4 jars, it cooked down quite a bit. I did not use pectin and it is quite thick and delicious. It is a reddish brown color, a darker version of your photo. I may have cooked it too long trying to get to 220 but I’m happy with it!
Hi Norma, Thank you very much for your comment! The different color it might be due to the type of grapes you used. The most important thing is that you are happy with it. Happy cooking. Love, Paola
Hi
I’ve tried the recipe with white grapes that I grow in a trough in my garden. It tastes good but it didn’t set. I had a lot of grapes and made double the quantity. I couldn’t get the temperature to 104-105°C. The highest temperature it reached was 102.8°C.
Is there anything I can do now that could rescue it and make it set? Why couldn’t I get the temperature up to 104°C?
Hi Stephanie,
Probably in the grapes there was not enough sugar. This is probably the reason that it did not set. To rescue your jam I would suggest to add some pectin, only a small amount, and follow the instructions on the package. Please let me know if it works! Happy weekend, Paola