Easy Grape Jam is the easiest grape jam recipe – no peeling grapes here and no added pectin! With a taste out of this world, this is a jam recipe you must try!
I can’t tell you how excited I am about this Easy Grape Jam recipe that I developed this week.
How this Grape Jam Recipe come about!
My local supermarket was selling boxes of multi-coloured grapes and obviously bought in too many! Hence I found myself picking up a couple of boxes reduced to 90 p each from £3 (which was already a bargain for a kilo of grapes).
When I got home I washed one of the boxes of grapes and soon realised that we wouldn’t be able to eat them all before they started to perish.
So what was I going to do with the rest? Well hello, Crazy Jam Lady here, of course I decided to make jam; it’s what gluts of fruit were made for!
So I started researching recipes for grape jam and the majority were American. Some suggested peeling the grapes, “hello, I don’t do faff” I thought to myself. Peeling near on 2 boxes of grapes would have taken an age!
Then there was a more sensible solution I came across where you used a stick blender to pulverise the skins so no need to peel. That sounded far more sensible I thought.
I didn’t find one recipe that told me all I needed to know, many used pectin and none said how long to boil the jam for, it was either “use a jam thermometer” or “boil until it looks right” and many recipes added water.
I decided this wasn’t necessary as grapes are basically water in a skin!
I’m a pedant for detail when it comes to writing jam recipes so I love it when I can put out a recipe that is missing from the internet!
I plotted out my Easy Grape Jam recipe and used my Simple Blueberry Jam recipe as a guide because blueberries and grapes are quite similar after all. Grapes just have tougher skins which is why the blending is necessary.
Well blow me down the recipe worked to perfection! I’d also bought 3 Mason jars I’d found going cheap (79 p each can you believe) and the Easy Grape Jam filled the 3 jars exactly.
I couldn’t believe it! It was like this jam was just meant to be.
I waited until the next day to try the jam and having heard so much about peanut butter and jelly I decided to give the family a cracker each with peanut butter and my Easy Grape Jam.
They all loved it and hubby who had doubted that grape jam was even a thing was gushing with compliments!
I do love it when I’m right about something, don’t you? He kept saying he’d never had grape jam before and how wonderful it was. Well I’ve never had it either and I have to say it is fabulous!
Why this Grape Jam recipe isn’t written using Cup measurements!
As I realised this recipe would have wider global appeal I did think about converting it to cup measurements as I’ve been getting quite a few requests from across the pond for these lately.
However on testing out an online conversion chart which said 100 g of whole grapes was equal to 1 cup I found that it was in fact 142 g and I’m sure depending on the size of the grapes one could get many differing results.
Also the cups you buy in the UK do not measure the same as US cups.
So don’t think me mean when I don’t rush off to do the conversion for you,
I just don’t want to be responsible for misinformation which could lead to inaccurate results.
Not all cooking is a precise science but jam making really is. So instead I have converted the recipe to pounds and ounces and suggest if you want to achieve perfect results then a set of electronic scales really is the way forward.
How long will Grape Jam keep for?
Grape Jam is shelf stable so will keep for years. However, it will be in peak condition (for colour & flavour) in the first 12 months if stored in cool, dark, dry place. I keep mine in a cupboard in my garage.
Once opened, store Grape Jam in the fridge where it will last many months provided you always use a clean spoon to serve it.
More summer jam recipes you should try!
I have so many more wonderful jam recipes for you to enjoy, here are just a few!
- Fig Jam
- Watermelon Jam – 2 Ways
- Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam – 1st Prize Winning
- Easy Seedless Blackberry Jam
- Easy Blackberry & Apple Jam
- Rhubarb & Gin Jam
- Rhubarb & Ginger Jam
- Peach & Apricot Jam – 1st Prize Winning
- Blueberry & Lime Jam
- Quick & Easy Raspberry Jam
More Grape Recipes
If you still have more grapes left here are some more recipes to use them up!
- Pork in Grapes
- Chicken Fiesta
- Coronation Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad for One
- Grape & Red Onion Chicken Drumsticks
- Seared Paprika Salmon with Rosemary Grapes
- Grilled Pork Chops with Orange & Grape Salsa
- Spinach, Grape & Blue Cheese Salad
- Fried Halloumi Salad with Baked Pomegranate Grapes
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils & Grapes
- Red Grape & Rosemary Focaccia
- Fat Free Greek Yogurt Fruit Brulee
- Frozen Grapes on a Stick (Easiest-Ever Grape Popsicles)
- 2 Ingredient Instant Frozen Yogurt(vegan)
- Lemon Panna Cotta with Grapes 2 Ways
I’m sure you’ll love my seedless Grape Jam as it’s my most popular jam recipe! It’s like grape jelly in flavour but fruitier.
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Pin for later!
Easy Grape Jam – just 3 ingredients and no pectin!
Equipment
- 1 Digital scales
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
- 1 preserving pan or similar large pan
- 1 stick blender
- 1 long wooden spoon
- 1 jam funnel
- 3 Saucers or small plates
- 3 500 ml jam jars with lids
Ingredients
- 1.7 kg / 3 lb 12 oz seedless grapes I used equal quantities or red, black & green grapes
- 1 kg / 2 lb 3 oz granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Place grapes, sugar and lemon juice into a preserving pan or similar.
- Using a gentle heat dissolve the sugar slowly, stirring frequently.
- As the mixture heats up break up some of the grapes with your wooden spoon or use a potato masher in order the release the grapes’ juices.
- Once all the sugar has dissolved fully (around 20 minutes) take the mixture off the heat and use a stick blender to blend the grapes to a juice like consistency.
- Put pan back on the heat, bring to a rolling boil and then time for 25 minutes, stirring continuously. (You could start with 23 minutes as depending on freshness and variety of grapes the setting time can vary a little).
- Take the pan off the heat and test for set by placing a few drops of the jam on a chilled saucer and place in fridge for a minute.
- The jam should form a crinkle when you push your finger through it.
- If not then boil for another 2 minutes and re-test until set is achieved.
- Pot up in hot jars and place lids on immediately.
- Store in a cool dry place and once opened keep in fridge.
Video
Notes
Put 2 – 3 saucers in the freezer.
Sterilise 3 x 0.5 ltr jars by washing in hot soapy water (or take straight from the dishwasher), fill with boiling water, empty and then place in oven for 20 minutes at 140°C, where you leave them until the jam is ready. Washed lids should be sterilised with boiling water and left to drain.
Mark
Stirring 25 minutes continuously is not what I consider an “easy” recipe.
Camilla
Hi Mark, pleased to make your acquaintance. I’m a pedant for detail and this recipe was not given this title light heartedly. It is the easiest grape jam recipe on the internet as you don’t need to peel the grapes and that’s why this is one of my most popular recipes. You wouldn’t want to risk burning your many pots of glorious jam so it’s better to tell people to stir continuously than risk people walking off and it burning (which I have heard stories of).
SDH
Thank you for putting up your grape jam recipe. I’ve been making jam, and all sorts of other things, for decades but never found a decent thing to do with grapes but your Grape Jam was brilliant, very tasty and it set with no trouble.
Camilla
Aww thank you, that’s so lovely to hear, I’m so glad you like the recipe and found something to do with your grapes:-)
Winn
Beautiful recipe, thank you so much! I just wanted to add a comment for anyone who has seeded grapes – we have an enormous seeded, Isabella variety vine – I used a conical strainer when putting the jam in jars. It worked perfectly, unfortunately you also lose the skins but the tough seeds of this variety were a bit too much so the loss is worth it. The result is a smooth, jelly-like jam that set perfectly. Another piece of kitchen equipment but it’s worth its weight in gold for jam and also for un-fixable lumpy custard!
Camilla
Thank you Winn. Yes I have mentioned in people’s comments that they could use a mouli which is probably similar to what you used. Enjoy your jam, it’s one of my favourites:-)
Gent
Hello! Do you recommend having the jam for long storage? How long do they usually last if left unopened once poured into the jars?
Camilla
Hi Gent, I answer this question in the text above the recipe.
Violet Plett
I haven’t made the jam yet, but someone was going to throw it away when it didn’t set. For sure don’t do that. If you don’t want to recook it, use it for pancake syrup. I’ve done that with many kinds of jam or jelly that didn’t set.
Kimberly Catlin
I just wonder why my grape jam is very liquid since I follow exact same with real sugar and it not become hard or thick. So what should I do otherwise it taste good lol.
Camilla
Hi Kimberly, it sounds like you didn’t keep boiling the jam and retesting for set until you got a crinkle on a chilled plate. Just pop it back in a pan and bring back to the boil. If you have a digital thermometer test for set when it reaches 105C or periodically use a wooden spoon to pour jam back into the pan and when a drip hangs on the jam should be tested for set.
Darcy
The jam is delicious but once we refrigerated some it is super hard like a fruit leather! Should I cook for less time or add water or something?? It’s only my second time making preserves.
Also, are the skins supposed to totally disappear using the wand blender? Mine still has a lot despite blending for a long time.
Camilla
Hi Darcy, it sounds like you boiled the jam for too long. You could get yourself a digital thermometer and start testing for set once the jam reaches 105C. To remedy you could pop the jam back into pan, add say 100ml of water, slowly heat up and blend some more (skin should not be noticeable) and then boil until setting point is reached. There’s also a drip test where the jam will hang in a drip from a wooden spoon which is useful to do while the jam is boiling.
Colleen Parker
I have been making this jam for three years now and I love the recipe. However, no matter how I alter the cook, it always comes out brown. Sometimes a greenish brown, or reddish if I’ve used red tinged grapes. It always tastes great. What am I doing wrong? I’ve tried very slow temperature rises, faster, medium. Any recommendations to get a beautiful color as well as taste?
Camilla
Hi Colleen, for the colour I achieved I used the quantities in the recipe ie equal weights of red, black and green grapes. If you use a higher proportion of green grapes then the colour would be more muddy but flavour still good.
Teleen Santillan
This product can sit out on the counter without being water bathed? If so for how long?
Camilla
Hi Teleen, there’s a heading “How Long will Grape Jam Keep” which answers your question. A couple of headings above the photograph of my Watermelon Jam.
Sarah J Moxon
My grapes will have seeds in it so do I have to remove the seeds first before cooking? My grapes are Concord.
Camilla
Hi Sarah, readers have either scooped out the seeds, run the grapes through a mouli to removed the seeds or blitzed them into the jam.
Pam Hodgson
Brilliant recipe to use up some cheap grapes. Easy to make and tastes lovely
Camilla
Awesome Pam, so glad you like the recipe. Do check out my other numerous jams too:-)
Michelle
Mine didn’t set, any suggestions ?
Camilla
Hi Michelle, you need to carry on boiling the jam until it forms a crinkle on a chilled plate. Tip all the jam back into a pan and boil for another 2 minutes at a time until you get to that stage (you’ll need to wash and sterilise the jars again). If you have a digital thermometer then test at 105C. This happened to me once with my Greengage Jam which I documented.
Lisa
Could I replace sugar with maple syrup. We make our own and it’s organic. Usually 1 c of sugar is 3/4 c of maple syrup. I don’t know how to convert in weight measures so how many cups of sugar is in your recipe ? ( 1 c equals 250 ml in Canada) I’m excited to give this a try.
Camilla
Hi Lisa, I don’t think maple syrup can be replaced with maple syrup for 2 reasons. 1) the sugar gives the jel like structure to the jam and maple syrup is a liquid so won’t set the jam. 2) I think the maple flavour would be overpowering to the grape flavour. I had a quick look at recipes using maple syrup and they seem to use some low sugar fruit pectin and maple syrup which would make sense as you need something to set the jam. I also highly recommend a cheap set of digital scales as I am terrible at conversions. Gave out wrong information twice on my Banana Pudding LOL!
Debora Meredith
I am a bit shy of the weight for the grapes, could I add a bit of bartlett pear to bring it up to weight or would it be better to decrease the other ingredients proportionately?
Camilla
Hi Debora, I have no idea how the pear would affect the recipe so I think scaling the recipe down to the amount of grapes you have would be best and then allow a little less time before you test for set as that will be affected.
Lisa Rowland
This recipe is perfection, change nothing! I will never do grape jam any other way, thank you!
Camilla
Aaw, thank you so much Lisa, so happy you like the recipe:-)
Katrina
I made this recipe yesterday and halved the ingredients. I have a grapevine and thought I’d give it a go, after spending one hour de-seeding the grapes I started on making the jam, I didn’t have lemons but used two limes instead. End result, the jam set beautifully and has a lovely flavour, I put it on cheese and crackers. In the past 2 months I’ve planted a seedless grape vine so should have bo problems in the future having to painfully de-seed grapes haha!
Camilla
So glad you like the jam Katrina and lime a great sub for lemon. Good luck with your new grape vine:-)
Rilda
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but will certainly do so especially now I know much cooking time. I made some grape jam the other day using a popular South African grape variety. It is very sweet and aromatic and has seeds in it. Please don’t spend time removing seeds as they are crammed with antioxidants and imparts a slightly dry and bitter flavour when crunched which balances out the sweetness.
Thanks Camilla for sharing your recipe
Heidi
If I am using a hand blender is it ok just to blend and break up the seeds, have you tasted it with them? I was just given 15 pounds of grapes tonight and want to make jam… but I am NOT removing seeds! Hahah
Camilla
Hi Heidi, I haven’t tasted this jam with blended seeds but I remember someone in the comments made the jam this way and said it was fine from memory. Personally I would use a mouli to get rid of the seeds. You could so a really tiny sample batch of jam in a small saucepan to judge whether you like it with the seeds well blended. I have done this with yellow cherries from my garden when I wanted to know if they would make good jam, they didn’t.
Tracy
Thank you for your recipe. I have just made it with white seedless grapes, of which I have an abundance of. I used lemon and lime juice, some lime zest and some fresh ginger. It came out a beautiful pink colour and is delicious!
Camilla
So happy to hear that Tracy and love the sound of your additions:-)
Jenny
hello! getting ready to try this and wondering if i could potentially use fresh grapefruit juice instead of lemon?
Camilla
Hi Jenny, I have never tried it, I imagine it would do the job but I’m not sure that the flavour would marry well with the grape. I wouldn’t want you to be unhappy with the flavour so would suggest you make it with lemon for your first attempt.
Cheryl
Absolutely brilliant. I removed skins and excess pips after I using the blender it worked like a dream. Jam was lovely and smooth.
Camilla
Yay Cheryl, so glad you got round the pips and like the jam:-)
Kailey
How long are these shelf stable for. Just made them and they turned out beautifully. I have 3 1/2 jars.
Camilla
Hi Kailey, so glad you like the recipe, the answer to that is under the heading “How long will Grape Jam keep for?”.
Shelagh
I was wondering do you have to use a stck blender. I have made concord grape jam without one many years ago I have a ninja mix blender can I use that instead.
Camilla
Hi Shelagh, a stick blender is just more convenient. You can use a blender but need to cool the mixture down a little so that you don’t damage it.
Lisa
It set perfectly! I think I must’ve been too eager to pop them in jars the first time! Thank you so much for your super fast advice. Thanks to you, my first batch of grape jam was saved!! Time for a wine and cheese board with grape jam I think!!! Cheers!
Camilla
Wonderful Lisa, hopefully that will be the last time you make runny jam, all part of the learning process:-) So glad we could save your precious grapes/jam:-) I do hope you check out my other jam recipes when you next get a glut of fruit:-)
Lisa
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had a go at making this jam yesterday, but I must’ve gone wrong somewhere as it has not set, and is still like a thick runny juice in the jars. Before I throw it all away, I thought I’d see if you have any ideas about how I might salvage it?
Camilla
Hi Lisa, definitely don’t throw it away. Just tip it all back into the pan, resterilise your jars and keep boiling the jam until it passes the plate test ie when you push your finger through the jam it forms a gel like crinkle. Have a look at the photo of this stage in my marmalade post here: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/simple-shredless-orange-marmalade/ As you get more experienced this step will become 2nd nature but I had the same problem once with Greengage Jam and salvaged it.
Lisa
Thank you, I’ll give it another try! This was my first time making jam, so I’m very pleased to hear there’s still some hope left! I’ll let you know how I go!!
Camilla
Good luck Lisa, I’m sure you’ll get there:-) You can also buy a digital thermometer which will give you an idea of when to start testing, jam sets at around 105C.
Sheryl Steele
Hi and good day! I have not yet tried your recipe but it sounds delicious! Have you tried using stevia instead of sugar? I’m diabetic was wondering because I absolutely love homemade grape jam (so much better than jelly)! I am one of those blokes from across the pond ( I think is how you say it, lol). I’ve pinned your recipe but would love your thoughts!
Sheryl
Camilla
Hi Sheryl, I’m afraid I don’t eat sweeteners and having looked into making sugar free jam some time ago I drew a blank. I think I once made sugar free chia jam (after a brand sent me a sachet) and it just tasted of sweetener so it never got posted. The trouble is you need to form a gel which the sugar contributes too along with the pectin. You can buy sugar free pectin but as I’ve never made sugar free jam I cannot advise how to make it. I’ve seen some recipes on the internet but they’re not really jam, more like boiled up compote that lasts a couple of weeks. Incidentally grapes are high in sugar (fructose), berries are the lowest in fructose.
Sue R
Great recipe! I made a batch with small frozen Concord grapes (with tons of seeds) from my garden! A bit more fiddly as I wanted to keep the skins but remove the seeds. A short boil broke the seeds free from the rest of the grape and softened the skins, then I used a food mill to remove the seeds before proceeding with this recipe. Now on to trying your pectin free raspberry jam!!! Thank you!
Camilla
Awesome Sue, thank you so much for sharing. So glad you like the recipe and I’m sure you’ll love the raspberry jam too:-)
Chris
I only have white grapes could I add food coloring to make it more appealing? Thank you.
Camilla
No, embrace the natural colour, green grapes need love too:-)
Clive Capel
Camila, I have just picked 20kg of a mixture of black and green (i.e. not yet turned) seeded grapes from my vine. The drupes were literally falling off the vine so I really had to get out and pick them. I don’t think they would have turned had I left them any longer. How do you suggest I tackle making jam from them (non cook, first timer bloke here).
Thanks
Camilla
Hi Clive, once you pick grapes they don’t continue to ripen, so if they don’t taste good then don’t put them in your jam or flavour will be tainted. I would suggest you buy a mouli to mill out the pips and then weigh the resulting juice and add sugar in the same proportion as the recipe states for whole grapes/sugar. I have also had readers say they just left the pips in. I would also advise to stick to the quantity in this recipe as it’s your first time. Doubling jam recipes can mean that the boiling/setting time is more than doubled so until you become more experienced best not to go there. You could freeze any grape juice you have leftover and/or make 2 pans of jam at the same time. If you want to go off piste with quantities then a digital thermometer is very useful as jam reaches setting point around 105C. Very large batches though can have problems setting so start small.
PS: My graphic designer husband used to work with a Clive Capel and now wondering if you’re the same person?
Maya
Hi Camilla, thank you for the recipe. I see your are recommending we follow the recipe to a T. In all your experiments have you tried reducing the sugar? My grapes are so sweet I’d really like to cut the added sugar down a bit but Im afraid it won’t set if I do.
Camilla
Hi Maya, the usual ration of sugar to fruit is 1:1 and here it is 1:1.7 so I already drastically reduced the sugar. I can’t vouch for reducing any further as I haven’t tried and it could affect the keeping quality as sugar acts as a preservative.
Maya
Thanks for your reply Camilla. In that case, for the first go around I’ll just stick with the proportions you’ve got in the recipe.
Camilla
Good idea Maya:-)
Anna
I am new to canning. Looking forward to trying your recipe! How long will jam keep in refrigerator?
Camilla
Hi Anna, this question is answered in the text above the recipe:-)
Liza
I have loads of grapes in my garden, but they’re seeded. Would I need to deseed them, or would the blender and boiling break them down a bit? I don’t mind a bit of texture, but don’t want mouthfuls of seeds!
Camilla
Hi Liza, you can either use a mouli to extract the seeds or I have seen one reader who just did what you suggested.Takw a look at the comments.
Louise Bichler
I only have 3 lbs grape short 12 oz
What do I do do I put less sugar
Camilla
Yes, just reduce the sugar by the same proportion as the fruit and test for set sooner or use a digital thermometer (test at 105C).
Aadil Desai
I just finished deseeding four punnets (two kilogrammes) of seeded red grapes. I cut them each into half with a knife and removed the four seeds in them with the pointed edge of the knife. A pretty time consuming task but did it in about an hour.
Colleen
Can you use frozen grapes for this recipe? I made it last year and my family loved it. I have a pile of frozen grapes and want to try it again. Any changes using frozen grapes? Any help will be appreciated.
Camilla
Hi Colleen, yes frozen fruit can be used as an alternative to fresh in any jam recipe. I think I would allow the grapes to thaw in the pan (maybe overnight with a lid on) and then proceed from there.
Anna
Excited to try this! I see you note the jam is shelf stable but I have to ask: Does the recipe require a water bath? Or is it enough to hot pack?
Camilla
Hi Anna, no, no water bathing required. The recipe is complete as is. However, I respect that others may wish to process differently and if that’s what they’re more comfortable with then great, I just have no knowledge about water bathing as it’s not something we do to jams in the UK and much of Europe.
Fred Wallace
Just looked up your recipe. I have a huge amount of Sauvignon wine grapes and thought why not use for Jam. Picked the grapes off the stem, cooked them up. There are NO seeds in these grapes. First taste after initial boil was “these are unbelievable”. So, no sugar added, and cooked down to 1/2 volume. Into the jars. Ended up with more of a compote than a jam. Amazing. On toast, on ice cream. Now to figure what to do with the other 200 pounds of these.
Camilla
Hi Fred, if you want the jars to be shelf stable and the jam to set then you would need to add the sugar.
Donalane
Thank you so much! I grow grapes in my back garden and always have more than enough to eat and even share with the birds! I can’t wait to try this recipe… just going to get some mason jars!!
Camilla
Excellent Donalane, do let me know how you get on:-)
Brian
Hi camilla
I have a grape vine which produces small black grapes I have tried making jam with them but I can’t get it to set can you help brian
Camilla
Hi Brian, get yourself a digital thermometer suitable for jam making (I use Thermapen) and boil the jam until you reach a temperature of 105C and then start testing on a chilled plate. Sounds like you just didn’t boil the jam for long enough. You can tell if the jam is ready to be tested by how quickly it drips off a wooden spoon, the last drip should just hang on to the spoon when setting point reached. So if after the full time in the recipe your jam is just pouring off the spoon then you know you need much longer to get to setting point. Your grapes are different from the ones in the recipe so will take a different amount of time to set. Hope that helps. If you’ve potted up that runny jam then simply put it back in a pan and boil until it does reach setting point. Been there with my Greengage Jam once.
Rosemary Hennessy
Hi Camilla, I made grape jam last year, was wondering gave you ever tried strawberries and grape together? Would it be 50/50 split, I would like to try this as it would be a little sweeter for my grandchildren. Thank you .
Camilla
Hi Rosemary, it’s not a flavour combination I would think to do. If you want to try it a digital thermometer would be useful for knowing when setting point is (105C).
Rosemary Hennessy
Thank you I will try it let you know how it ends up.
Camilla
Yes, please do, I’d be interested to know how it turns out.
Susan
I have a TON of Concord grapes. Would they work with this recipe?
Camilla
Concord grapes aren’t readily available in the UK but if you take a look at the comments I seem to remember people using them.
Barb
I just did this recipe with concord grapes and it is wonderful. First time making jelly/jam too. I weighed my ingredients but only ended up with 2 and 1/2 pint jars though.
Camilla
Hi Barb, so happy to hear that. I think Concorde grapes are quite small so there’s more skin to flesh ratio which would probably account for the lower yield.
Karen
Did you leave the seeds in when using the Concord grapes? If not, what is the best way to take out grape seeds? I got a bunch of Concord grapes today from a friend and would love me some seedless concord jam.
Avi
Hi Camilla,
I just made the grape jam for the first time. We had extra grapes in the fridge which would have gone bad in a few days. I only had 1/3 (about 20 oz.) the weight of grapes, so I simply thirded (and I think I also just coined a new verb!) the recipe. It made 2 jam jars worth. So easy, so delicious!
Thank you!
Camilla
Wonderful Avi, so glad you like the recipe and put those spare grapes to good use:–)
Dragana
Hi Camilla,
Loved your plum and apple jam! Now, I would like to try the grape one, but my grapes from the garden has pips! Is there a way to get ridd of pips and still make a jam? Grapes are small white with lots of pips and nobody likes to eat them , so need to do something withe them. Please help
Camilla
Hi Dragana, so glad you like the plum and apple jam:-) You could try using a mouli to strain the juice or liquidise and then sieve out of the pips or have a look at the comments as others have had their own workarounds like just blitzing them into the jam.
Vita
Hi Camilla! Thank you for lovely idea ,will be trying your jam receptes.I like your thinking sounds like me !Have you tried Rhubarb and Bananas ?Its so amaizing ,I love it !
Camilla
Thank you Vita, no I’ve not heard of Rhubarb & Banana Jam before but thank you for the idea, perhaps I’ll make a recipe for it:-)
Gary P
Camilla – I am on a ‘Jammy roll’ here. Followed the grape jam perfectly using Texas wine country reds and Californian blacks. Everything is in cooling mode – Actual cook time ran about 28 minutes….consistency was a medium lava flow….not too runny but certainly not a great big ol’ lump of grapy jam. 4 perfect jars. Thanks again for ‘tried and tested’ straight forward recipes.
P.S. can you come up with additional recipes per season to accelerate the jam consumption pls 🙂
Camilla
Hi Gary, so glad you like my Grape Jam which is the best on the internet if I don’t say so myself LOL;-) I do produce new jams each season and have a total of 36 already posted along with curd recipes. I’m writing up and editing a video for Strawberry & Gin Jam which is amazing and should be posted this week. Sign up to my newsletter via any blog post if you don’t want to miss out!
Cynthia Revere
How do you make this with grapes that have seeds. I have concord grapes that I grow myself.
Camilla
Hi Cynthia, you could use a mouli food mill or some people just blitz the seeds into the jam. Check out readers comments.
Suzanne m brazell
So, I made a half batch since I didn’t have 3+ pounds of grapes. I had to add a half of a plum to make up the weight, but it tastes fantastic!! I don’t even like grape jelly!! I will totally be using your site for all my extra fruit. Thanks!!
Camilla
Yay Suzanne, I’ve don that before, snuck in another fruit that’s similar to make up the weight, great call. And yes it’s funny how we can dislike a fruit raw but like it as jam, I’m that way with figs:-)
VAL
I am making it today with apples and grapes cooked them 2 days ago now going to ADD SUGAR AND BOIL AND PUT IN JARS THANKS VAL
Camilla
Fab Val, I imagine that that set a lot quicker with the additional pectin in the apple. How did it turn out?
Cheri
I really really want to try this but I don’t have a large canning pot. Do you get the proper seal on the jars even without boiling them?
Camilla
Yes, most definitely, this is how we “can” in the UK and much of Europe. The seal happens after you put lids on hot jars and as they and the jam cool, a vacuum forms to give the seal.
Tater
Mom would turn her jars over for a few seconds so the hot jelly or jam would help sterilize the kids, then set them in a towel upright and wait for that precious ping!
Camilla
I’ve heard of this method but not necessary as the lids are already sterilised before you start and the steam from the hot jam would also have the same effect.
Grace Haener
Just made it and it is delicious! Added some cardamom powder and lemon zest. It is very easy to make. Thank you for sharing the recipe ❤️
Camilla
Thank you Grace, so glad you like the recipe and added your own touch to it:-)
Sky
Hey, just doing an assessment on the production of this Jam. Just wondering if there are environmental issues associated with this method of preservation (making the grapes into grape jam)?
Thank you!
Camilla
Hi Sky, I’m afraid that is not my field of expertise.
Anja
I’d love to make grape jam, and not jelly! I’m wondering what to do with the all the grapes that are ripening on my vine for the first time! They’re very aromatic and are almost ready to pick – but they have seeds! Big ones, at least two per grape. So the stick blender won’t work…
Camilla
Hi Anja, if you read through the comments, some people have either blended or used a Vitamix, alternatively you could use a mouli or remove the pips by hand using a teaspoon after halving.
Linda Goss
Merry Christmas from Canada…my husband has a cold…everyone is treating him as leper….in this Covid world! I had a bunch of seedless green , sour grapes, so I weighed them ..adjusted the recipe…Voila 3 jars of wonderful jelly! In these times I think someone should do a blog on saving cash by using food we have as leftovers …or making jelly! Thanks…Linny
Camilla
Thank you Lunda, hope your husband is getting better. So glad you liked the recipe Wishing you a Happy New Year.
Claire Driver
made this yesterday with about half the amount of grapes (i had to bulk it up to half the weight by adding some plums). these fruits were all on the turn and at threat of being chucked. i’m a confident cook but have never attempted jam before because it seemed too faffy and i was sure i would mess it up. we did have to prepare a little bit, but it was okay, nothing too much. but it was SO, SO EASY. and it worked perfectly (we had to boil it for about half an hour longer but no problem. we enjoyed some on toast this morning, and, tbh, we’re not even jam eaters that much. but having made it – and it tastes wonderful btw – we had to. d e l i c i o u s!!
thanks!
Camilla
Excellent Claire, so glad you found the recipe easy and delicious. Hope you try out some more of my jams now, great for gifting too:-)
Dominique
I used wild grapes, they were seedless and pretty small but the stick blender didn’t break up the skin at all so i put it all in the vitamix. Best grape jam ever!
Camilla
Thank you so much Dominique! Wild grapes sound lush, glad your Vitamix came to the rescue:-)
Cheryl
Just wondering. Normally when making jams I use a water bath to preserve and seal the jars. Is this what you do. If not haw do your jars seal and stop from spoiling?
Camilla
Hi Cheryl, this is how jam is made in the UK and much of Europe etc. The hot jam goes into hot jars and the lid is placed on immediately. As the jam cools a vacuum is formed which forms the seal. It’s shelf stable for years but at its best in first year.
Pete
Hi Camilla, how her doing? So far I have tried your blackberry, blueberry, raspberry cures and jams all with excellent results, thank you. I’m about to try your grape jam recipe so I am sure the jam will be excellent. With all your jam recipes, providing its not eaten within a few days, what is the shelf life?
Pete
Camilla
Hi Pete, all the jams are shelf stable and will last many years but for best quality and colour I usually say to eat in the first 12 months (but I have many jams that are much older in my cupboards and some fade a little like the red ones, but the black ones don’t tend to). Just keep them in a cool, dark, dry place (I keep mine in the garage in a cupboard).
Gale
My grape vine has about 100 pounds of grapes this year! They are seedless green grapes, very flavorful sweet, small grapes, so maybe more skin to flesh ratio, I’m going to try this, do you have any recommendations for me due to the size and color of the grapes?
Camilla
Wow, that’s an amazing crop! I would just make the recipe as written but if there’s less water content in the grapes you might find you reach setting point sooner so bear that in mind.
Arlene
This was great! My first jam and it turned out perfectly! It did take a little longer than 25 minutes for my jam to pass the crinkle test, maybe closer to 30 minutes, but I had doubled the recipe, so perhaps that caused issues with the timing. Thank you for sharing the recipe! I hope to try some others soon.
Camilla
Excellent Arlene, so glad to hear that! Yes, if you double the recipe there will be twice as much evaporation that needs to happen before reaching crinkle point so hence it will take longer.
Cindy Lou Simmons
I would like to use wild grapes as I would like to make this for the orioles. Maybe once I get everything cooked, I could sieve out the seeds? then pull out the skins to add back in? what do you think?
Camilla
I wouldn’t sieve the sugary mixture. Try liquidising the grapes and then sieving or some people have just kept the seeds in the jam if you look down the comments.
Cheryl
I am assuming that you are using seedless grapes? How would you be able to di this recipe and get the seeds out but not omit the skins? The skins have flavor and nutrients
Camilla
Hi Cheryl, yes the recipe states seedless grapes. If you read through the comments some people have just left the seeds in or if you wanted to you could cut each grape in half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon (a bit of a labour of love). Or you could try using a mouli but that might hold back some of the skin.
Cheri
My jam is to thick. Did I cook it to long. The flavor is good.
Camilla
Hi Cheri, yes, if the jam is too thick you boiled it for too long. You could put it all back in a pan, add a little water and re-boil until setting point reached.
Leslie Lines
Oh my gosh this is great!! I sell jam at a Farmers Market in Sycamore, IL, USA and I’ve yet to make a grape jam but someone at work asked me if I made grape and I said no but I will look into it. Thank you for this! I had fun reading your article. I’m excited to make this. If you want to get crazy I make The Blue Pineapple. I came up with it. It’s Blueberries and Pineapple. One pineapple, five cups blueberries, seven cups sugar, one tablespoon lemon juice per cup fruit, and pectin. I eyeball that. If you’re a jam lady… You know what to do. For whatever reason pineapple always needs pectin otherwise it’s always runny. Try it!! It’s a customer favorite of mine ♥️
Camilla
Thank you Leslie, I’m sure you’ll love the Grape Jam. Fresh pineapple is full of enzymes so great for breaking down the cell structure of meat and marinating but not great for jam or in jelly. I have never used pectin in any of my jams but I’ve heard that you can get around the enzyme issue by roasting the pineapple first and maybe there were some other methods (it’s a few years since I researched). I think what has held me back from diving into using pineapple is that it can be incredibly sweet but maybe one day I’ll venture there:-)
Aadil Desai
I’ve made pineapple jam and it’s without pectin or any artificial preservatives or thickeners. Turned out just right. Added some grated ginger and a bit of saffron strands (mixed in a little water) to it and it tastes swell!!!
Jocelyn
Hello. I made your jam last night. I didn’t achieve the crack test with the few drops on a plate so it threw me a bit. I landed up doing an overall cook from rolling boil for 30 minutes. I then poured the mixture into sterilised glass jars as directed and left it over night to cool. The jam is superb. It set beautifully. Your instructions were very good especially considering you’re working with sugar and no thermometer was used. Well done on a great recipe.
Camilla
Wonderful Jocelyn, so glad you like the jam. The “crinkle” test can be quite subtle, but as long as you have a gel like blob on the plate then you know the jam is ready.
Chez
I make jam every year and have been trying to find a recipe to make with my friends. My friends love it and believe it’s the best jam they’ve ever had.
Camilla
So glad you and your friends like the recipe, it is a fabulous jam:-)
Yvonne
Sounds great
I’m going to make it tomorrow. My grapes have seeds. I use a sharp knife to cut grapes in half to remove seeds.
This is a relaxing activity for me.
Thank you for the recipe.
Camilla
Enjoy. Yes it can be very relaxing doing a repetitive task like that:-)
Glenis
It’s taking a long time to get right consitancy, followed exactly as stated, not setting in fridge on the saucer. Don’t know the name of the grapes but ouch, taking too long. Any advice welcome
Camilla
Hi Glenis, hard to know without being in your kitchen. Is your jam on a full rolling boil? Did you weigh the ingrdients accurately or attempt a conversion to cups?
Tommy
This recipe sounds awesome. What flavour of jam that you have listed is your favourite? I want to make one and I like the sound of this or watermelon. Thanks in advance!
Camilla
That’s a really hard question as it’s almost like saying what’s your favourite fruit! I would say this Grape Jam, Blueberry Jam, Blackberry & Apple Jam and Rhubarb & Gin Jam are all worthy of being called favourites but then so are so many others, I’ve made an awful lot of jams over the years, many more than listed here, just got to my Jam category list: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/category/preserves/jam/
Melissa Garza
Thank you so much for your recipe this is the first jam that I have attempted and turned out great!
Camilla
Awesome Melissa, so glad you had success with your first attempt at making jam. Hopefully you can try some more of my jam recipes in the future:-)
Jan
I am from Adelaide, Australia.
Thank you for this GREAT recipe.
I only used sultana seedless grapes from our garden.
I have also added a minimal amount of chilli.
It is so delicious with cheese on crackers.
Thank you
Camilla
Ooh, that sounds wonderful Jan, thank you so much for your feedback:-)
Kathleen Colton
Hello from Illinois, USA! I used this recipe with our homegrown Concord SEEDED grapes last fall, I found that mashing the grapes during cooking also essentially smashed the seeds! My hubby, like your’s, absolutely loved it, as he is the grape grower. Thanks so very much!
Kathleen Colton
Camilla
Awesome Kathleen, so pleased you find it works with seeded grapes too as I often get asked about this! Hope you try some of my other jams too:-)
Kerrie Lyndale Regan
Is it possible to use seedless grapes for this recipe please?
Camilla
This recipe uses seedless grapes.
Elenor
Love this recipe. Your detailed instructions are so easy to follow & result in a perfect jam.
I have just discovered your page & I’m a big fan, thank you!
Camilla
Aaw, Elenor, so glad you like the grape jam and my blog:-) Hope you find many more recipes to enjoy!
Brenda Whilby
Thanks!
Camilla
You’re most welcome Brenda:-)
Michelle
Hi is it possible to make the grape jam with sweetener instead of sugar.
Camilla
Hi Michelle, no you can’t swap sugar for sweetener as the sugar is what preserves the jam and also has a role in the gel formation. Sugar free jam is a whole different ball game and I’ve only ever tried making it with chia seeds once but didn’t like the flavour the sweetener gave so never share the recipe. Sorry I can’t be of more help. Maybe one day I’ll try to come up with something.
Pearl
can i use a normal blender? i dont have the stick blender :c
Camilla
Hi Pearl, yes you can but to save time cooling the mixture down in order to put in your blender I think I would start by blending the grapes and then adding to the sugar and lemon juice.
Amanda
I cannot wait to give this recipe another go, it smelled and tasted delicious up until I managed to burn it! I used grapes from my dads greenhouse but only had approx 650g so I calculated the sugar accordingly. I kept with the same cook time though, so I think maybe that’s where I went wrong. I noticed a change in the consistency after about 13 mins into the boil but instead of talking it off the heat I continued to the full 23 mins. This was my first ever attempt at jam and I’m not known for my cooking skills! Anyways will definitely give it another go, thanks for a great beginner recipe 🙂
Camilla
Aaw, that’s a shame, yes less grapes less cooking time. You can also test the temperature if you have a digital thermometer, jam sets between 104 – 105.5C. Plus you can use the drip test with a wooden spoon to see how slowly the jam drops off, if it forms a hanging drip then it’s time to do the plate test!
Andrea Wilde
Made this jam today, had less grapes than recipe so adjusted the sugar to suit, made 4 medium jars.. Had no problem with it setting and tastes lovely.. I know this as I had a little bit left that I put in a little dish..
Camilla
Excellent Andrea, so glad you like it:-)
Ali
Hi there! I’m going to be making this recipe over the weekend and I’m wondering what the shelf life of it is once jarred and stored?
Thanks
Camilla
Hi Ali, see the heading “How long will this Jam keep for”:-)
Raquel
Amei
Receira incrível
Obg por compartilhar
Camilla
I put this into Google translate and I think you’ve thanked me for sharing – a pleasure Raquel:-)
Diane Beeson
Had a ton of grapes leftover from my nieces bridal shower. We made a sugar scrub for favors so I had lemons and sugar too! Couldn’t have found a better recipe to use the leftovers and have jam to give the happy couple! Thank you!!
Camilla
Oh that’s wonderful, so happy you found the grapes, sugar and lemons and good home in my grape jam recipe:-)
Sue STrekal
Had to use seeded Concord grapes. I followed the recipe otherwise, but the “jelly” didn’t set up enough. Any suggestions? Should I add pectin and reboil? Thanks
Camilla
Hi Sue, just re-boil until you get a crinkle on the plate and the jam forms a drip that just hangs from a wooden spoon. No need for pectin in any of my recipes. My timings are a guide not set in stone.
sue
Thank you, Camilla. We like grape juice and jelly, but you can’t find jelly here in Slovakia. Someone suggested that the reason is that grapes are made into wine!
Camilla
Or it’s just not a food trend there like it isn’t in the UK, mind you we don’t grow that many grapes and I’m sure the ones we do end up in British wine. But that wouldn’t stop supermarkets from importing it.
Tish
I may have used slightly less sugar than the recipe but also have soup because I was simmering. Can I reboil it to make it thicker or add pectin now or is it a lost cause at this point?
Camilla
Hi Tish, yes just reboil and test, you should get an idea of when to test by putting a spoonful of jam on a wooden spoon and it should develop a hanging droplet of jam when tilted sideways.
Donna Rylance
I was given some grapes from another allotment holder. The grapes were not going to last too long…. I came across this grape recipe wow and easy to make. Thank you
Camilla
Thank you so much Donna, so happy you like the recipe. Hopefully you can make some of my other jams in the future:-)
Louise Martin
My husband brought home about 12 pounds of grapes! What am I going to do with this?!! I started looking for recipes and found yours. I made it twice. Turned out fantastic. The second time I made it I tripled the recipe. Thanks for sharing this and all the recipes with grape jam. Cause now I have to find a use for this besides gifts!!!
Camilla
Aaw, so pleased to fix your grape glut issue. Great to know that you can triple the recipe:-)
Sabby
I have grape sauce. It’s runny like soup. It’s been simmering for hours but hasn’t thickened much. I’m confused that y’all got jam.
Camilla
Hi Sabby, I notice you mention that the jam has been simmering, the recipe does not call for simmering. You needed to bring the pan to a rolling boil (ie on the highest heat) for the time stated and then do the plate test. Then bring back to a rolling boil and repeat test if it didn’t pass ie get a crinkle. However, simmering for hours would usually turn this jam to toffee so I’m wondering if you weighed out the ingredients correctly? You are the first person to ever not have success with this recipe which is my most popular recipe on my blog. Hence I know it’s not my recipe at fault.
Kevin hart
Hi, Rosalba asked about removing seeds. I made jam from this recipe last grape harvest, had about 40 kilos spare so made jam, halve I left the seeds in and ended up with a lovely crunchy jam, and half I sieved after blended and had a very smooth jam, loved them both, and nice to have a choice…. thanks for a great recipe, just about to make another batch….cheers Kevin
Camilla
Thank you for sharing Kevin and so glad you like the recipe:-)
Georgianne
What size mason jars did you use?
Camilla
Hi Georgianne, I’ve added this to the recipe now, I used 0.5 Litre jars.
Mary E Murray
Do you think it would work to pulverize the grapes before cooking?
Camilla
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work but it may affect the time it takes to get to setting point so I’d test a little earlier than stated.
Aegea
Found this and loved it ! First time making grape jam and this was a great recipe to follow ! Thanks !
Camilla
So glad to hear that Aegea, I hope you try some more of my jam recipes now:-)
Cindi Copeland
We’re going to try this tomorrow, but I’m confused about your note. What do you mean about “saucers in the freezer”?
Camilla
Hi Cindi, you put saucers or small plates in the freezer in readiness for the plate test where you test the jam for set.
Kathleen Dickinson
Hi Camilla,
Can I make your jam recipe as called for above but seal them using a kettle canning method so that I can get a shelf life of 18 months?
Camilla
Hi Kathleen, the jam as written is shelf stable and safe to eat for many years as the sugar preserves the jam. Provided of course that it’s kept in a cool, dark, dry place. I’m afraid I know nothing about kettle canning but if that’s what you’d prefer to do I would refer to your jar manufacturers’ instructions.
MAria
hi Camilla, do I need to cool down the jam before I transfer it into the jar?
Camilla
Hi Maria, hot jam goes into hot jars so that as it cools it forms a vacuum and seals the jar (ensuring its shelf stability).
Rosalba Axiak
Did you remove the seeds before making the jam please?
Camilla
Hi Rosalba, I used seedless grapes, so if yours have seeds then yes you need to remove them by hand or with a mouli.
Susan Arnholtz
Being from “ the other side of the pond”- I am wondering what 3#12 oz = in cups? Can you help me? Does “ a pint is a pound, the world around” hold true, here? Thank you so much! -Susan
Camilla
Hi Susan, it’s conversation I keep having with people. You cannot convert a weight to a volume especially when for something like grapes which vary hugely in size. I once tried weighing out cups of different sized blueberries and the difference was a lot when scaled up to a full recipe amount, so a big margin of error. Hence I cannot give out inaccurate information and put my good name to it. I’m all about simple recipes that work. We buy equipment to make jam, like pans and wooden spoons and a set of kitchen scales is a vital piece of equipment and so cheap. Here’s a link: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Multifunction-Kitchen-Food-Scale/dp/B08SJ8C43B/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=digital+kitchen+scale&qid=1631647873&sr=8-9
Debbie Serrer
You can not convert a weight to volume measurement. Everything depends. Buy a scale.
Linda
Just made your jam. Cooling in jars. Do I really tighten jars while still hot?
Will
There be any popping sounds?
Camilla
Hi Linda, yes you tighten the lids on the jars whilst jam is hot so that a vacuum forms and you get a seal as the jam cools. I’ve never heard any popping but then I usually transfer the finished jam to my garage to cool or I’m not in the room.
Janine
Yes my jars all popped that way you know that they have formed a vacuum.
Lotetta
Just picked my vine and want to try your recipe. My grapes are delicious but have seeds. Can I pulverize them first in my vitamix ?
Camilla
Yes but you’d want to strain out the seeds really or it might make the jam taste a bit bitter, best to taste the resulting juice. Perhaps blend a sample amount to judge. Otherwise blend less well and sieve out the pip fragments.
Cat
I love grapes and this jam is so simple to make and really delicious!
Camilla
Thanks Cat, it is an incredible jam:-)
Lisa R
I have seeded Concord grapes grown in my yard. If I remove the seeds once liquified will it change the weight of grapes vs sugar ratio and disturb how the jam sets up
Camilla
Hi Lisa, it shouldn’t matter as there is always a bit of give in the amount of sugar you can use in a jam recipe. If you wanted to be exact you could weigh your pips and add back in more grape flesh of the equivalent weight.
Julia
Wonder recipe can’t wait to try. Question though, my grapes have seeds. Should I strain through kitchen aide strainer before cooking with sugar?
Camilla
If you liquidise the grapes first I have been suggesting to put through a mouli or you could try your suggestion or remove the seeds with a teaspoon (a labour of love I know).
Depi V
Thanks for this easy, wonderful, yummy recipe. Growing grapes for the first time and we haven’t timed them well, so we have a bunch still a bit sour and this jam made perfect use of them!
Camilla
Awesome Depi, so glad you found a good use for them:-)
Maria
How long with the jam stay before going bad ?
Camilla
Hi Maria, I actually updated the post yesterday to say how long it will keep for, see near the bottom of the text.
Judy
Do these have to be processed thanks
Camilla
Hi Judy, we don’t water bath jam in the UK, this is how we make shelf stable jams. But if you prefer to water bath you’d have to check out your jar brands’ guidelines.
Doreen Stamp
Had a glut of red grapes growing in the front garden in France and didn’t want to see them go to waste, so googled receipes for grapes and your jam came up. Just finished making it and it is cooling in the jars, tastes very good and can’t wait for it to go cold to have with fresh bread. Thank you.
Camilla
So very happy to hear that Doreen, it is an incredible jam:-) I hope you try some more of my jam recipes as I’ve plenty more:-)
Liz
Do we strain out the skins
Camilla
Hi Liz, no, you don’t even notice the skin once it’s cooked and liquidised.
Lissa
Have you ever used a sugar free ingredient instead of straight white sugar? And would it if work? I love love grape jam, I just don’t know the conversion of the sugars. Or if it would even make it right.
Camilla
Hi Lisa, I’m afraid sweeteners are not something I use so can’t advise. I have seen mention of sugar free pectin in canning groups so it might be an idea to find a Facebook group where people are making sugar free jams.
Michele
I decided to third this recipe since I didn’t have as many grapes. I wasn’t going to can it but out right in the fridge since I’m only making one jar. About how long does it keep in the fridge? Thank you!
Camilla
Hi Michele, we don’t can things in the UK so this jam is shelf stable in a cool, dark, dry place. I always say it’s best eaten in the first year for colour and flavour and once open keep in the fridge where it will last several months, I’ve had jam still ok in my fridge after 12 months. So it just depends, just always use a clean spoon to serve and it will last well. But I totally understand that canning is big in the US and the reasoning behind it. Have been discussing this topic only this morning with a fellow US blogger as it’s an area I get asked about a lot and know little about but beginning to grasp a little understanding.
Chantal Register
How about grapes with good sized seeds. I’m not sure what kind the vines are ancient and go back to my great grandmother
Camilla
Hi Chantal, just half them and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
Anna Lawson
I am trying your recipe I have 4 cups of grapes small but purple and tart and alittle sweet but have seeds what do I do step by step please
Camilla
Hi Anna, I have answered comments about what to do with seeds further down in other readers comments so have a look there. I don’t know how much your grapes weigh, you need to get some digital scales which cost just over $5 on Amazon.
Jorge
Hi
I have never made jam before, but I have a lot of seedless grapes from the garden .
Can I put the grapes in a high speed blender and make it like smoothie?
Can I use munk fruit sugar ?
How long can I keep in the fridge if I do not do the sterilizing process.
Camilla
Hi Jorge, blenders don’t like very hot liquids poured into them so I’d start by blending the grapes and then dissolve the sugar along with the lemon juice and go from there. I’ve not heard of monk fruit sugar I’m afraid, I just use ordinary white sugar. This recipe makes 3 big jars so you need to sterilise the jars, it doesn’t take long. You can grab them straight out of the dishwasher, pour boiling water in, tip out and then pop in oven. Get into good habits from the get go!
Michelle Jensen
I recently gained free access to an orchard that grows table grapes. I would like to make this and can it to be shelf stable and share with my coworkers. Do you happen to know how long I would need to waterbath can this recipe?
Camilla
Hi Michelle, my recipe is shelf stable but I understand that in the US many prefer to water because of the issue of botulism but I also read in many canning groups that not everyone in the US does this. I’m afraid I know nothing about water bathing but would it be naive of me to think that all jams are water bathed in the same way?
Lori McCrossin
This is absolutely the best grape Jam recipe on the internet in our opinion!
My daughters home in the rolling Hills of the Galilee in Israel that is surrounded by scrumptious fruit trees and grape Vines. Today I gathered enough purple grapes to make your recipe. It wasn’t as easy as your recipe because I had an added step to remove every seed from the 3.5 pounds of grapes but it was worth every bit of time.
My daughter tasted it and proudly exclaimed that this was the BEST jam she’s ever tasted!
Thank you I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Camilla
Aaw Lori, I’ve been in bed all afternoon not feeling well and this is the best tonic to wake up to. I’m so happy that you love this jam as much as I do. I look forward to you trying more of my jam recipes:-)
Raechyl
Thanks for your recipe, I’m excited to try! I haven’t made jam before – how long can I expect them to keep if I follow all the sterilizing instructions?
Camilla
Hi Raechyl all my jams are best eaten in the first year (best colour/flavour) but will be safe to eat for many years as the sugar acts as a preservative. Just keep in a cool, dark place, I keep mine in a cupboard in my garage.
Pam
I’ve Never done Anything like this, but I’m excited to try it with the grapes from my backyard vine! They’re smaller & a mix of sweet & a little tart…I’m hoping they’ll work! Do I have to remove all those tiny stems??
I think you mentioned stems, but I can’t find where now. Thank you!
Camilla
Hi Pam, yes you definitely don’t want the stems, just the grapes.
Pam
I thought so! Thanks for confirming…I must have been remembering a wine making video my husband was following… lol I destemmed them!
Camilla
No worries:-)
Camy
Can I use little green grapes off my vine for this recipe?
Camilla
I’ve only ever made this jam with the grapes shown but you can check out all the reader’s comments to see what else people have used. If it was me I’d give a shot. You could try a sample batch if you’re not sure!
Darlene
I’m looking for a grape jam recipe and I will try yours. I love making jam. My son only likes grape jelly so I’ll see his he likes the jam. I’ll have to pulverize the grapes to make as smooth as possible. He had a thing about fruit textures. I made strawberry jam this morning and raspberry yesterday. This is the first year my raspberry bushes have produced. So exciting! Thank you!
Camilla
Excellent Darlene, I’m sure your son will be fine with this jam as it has a really smooth texture Well done on the raspberries, my first year so I’ve had about 4 lol
Jennifer
Can you water bath can them? I’d like to extend shelf life.
Camilla
Hi Jennifer, all my jam recipes will last years in a cool, dark place but for best flavour/colour I recommend eating in the first year. The sugar is the preservative and the sterilization stops any contamination. I believe canning is done in countries that were prone to Botulism like the USA but as it’s not an issue in the UK or Europe we don’t can jam. So I’m afraid I have zero experience of the process and therefore couldn’t advise you but to say that this jam is shelf stable.
Jennifer
I’m in the southeastern US so I don’t have any cool dark places. I am going to do a water bath and if there’s any issues I’ll update here for people to know in the future
Camilla
OK Jennifer, that would be really helpful for those who would prefer to water bath, thank you:-)
J D
Delicious! I just made this with white, Niagara grapes. It ended up being about the color of light apple butter, not too overly sweet, and delicious . It made 8 half pints.
Camilla
Thank you J D, so glad you like the recipe and that it worked for your Niagara grapes:-)
Jo
Hi, what should I do if I do not have stick blender?
Camilla
Hi, I would allow the grape liquid to cool a bit (transfer to a bowl) then transfer to a blender (in batches if necessary), most blenders don’t like boiling hot liquid.
Jo
Thank you very much for your reply… can’t wait to try… and also an excuse to get a stick blender too!!!
Camilla
A pleasure. Ooh I use my stick blender all the time for things like soups and milkshakes. Be sure to get one with a stainless steel shaft and a beaker is useful for smoothies.
Zeeny
I have a whole lot of black grapes but they have seeds in them . Any suggestion on how to make the jam
Secondly can I take the juice of black grapes and make the jam
Camilla
Hi Zeeny, you either need to half and scoop out the seeds or use a mouli if you have one. With regard to the juice, I haven’t tried but if it’s from your fresh grapes then it could work but you might need more lemon juice. I would do a small test sample to check. Sounds like I need to create a grape jelly recipe!
Sylvia Farias
I ‘m going to use Wild Mustang grapes, when do I remove the seeds
Camilla
Hi Sylvia, if you’re using seeded grapes then you either need to remove by hand by cutting them in half and use something like the tip of a teaspoon to remove or another alternative would be to use a mouli before you start cooking.
Aruna
Why we cannot blend raw grape first & then mix with sugar lemon juice then put them on heat?
Camilla
Hi Aruna, you could do it that way if you prefer. My way is easier for people who only have a stick blender as cooked grapes are easier to blend.
Brenda Decker
Well I just made your recipe, time will tell how it will turn out, I didn’t have as many grapes as your recipe so I improvised a bit so we’ll see
w
Camilla
Crossing everything for you Brenda:-) Intrigues as to what the improvisation was?
Terra
Great recipe! I simply did some quick math to tailor the recipe to my exact amount of grapes. I happened to have 10oz on hand of very sour green grapes that would otherwise go in the trash. I also added in a couple dashes of all spice. Mmm!
Camilla
Thank you Terra, so glad you liked the recipe and that it saved your grapes from going to waste:-)
Bessie Mae Mcgee
I am getting ready to use this recipe and will let you ya’ll know how it turns out. Thanks for the simple recipe.
Camilla
Waiting with baited breath here Bessie:-) Happy jam making:-)
Cheryl
I have grape vines in my yard that I usually don’t do anything with, but I just thought why not make some jam? So I’m going to try your recipe as soon as they’re ripe!
Camilla
Awesome, wish I had grape vines:-)
Heather Rehder
Thank you so much for the recipe! I started making jam in lockdown last year & love giving it as gifts. It was annoying when I found a lot of perfectly good grapes at the bottom of the bowl & I hated throwing them out. I found your recipe & made 5 little jars today, it’s delicious & perfect consistency.
Camilla
So glad you found jam making during lockdown, it’s such a fun and rewarding activity. Glad you like my recipe too:-)
Hannah
Following the recipe as written (rolling boil for 20-25 minutes) resulted in a strong burnt taste (and smell) and a hard candy texture, and everything had to be thrown out. I tried a second time and used a lower heat and a candy thermometer and was able to achieve the right consistency. However, the taste was far too sweet and also generally “off” in way that my husband described as “musty.” I’m not sure if this was the result of keeping the skins on the grapes or some other reason, but I am not at all happy to have wasted so much time on a recipe that didn’t even turn out. 0/10, do not recommend.
Camilla
Hi Hannah, I’m sorry you had problems making my grape jam. I have only ever burnt jam once and it’s when I forgot to stir it so I’m guessing that’s what happened here. This is the most popular recipe on my blog https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/top-20-recipes-2020/ and no-one else has reported it as being “musty” but I expect variations of grape variety might be coming into play here. I know how upsetting it is when recipes don’t work out and it leaves you feeling very deflated. However, you’ll see from all the comments below that this is a much loved, delicious (it’s one of my all time favourites) and successful recipes so I will put down your 0/10 comment to your feelings of frustration and not take it personally. I hope you have a better day today. xx
Sarah Alexander
Hi, was looking for a grape jam/crush recipe & came across this one..the recipe looks very simple unlike what I have heard that grapes cannot be cooked with skin etc..anyways just curious so we have to blend the mixture to a smooth paste or to get rid of the skin do we strain the mixture?? Second when we pour hot jam in a sterilised bottle & close the lid tightly won’t that form a vapour layer inside the lid?? Is that ok?? I have never poured hot jam in bottles hence checking..thanks in advance.
Camilla
Hi Sarah, no you don’t need to strain the jam, the skins just much down and you don’t notice them in the finished product. Jam is always poured hot into hot jars and then a lid placed on so that a vacuum forms and the lid seals to keep away any bacteria etc.
Yvonne Beggs
Can you replace the sugar with stevia
Camilla
Hi Yvonne, no because the sugar is needed as a preservative and for the gel structure.
Luna
Can’t wait to try.
Annabelle Hawkins
Hi. I’m making it now and wondering if it’s worth sieving to remove ‘bits” and make it more jelly-like?
Camilla
Hi, sorry I missed seeing your comment earlier, I was having a new computer set up. Unless you were using grapes with seeds I wouldn’t sieve the jam.
Annie Roberts
I can’t wait to try this. I think it would also go quite nice with Cheese, day a Brie!
Camilla
I think you’re right:-) Do let me know what you think of the jam once you’ve made it!
Anon
Hello, how much jam does 1 full recipe as written makes? Or how much jam in 1 mason jar – your recipe doesn’t say. Only me here so I don’t want too much jam kicking around.
Camilla
Hi, in the notes I put that the jars are 0.5 ltr so this recipe makes 1.5 litres of jam in total. I wouldn’t worry about making too much as it will last for years in a cool dark place although I usually say it’s best eaten in the first year. You could also make it in smaller jars so that you have less to get through once you open and put in the fridge. Another option would be to give it to friends, family or neighbours. My neighbours love my jammy gifts:-)
Sofia
Hi,
I’m really excited to try this recipe. It’s really hard finding grape jam in Swedish stores, so this might be my PB&J solution! One question though: How come you don’t use pectin? I’m new to the jam making business, so I haven’t learned the do’s and don’ts yet. 🙂
Camilla
Hi Sofia, so pleased to hear that! I don’t use pectin in any of my jams or jellies but instead add lemon juice to the recipes that have low pectin fruit. Lemon juice aids the setting (there’s a more involved scientific explanation if you want to Google it):-) Do let me know what you think of the jam when you’ve made it and or share on social media tagging @FabFood4All
terri
would this work with grapes that has seeds?
Camilla
Hi Terri, if you read through the comments I have given ideas (which I haven’t tried) for seeded grapes to a few people.
Hayley
So I tried this recipe tonight as I had a punnet of red grapes sat in the fridge. I boiled the grapes sugar and lemon juice together in a normal pan. Boiled until soft, blitzed then added a few dollops onto cold plates from freezer. A tad runny but could see it getting thicker. I let it boil another 8 minutes on abit of a higher heat as throughout I just booked it on the lowest setting so it was simmering. I could see in the pan the jam starting to become thick and coming away from the sides. Sadly I realised I had my oven too high and poured the jam into the jar and it cracked at the side slightly! Still kept the jam in the jar and will leave out now for toast tomorrow morning ☺️ I’ll give the Verdict Tomorrow! Shame I can’t add a picture xx
Camilla
Hi Hayley, sorry to hear about your troubles, I always say that we learn by our mistakes and so they are always valuable lessons. Jam is like a science experiment so you really need to follow the instructions to the letter to get perfect results. You do need a really large pan so that you can get a rolling boil going for jam making unless you make something like my One Punnet Strawberry Jam which can be made in an ordinary sized pan. You can always tag @FabFood4All on any social media and I’ll be able to see a pic that you share. Hope you got to enjoy some jam the next day:-)
hayley kenyon
Hi Camilla, thank you for your reply. I’ve now bought another punnet of red grapes and I am now warming up the oven to 140 to warm the jars whilst the jam is bubbling! Definitely won’t have it hot today! I leave my jam to cool once out then put it in the fridge! Is this okay? I’ll post pictures later on Instagram x
Camilla
Hi Hayley, yes definitely wait to try it the next day. You can store it in a cool dark place (I keep mine in a cupboard in my garage) where it will last for years but at it’s best in first year and once open store it in the fridge.
Julie Findleton
Ra ra ra!! Nice one Camilla… excellent recipe. Worked perfectly the first time I tried it, now I make it at least once a week.. lol… I got a load of grapes today so guess what I’m making tomorrow? Can’t wait to get started!! Everyone should try this recipe!
Camilla
Awesome Julie, so glad this recipe is such a hit with you! It is an incredible tasting jam:-)
Michelle
Can I use splenda instead of sugar
Camilla
Hi Michelle, sugar acts as a preservative as well as helping with the jelling.
MJ
I have made grape jam following this recipe and it has turned out great! Husband loves it.
Second attempt at making jam, initially made blackberry jam after acquiring to many when we went fruit picking!
Managed to get some 200ml jars on amazon so planning to share the grape jam with family and friends.
Camilla
Excellent Mu, so glad you like my recipe. Hopefully you’ll try some of my other jams too. My blackberry & apple jam is amazing so maybe one for next year:-)
Saeah
I’m making at present. Can’t get it do set. Homegrown grapes. East Sussex
Camilla
Hi Saeah, sorry I’m only just seeing your comment. Hope you got to setting point. It is just a matter of continuing to boil until you reach it and it can vary depending on the grapes you use etc.
Stephanie Gianchetta
Just tried this recipe today. Followed it to the T and it worked perfectly. Thank you so much for sharing!
Camilla
Excellent Stephanie, so glad to hear that:-)
Connie Royster
I have a couple of questions. Please feel free to respond via email. 1. My grapes are local and with seeds. I will use a mouli, But should I also use a hand chopper for the skins? I’m asking because I don’t understand if the skins chopped up make a difference to the jam or the setting. 2. Should I just put all the grapes in the mouli and just use the juice, or try to separate the grape skin and juice from the seeds and then shop again? 3.. Do I understand that this jam just needs to be potted up and no boiling bath is needed? Thank you so much!
Camilla
Hi Connie, I have been trying to think of ways to help people who have seeded grapes with ideas but thinking through the moulie idea I hadn’t thought about the skins getting caught up in there too! You don’t need the skins for set but they do add bulk and probably colour so I would mouli or sieve after heating up the grapes as that will soften the skins and allow more skin to pass through. This seems to be what others have done if you read the comments, others just liquidise the whole lot and eat the minced up seeds which is another option. Regarding boiling bath, that’s not something we do to jam in Europe as Botulism isn’t an issue here. The jam will be shelf stable for many years in a cool dark place.
Elsje Cameron
Made this today also from our own grapes.
Put the grapes when they were soft through the strainer because there were so many seeds.
Ended up with perfect grape jam !
Will also be making some more tomorrow.
Camilla
Excellent Elsje, so envious of your grapes, I must get a grape vine:-)
Julie cutrer
Hi!!!! I just made your grape jam but is it suppose to be very watery after I put them in the jars? Or are they suppose to get thicker upon standing?
Camilla
Hi Julie, if it crinkled on the chilled saucer then it will be fine and will firm up once it cools.
Fiona
Superb! Delighted to find this recipe as our grape vine has thrived this year and there are only so many grapes you can eat! Ours are red grapes, and they do have seeds, but it still comes out less seedy than raspberry or blackberry and tastes amazing! Quite sweet overall but a gorgeous flavour. About to make a second batch…
Camilla
Aaw, thank you Fiona, so glad you like the recipe, grape jam is so delicious isn’t it:-) You’ve reminded me that I want to get a grape vine for next year!
Sharon MATTHEWS
I followed the recipe exactly and it won’t set. I am very upset because I didn’t buy the grapes I grew them. What a waste of my time
Camilla
Hi Sharon, we have spoken via e-mail and I am dumbfounded as to why the jam didn’t set, as you can see from the dozens of comments here this recipe does work, indeed it’s the most popular recipe on my blog. So I wish I could travel back in time and see what you did. I’m guessing it’s not an altitude issue or you’d have had that with other jams too. I didn’t ask you if you’d made jam before though come to think of it.
Colleen
Hello, I followed your recipe with exact timing etc but the jam has become hard and resembles a kind of chewy toffee – delicious but not what I expected. What do you think might have happened? I should add the grapes I used were small and had quite a lot of seeds, more than I could easily remove.
Camilla
Hi Colleen, what has happened here is that the grapes I used had a high water to skin ration and the grapes you used were lacking in water as had more skin, therefore the jam wouldn’t have needed to boil for as long to reach setting point. If you go outside of any of my recipes with slightly different ingredients then a thermometer would be handy to see when you get to a temperature of 104C and start testing from there, often setting point is nearer to 105C. You could try adding water to your jam to thin it down and boil again but I haven’t actually done this myself. When it’s that bad I tend to put it down to experience.
Joyce Leitman
This is the best jam I have ever made. I added a few plums, but otherwise followed your recipe and instructions.
This jam is over the top delicious! Thank you!!!
I keep buying more grapes and canning jars – I have made it 4 times in the last 2 weeks!
My last batch did not set enough. I waited until the thermometer was 118 degrees but it is a little too thin.
I read another comment that you answered and you said to put the jam back in the pot and cook it a little more.
Does this hurt the quality of the jam at all?
I found your web site when googling red seedless jam and I hit the jackpot! Thank you! I will be checking out all of your recipes.
Camilla
Hi Joyce, I am confused about your temperature of 118C as jam usually sets at around 104 – 105C. Reboiling shouldn’t affect the quality of the jam.
Joyce Leitman
Camilla, I meant 218 Fahrenheit!
Camilla
Ah well that works out at 103.3C so that would be too low and hence why the jam didn’t set. Always check with the plate test for a crinkle as you can use a thermometer as a guide but it’s not a replacement for the plate test.
Stephen luigi
hello am about to try this but my grapes from the garden are mainly with seeds..if I blitz or put them through a blender (I dont have a Moulie) then does this not affect the taste ?
as surely tiny amounts of the blitzed seeds will go through..thank you in advance
Camilla
Hi Stephen, I haven’t tried this so before attempting a large batch you could just try a small sample to see if it would work.
Ricky Adams
Unfortunately all Concord grapes aren’t seedless..learned that today. This jam tastes wonderful but I had to pick out as many seeds as I could. The Immersion blender cuts them up but not really fine enough.
Camilla
Thank you Ricky. If I was going to try this recipe with seeded grapes I would try blending the grapes and then put them through a sieve or use a moulie.
Kathleen owens
What if the grapes have seeds. Do you have to make jelly instead..
Camilla
I have only made this jam with seedless grapes but you could perhaps put a few grapes in a blender and see if sieving out the smashed up pips would be an option and then you could make the jam with the pulverised sieved juice. A moulie would be your best option if you had one.
Paulette
Hi, Camilla,
I have about a four-quart basket of Pinot Grigio green grapes that our visiting raccoon thought were tasty.
I picked them immediately the next morning to discourage further visits, but now, I am not sure of their ripeness.
Is there a risk in trying the jam with not-quite -ripe fruit?
Or should I let them mellow in front of a window until they are sweeter?
Paulette
Camilla
Hi Paulette, I have had a look on the internet and apparently once picked, grapes do not ripen further. So if I was you I’d do a really small batch of jam to test it out and then you’ll know if the flavour is ok or needs a little more sugar or is just a no go. There is perhaps hope as I saw mention of Sour Grape Jam in an article although the recipe it linked to didn’t mention unripe grapes.
Mona
Hi I was wondering what is the shelf life for the jam? Thank you!
Camilla
Hi, Mona, it’s best eaten in the first year for best colour and flavour but will be shelf stable for years if kept in a cool dark place.
Sarah Angliss
This looks absolutely wonderful!
Do you think I can lower the sugar in this recipe and it will still set up?
The grapes I have are sickly sweet. Hence the reason for making jam. 🙂
Thanks!!
Camilla
Hi, the grapes I used were very sweet, I wouldn’t lower the sugar quantity an more as I’d already reduced the quantity to allow for the sweetness of the grapes and any further reduction would impact on the keeping qualities and perhaps set.
Chas
Thank you for the recipe. I have a glut of small, homegrown grapes that have a nice tang but a bit of sweetness too, but they are very much NOT seedless so I can’t really use this recipe for those, sadly. I imagine my only option would be to strain them but then I would lose the skins and probably some of the pulp too. :/ Might just try using them for juice.
Camilla
Thank you Chas:-) Perhaps you could blend and then sieve them, that way the skins would be very fine so some skin would go through the sieve but leave the seeds behind.
Marion
Really looking forward to making this Jam again this year.
thankyou for the recipe.
Camilla
That’s wonderful Marion, it is a fabulous jam:-)
Marion
I live in Englaand and only brought to grape vine to cover an arch. little expecting to actuall have grapes. They are only small ones that were not very sweet, hence the search for a jam recipe. As they say waste not want not.
Camilla
Excellent, I saw a vine growing on a park railing recently with little round red grapes growing on it. I want a vine now:-)
Tracy
Very good recipe amazing flavour very yummy
Thank you
Camilla
Thank you Tracy, so glad you like it:-)
Janell
Help! I followed the recipe and boiled it as long as I was supposed to and even bolied it much longer because it wasn’t setting. I put it in the hot jars as directed and left it over night, but my jars lids never vacuum sealed and my jam never fully set, it isn’t liquid but not as solid as jam usually is. The flavor is amazing so I am definitely willing to try again, but need some pointers as to what I could have done wrong to prevent vacuum sealing or setting or if the two are even related. Maybe I did more than one thing wrong
Camilla
Hi Janell, the timings I give are a guide and you should keep boiling until you reach setting point as there are so many variables like water content of your grapes versus mine to take into account or even altitude. So you can tip your jam back into a pan and boil until you get it to pass the plate test and get a crinkle. Just re-sterilise the jars. The lids need to go on whilst the jam is still hot in order to form a vacuum as it cools. If you did that then perhaps your lids are worn out of faulty if they didn’t seal. Perhaps get some new lids before you re-boil the jam.
Janell
Thank you so very much! I will try again and get new lids.
Camilla
Good luck:-)
Jess
Camilla,
How new your grapes will definitely be a big factor. I just made a new batch but it was with all new grapes. It took what felt like forever (probably 45-50 minutes) to get the crinkle. It does eventually happen but it’s a slow process! So worth it as it’s our favorite grape jam recipe but don’t be alarmed if it takes much longer than listed here.
Camilla
Gosh that does seem a long time but perhaps altitude as well as the water content of the grapes themselves comes into play to make such a big difference. Glad you like the jam, it is one of my all time favourites:-)
S
I am looking for a cranberry grape jam or jelly recipe that uses real fruit and lasts once bottled. Do you have any suggestions for that?
Camilla
Hi, I’m afraid I only have a Cranberry Curd recipe: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/easy-cranberry-curd/
Voormila
Hi Camilla,
Thank you for your recipe. How long do they last?
I’m planning to make a smaller batch, but i don’t have that specific type of jar available in my area (I’m from Malaysia, people here just opt for store bought jams as they are cheaper). Would a normal jar work? (For the jam to last less than a week)
Camilla
Hi Voormila, you can use any type of jar with lid. As long as you put the lid on tightly when the jam is still hot you will get a vacuum/seal. The jam is then shelf stable for years but best in first year. Once open just store in the fridge where it will lasts many months.
Thea
Camilla,
Yours was the first recipe I checked and plan to make grape jam with it!! My daughter has lots of grapes on the small side with seeds. There is no way I’ll spend the time to remove them, do you think I could use a sieve to remove at the end? They are very sweet, do you think I could use a little less sugar or will it not turn out? Thank you so much! We are in California, fun to get a recipe from you!
Camilla
Hi Thea, in that case I think I’d be tempted to put the grapes in a blender (but don’t over blend as you don’t want the pips to do gritty) and then sieve at the beginning as sieving hot jam is not practical with such a large amount. My grapes were very sweet so I wouldn’t be worried about reducing the sugar.
Linda L Polk
I’ve made lots of jams and preserves over the years and this sounds like an easy & delicious recipe. Will try when I hae an abundance of grapes available. My question is: what is the cookie or flat bread in the picture with the peanut butter & jam?!! Looks delicious! Is the recipe available here?
Camilla
Thanks Linda, I’m sure you’ll love the grape jam. That was a shop bought cracker, I can’t remember what sort but I do have a similar cracker recipe https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/chia-sesame-seed-crackers/
Alison
I didn’t quite have enough grapes, so added some pears and a few raspberries. Sieved at the end to get rig of raspberry pips (otherwise my 6yr old won’t touch it!)
Fabulous jam. Perfect for using up excess grapes, thank you
Camilla
Awesome, bet that tastes amazing:-)
Carol Pickle
You don’t need to give them a hit water bath?
Camilla
No we don’t water bath jam in Europe.
Cris B.
Hi Camilla.
Thank you for your recipe that I will use it tonight.
About the water bath … I live in London and of course we do it to seal the jars securely.
All my best.
Camilla
Hi Cris, if that’s the way you’ve been brought up to do it then great but it’s usually done to avoid botulism in the US so it’s not a process you’ll find in any British jam making books as it’s not a problem we get in jam and the last case was in a tin of pate about 100 yrs ago from memory.
fariya
what if i have grapes with seeds? ;/
Camilla
You’d need to remove them.
Jess B
My family LOVES this jam! Truly awesome and keeps so well in the fridge. This is our final “keeper” recipe for grape jam.
Camilla
Thank you Jess, that’s so lovely to hear, we love this Grape Jam too:-)
Hazel Murphy
Best recipe for grapes since the Romans’ made wine ! Luscious jam with minimum effort.
Camilla
Thank you so much Hazel, great comment:-)
Deirdre SAXBY
wow what a great recipe first time making jam fully enjoyed
making thank you
Camilla
Excellent Deirdre, I hope you’ll make some more of my jams now:-)
Katrina
Wow, I had 5 punnets of grapes in the fridge that I wanted to jam and found your recipe! It’s delicious, that’s from the plate yesterday also the bottom of the pot….6 jars made and cooling. Thank you.
Camilla
Thank you Katrina, that’s so lovely to hear! This grape jam really is something special – enjoy:-)
Vijayashantha
Hi
I was looking for grapes jam recipe and this seems to be very simple and tasty. I would like to know one thing. How can I sterilize the glass jar without oven. Please suggest and also I do not have sticky blender of you can suggest alterbwtiv3 idea for that.
Thanks.
Camilla
Hi Vijayashantha, I found this article with different ways of sterilizing jars: https://www.plenty.com/en/cleaning-tips/3-ways-to-sterilise-jam-jars-in-minutes/ If you don’t have an immersion blender then I’d put the grapes into a blender before you start the jam making process. You wouldn’t want to be putting boiling hot jam into a blender. Hope that helps.
Seema
Hi, thanks for the recipe, how long can I keep the Jan in the fridge without putting it in the a jar. Thank you
Camilla
Hi Seema, how are you intending to store so much jam if it’s not in sterilised jars? The short answer is I don’t know as I’ve only ever done it the safe way as per my instructions.
Neera
Hi do i need to put hot jam in jar and put lid on it. Will it not leave moisture. Or should I COL the jam before putting in bottles.
Thanks Am going to try receipt today. Seems perfect and meticulous.
Camilla
Hi Neera, you always have to put hot jam into a hot jar and place lid on immediately so that it forms a vacuum and seals.
Andrea
Hi! is it possible to reduce the sugar by a bit more than half? im watching my sugar intake so i dont want too much added sugar. Thank you!
Camilla
Hi Andrea, the usual ratio of fruit to sugar is 1:1 and I have reduce that ratio. If you do what you are suggesting there may not be enough sugar for the jam to set and it wouldn’t be shelf stable as it also acts as a preservative. So you could try but I wouldn’t go lower than a ration of 2:1 fruit to sugar and keep the jam in the fridge as it’s not something I’ve tried.
Poonam Singh
Just what I was looking for. Will try it today..
Camilla
Excellent, do let me know how you get on!
Jenny Lawson
Do you need to use specific sorts of jars? Or can you just reuse jam jars from old bought ones?
Camilla
Hi Jenny, I started out using used jam jars, my mum used to save hers for me. As long as they’re thoroughly clean and sterilised that’s fine. Avoid old pickle jars though as they tend to retain a vinegary odour.
Frances Kealey
Thanks for your recipe! I have made 2 jars of jam by modifying it and it is delicious!
Camilla
Thank you so much Frances, glad you like it:-)
Jancy
Been searching for Grape Jam recipe and came across yours. Hands down, one of the best and easiest recipe. I’m gonna try this tomorrow. Thank you so much 😀
Camilla
Thank you so much Jancy, I always like to make things easier without compromising on taste:-)
Chantelle
Wonderful easy recipe. My husband is a grape jam (jelly) convert.
The grape to sugar ratio in 170 grams of grapes to 100 grams of sugar. I will use less sugar next time as I prefer a more tart flavour.
Camilla
Excellent Chantelle, so glad you like the recipe and have converted your hubby:-)
Tansy
Hi,
How long will it keep in the refrigerator if I’m not using a canning method?
I made a strawberry jam recently that was good for two weeks.
Thanks!
Camilla
Hi, I’m not sure what you mean? If you follow my instructions the jam will last years in a cool dark place, we don’t water bath jam in the UK. Once you open the jar it should last for many weeks in the fridge. I hope that answers your question. If not just buzz me again.
Kathleen
Hi Camilla, I have used this recipe before and is my go to grape jam recipe. If I am using a jam setting sugar do I boil up the grapes first as they have a stone in them and will be putting them through a sieve to get the stones out. Then add the jam setting sugar to the grapes and boil for the required time.
Camilla
Hi Kathleen,I used jam sugar once about 7 years ago and disliked the result it gave so much that I never used it again so have used lemon juice in low pectin fruit jams ever since. Bear in mind using jam sugar will make the boiling time much quicker but I have no idea how quick. But if your grapes have pips then halving, heating and sieving before you add the sugar sounds like a good idea.
Wendy
Just picked all the grapes off our vine and we have mountains of grapes. Unfortunately they are of a seeded variety. Suggestions on how I make a lovely Grape Jam using these grapes?
Camilla
I think it would have to be a labour of love cutting the grapes in half and scooping out the pips with something like the small end of a melon baller or a teaspoon. Or someone else said in the comments that they sieved the jam but I haven’t heard back as to which stage they did that. Perhaps you could whizz it all up and sieve. Maybe try a really small test sample in a small pan before embarking on the full recipe.
Cheryl
Do you continue the rolling boil for the 25 minutes of continuous stirring?
Camilla
Hi Cheryl, yes you do!
Jan
Really easy to make.I sieved it before putting in jars.
Tastes fabulous.
Camilla
Glad you like it Jan, there isn’t really any need to sieve it as there’s no trace of grape skin after you blend it. Or did you skip the blending stage and then sieve the skins out?
Charlene
Don’t worry, just read the whole recipe again.. 🙁
Camilla
Fab, happens to the best of us:-)
Charlene
Why do we need to put saucers in the freezer?
Kacey Perez
I have never made my own jam before! This looks like something I would like to try with my girls!
Camilla
I’m sure you’ll all love it:-)
Deborah
I have grapes. No scale ,I am also on quarantine. . Give approximate measure in cups please.
Camilla
Hi Deborah, I didn’t have any grapes in the house to weigh out so the best I can do is to direct you to this website to do a conversion. I don’t know how accurate it is as on the whole I don’t find conversions accurate. https://www.traditionaloven.com/foods/exchange/cup/g-gram/grapes-red-green-euro-seedless-raw.html
JAMMMMMM
best jam ever, this strengthened my relationship with my friend in quarantine
Camilla
Aaw, so glad to hear this! I find jam making very therapeutic!
Alice Beef
Your grape jam recipe is the very good taste! I love to enjoy with bread everyday. Thank you for your sharing.
Camilla
Excellent, so glad you like it:-)
Joy
Made the green grape jam with some Chilean guavas added. Sadly my grapes have seeds but I picked them out. Was totally worth the effort. Will remove the seeds before I cook them next time as we have an amazing crop this year. The lemon juice gives a lovely flavour to the green grapes. Will try other additions next year . Thank you for the recipe
Camilla
Excellent, glad you could adapt it to suit your needs:-)
Suneha Agarwal
The jam was delicious. But it was also too sweet even after I used 600 gms of sugar instead of 1 kg.
Would definitely make it again with less sugar.
Camilla
Thank you, I’m glad you like it:-) The standard ration of sugar to fruit in jam is 1:! and I reduced this down quite drastically, if you further reduce the sugar I would suggest keeping it in the fridge and consuming within a couple of months to be on the safe side as the sugar is what preserves the jam for a long shelf life.
Claire
Wearetrying the jam, using the ingredients you suggested. Unfortunately, it will not set after cooking quite a qhile. What can we do.
Camilla
If you’re sure you’ve followed the recipe exactly then carry on with a rolling boil until the jam passes the plate test. I’m assuming you didn’t increase the quantity?
Rebecca
Can you freeze this recipe instead of canning?
Camilla
I have never made freezer jam but can’t see why you’d want to freeze this as it will last for years if made the way I’ve written.
Susanne Jones
Did you just blend the seeds?
Camilla
No, the recipe calls for seedless grapes.
Carrie
I had seeded grapes and once they were softish, i pressed it through a sieve. I lost most of the skins and it was an extra steo but it looks like it’s coming together just as well. .
Camilla
Glad to hear that. Maybe gently blitzing with a stick blender first would make the process a little easier as I can imagine that was quite a task to get past all those skins!
Tina Murohy
Stumbled upon this recipe and just decided to dig right in- start to finish in a flash and set up perfectly – I used a combo of blueberries and red Grapes and substituted grapefruit squeezed right out instead of lemon- absolutely delicious!
Camilla
Excellent, I’ve never added grapefruit to jam but a great alternative to lemon I’m sure:-) The blueberries sound like a great addition too!
Jan Rutledge
Stick with the metric or imperial measurements please Camilla. Every conversion table I check on the web is different and cake making and jam making definitely are an exact science.
Thanks for all the lovely recipes, really appreciate the top 20.
Camilla
Thank you so much Jan, I really appreciate your comments:-)
Denise Grobler
Really love this recipe!!! Easy to make!! My cooking time was a bit longer as the jam took a while longer to set (reach curl point) but happy days never thought I would cook my own jam. Thank you!
Camilla
Thank you Denise, so glad you love it, I love it too. Well done on venturing into jam making, I hope it gives you the courage to try some more of my jam recipes:-)
Rose
Hello. Do you think it likely that the sugar substitute called Swerve could work instead of actual sugar? I live in hope. Brilliant simple recipe, btw thanks for sharing.
Camilla
Hi Rose, if only it were that simple but I’m afraid it’s not. Sugar acts as a preservative in jam. Perhaps you could adapt this recipe to make a freezer jam but you’d probably need to add a gelling agent too. Not my area of expertise I’m afraid.
Glorya
nice recipe! looks very delicious
I’m a wine lover. I think I want to try your recipe!
Camilla
I’m sure you’ll love it Glorya although it tastes nothing like wine:-)
Olive
What happens if you don’t sterilise your jars
Camilla
Your jam will go mouldy.
Marlene
This is excellent!! I tried it and it came out perfect!!!
Camilla
Excellent, it’s one of my favourite jams:-)
Lisa Nye
Hi. What about the seeds? Do they blend ok? There seems to be quite a few!
Camilla
Hi Lisa, the recipe uses seedless grapes.
Jan
Oh my goodness just made this with muscovado black grapes. I didn’t have as many grapes so reduced the recipe accordingly. Followed exactly & it is absolutely gorgeous. I would never have thought of grape jam. Thank you
Camilla
Excellent Jan, it is totally amazing isn’t it! I now know why it’s so big across the pond!
Williams
I love to cook and I am always looking for new recipes for my menu, which makes me always interested in my work. Today is my lucky day, the Grape Jam recipe is great, just follow the instructions and everything is easy, I love that. Thanks for your sharing
Camilla
Thank you, glad you like the recipe:-)
Catherine Mogg
Does anyone know if you can freeze the grapes prior to making into Jam? I’ve had a bumper harvest and don’t have enough Jars to store them in right now.
Thanks!
Deb
I love freezing grapes, they’re a lovely alternative to ice cubes and they taste delicious straight from the freezer
Uzma
Had a bad experience making Grape jam but using your recipe I got an excellent result. Thanks
Camilla
So glad you like it:-)
jeanne
I picked grapes from my vine, they are green and a little tart. but seedy? Do you have an easy way to remove the seeds. I boiled them down and strained them. With the seeds goes the pulp.
I started with 7 cups of grapes, not sure what the is in lbs? I am going to add sugar & lemon juice now to my liquid and boil again. fingers crossed it works out
Camilla
Hi Jeanne, I think I would have cut the grapes in half and scooped out the seeds perhaps. I hope you had some joy with the jam making!
Elaine Marie
I have read to remove the grape skin (they slip off easily) and set it aside. If you have a separator of some kind, run the rest of the grape through one of these to remove the seeds. Process the skins slightly then, add the skins back to the seeded grapes. I havent tried it yet, but am going to give it a go.
Paul
I made jelly last year with similar grapes. I just used a stick blender pips and all then strained before rebooking. Came out great.
Natalie
Just made this as written, with Concord grapes from my country, Canada. So amazing! Thank you for a recipe that uses the whole fruit!
Camilla
Thank you so much for your feedback Natalie, so glad you like the recipe:-)
Tammy
Hello, Thank you for the recipe. I made this tonight and my question is, Should my lids pop and seal? They havent yet and I am a little concerned, I realize that if they dont I can just put them in the fridge to be eaten and since I only made 3 jars thats fine, but Id like to be able to store them for a while if possible.
Camilla
Hi Tammy, I have never heard my jars pop but have seen it mentioned here and there on Facebook! As long as the lids are firmly stuck to the jars and not loose then all will be fine!
Ann Goring
My Grandma made Concorde Jam for me, it was just the most delicious ever!
Camilla
So glad to have brought back those memories for you:-)
Christopher
Is it possible to blend the grapes before they go in the pan? I’d rather not transfer from the pan > blender > pan for next time round. I only had 2lb 3oz of grapes that I picked from a backyard and I’m not sure what type they are but they are EXTREMELY tart. I couldn’t imagine myself eating even the ripest grapes from this vine so I had to come up with other ways to use them without wasting the grapes. I adjusted the recipe accordingly but ended up adding an additional 4 tbsp of honey and probably 1.33 times the amount of sugar. It seems to set very nicely though, almost like clockwork (I think 27 mins total after blending). I love that this recipe doesn’t mess with sieving out the grape rinds or pulp. Why not just use it all? 😀 End result is just like jam without the need to buy pectin for this specific purpose.
Camilla
Hi Christopher, yes I wrote this recipe assuming everyone had a stainless steel stick blend so I can quite see why you’d ask the question if you only have a conventional blender. So yes I can’t see that this wouldn’t work but the timing of the end boil would most likely be shorter due to all the liquid being released immediately and not tied up in the grapes. So glad you like the recipe. PS: I couldn’t live without my stick blender, especially for things like soup, so much easier to blend into the pan than be splashing hot liquid into a blender.
I. G.
I don’t understand the term “pot up”. Do I just fill hot jam in hot jars, and cover with lids? Is that shelf stable? Or do I need to water bath can the full jars? To make them room temperature safe, without refrigeration until opened.
Camilla
Hi I G, this is a UK recipe so as in the rest of Europe we just put the hot jam into hot jars, place lid on immediately and store in a cool, dark place until it’s needed. Once opened it’s best to store in the fridge. If you are more comfortable canning as they do across the pond then feel free to adapt the recipe, however as I’ve never canned anything I’m unable to give any advice on that.
Dawn
Hi.
I’m from the uk and I grow my own grapes. They’re much smaller and are tangy rather than really sweet like shop bought ones. They also have pips
This year I have a ridiculous amount of them…absolutely ridiculous! There’s no way I can eat that many, likewise giving them away … I don’t have enough friends! So I thought, what about jam?! I found your recipe. Bearing in mind that the grapes are tangy and have pips (which I can remove), do you think I will need to alter your recipe or do you feel it will be ok as is?
Camilla
Hi Dawn, I would just make up a really small test batch and then you can go from there, just bear in mind that the smaller the batch the shorter the setting time. You can do a 1:1 ration of fruit to sugar which is the standard ratio for jam so if your grapes are tangy you can go up to that ratio. Also if you have too many grapes you might like to give them away on the Olio app which you can read about in this recipe: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/rhubarb-ginger-jam-no-pectin/
Dawn
Hi, thanks for your quick reply.
Test batch….hadn’t thought of that, thanks.
I’ll have a look at this olio link too, never heard of it.
D
Camilla
Good luck:-)
Molly
Hello,
Thank you for your recipe! I was looking for a simple recipe to process the large number of grapes we have coming in soon from our yard. I didn’t realize that grape jam was uncommon in the UK.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe.
If you have not yet tried grape jam made from Concord grapes, I highly recommend it. That is the type of grape typically used in grape products in the US. They have the flavor we all associate with grape (jam, juice, soda, bubble gum, etc.). It is a different flavor than what we call table grapes (the kind shown in your photo). I’ve never had grape jam from table grapes but will have to give that a try now too.
Thank you again!
Camilla
Hi Molly, thanks for sharing. Sadly we can’t get Concord grapes in the UK but I think I have had Concord grape juice so can imagine the flavour:-) This jam is out of this world good so I won’t fret too much but if I ever come across any I’ll make a bee line for them!
steak
I had no idea that can make grape jam, it looks good. Thanks.
Camilla
Thanks, I’m sure you’ll love it!
Abby
Hello! Excited about this Jam – just potted mine and it’s looking good . Quick question – how long does it last in the fridge?
Camilla
Hi Abby, in a cool dark place it is best in the first year but can last years. Once opened, keep it in the fridge where it will last a good 3 months and often much longer – just use a clean spoon each time to keep out contamination.
vee
I made this recipe the jelly has a great taste however it still has not firmed up in 4 days its still looks like soup so what’s wrong, i’m a good cook and makeall types of jams and jellies but this one did not thickennken up a
Camilla
Hi Vee, I can’t understand that if you followed the instructions and potted up after the jam formed a crinkle why it would be like soup? Did you get a crinkle?
Albert DE SOUZA
Fantastic
Camilla
Thank you:-)
Sue
When I read you had never had peanut butter and jelly I thought you must be from the moon but I did take some tips here thanks
Camilla
Well the UK at least, it’s just never been sold here but I think it’s now available in the speciality aisle. I’d also never had grape jam as again it’s just not sold here, which is a shame as it’s so darn good! Glad you managed to pick up some tips:-)
Tiffany Taylor
What if I don’t have a stick blender. What else can I use instead.
Camilla
Hi Tiffany, you can use a stand blender, you’d just have to make sure the mixture was cool enough and perhaps do it in batches.
Jane
Can I use seedless grapes.
Camilla
Hi Jane, it says in the ingredients “seedless grapes”:-)
Robert Derby
My daughter loves jam. I usually make it for her but it not easy for me. fortunately, I found that it easy for me to make it. Thanks!
Camilla
Fab, glad you liked it:-)
Lorraine O'Flaherty
As I said on FB, this jam is delish! One of my laddies doesn’t do jams with bits or sweet jams, so he tasted this jam and it got the thumbs up. I have used up all the grapes that were given to me (carrier bag full) but ran out of lemons for the juice but luckily I had a couple of limes in the fridge…..some more jam to go into the homemade Christmas hampers!
Camilla
Excellent, thank you so much for your feedback, glad it was such a success:-)
Peter snow
Great recipe. Much simpler than one I was going to use
I did exactly what you recommended and it worked really well —- using fairly small but very sweet white grapes from my garden. Thank you !
Peter
Camilla
Great Peter, so glad you liked it:-)
Sally
HI am I correct in readimg you dont actually strain your pulp? Thx Hoping to try this x first time today.as havevglut of grapes…
Camilla
Yes you are correct, no straining takes place.
Louise
Thank you so much for this recipe worked really well and tastes amazing!. I used green grapes from the garden and whilst it took just over an hour I cut grapes in half and removed seeds before starting the recipe. Timing you gave worked perfectly for setting.
Camilla
Excellent Louise, so glad you liked the recipe. And well done on de-seeding all those grapes, that’s dedication to the cause:-)
Jackie
We have home grown tiny black grapes with seeds so I like the idea of heating them and then sieving but what do I do about the skins? In the recipe you pulp them but if sieving they are likely to get left behind with the pips. Does that matter?
Camilla
Hi Jackie, no it won’t matter, some people peel their grapes for jam making! You could try putting them in a blender and then putting through a sieve but you might get bits of pip going through too so maybe not such a great idea!
Cathy
I have grown pounds of sweet tadt but rry tiny grapes in my greenhouse.. but they are loaded with seeds. I don’t want to throw the grapes away. Any ideas anyone????
Camilla
You could sieve the grapes then. I would heat them up along with the lemon juice until softened, sieve and then heat up the pulp along with the sugar until it dissolves and then carry on with the recipe.
Peggy
I put mine through victorious strainer after heating. Worked marvelously!
Camilla
Fab Peggy, glad you liked it:-)
Edith Packer
Just made this grape jelly yesterday, without Pectin. It worked beautifully and tastes delicious. Glad I found this recipe.
Camilla
Fabulous Edith, so glad you liked my Grape Jam, thank you so much for your feedback:-)
Gwen Curtis
I just cannot understand why Americans insist in using arachaic measurements like cups. Don’t they have scales over there? Anyway what cup do you use, egg cup, tea cup, coffee cup, bra cup? A cup is meaningless.
Please step into the 21st century..
Camilla
A cup is a 250 ml measure and you can buy sets of cups but as you say they are so inaccurate which is the reason I won’t give cup measurements.
Angel
We grew up with cups. If it’s normal, why change? That said? Anyone that cooks much grabs a scale. 🙂 I love recipes from all over the world, so I have the tools necessary.
Ben
How does this work without pectin? I’ve made grape jam a few times but always with pectin and even then it’s difficult to get it to set. Any tips?
Camilla
Hi Ben, I don’t use pectin in any of my jams, but in low pectin jams I use lemon juice which aids the gel formation.
Maria MurrAy
My grapes have pips what’s the best way to se pip them ?
Thanks Maria
Camilla
If you have the patience I suppose you could cut them in half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon but you’ll lose quite a bit of flesh that way so top up the weight with some more grapes so that you aren’t losing out.
Nelia
Wow! Well into autumn in Worcester, South Africa and with the grape season almost towards its end, I found your recipe quite handy. I got a box of “crimson grapes” and plan to try your easy recipe out. Thank you for sharing!
Camilla
How wonderful, we’ve just started spring here! Do let me know how you get on!
Nelia
Will let you know. Camilla! Snapping every step….
Camilla
Fabulous Nelia:-) Perhaps you can share on social media!
Robert Price
Sounds easy to make
Margaret Gallagher
CERTAINLY a recipe ill be SAVING – quick and easy too
Camilla
Thanks Margaret-)
Rob
Very easy and tasty. We only had green grapes and some of those were going brown and a bit fermented, but I think that added a good flavour too.
Camilla
Great Rob, glad you hear you liked it and that it worked well with just green grapes, thanks for the feedback-)
Kate - gluten free alchemist
Love the idea of grape jam…. what a perfect use for a huge cheap stash! Bookmarked x
Camilla
Thanks Kate, it’s so delicious:-)
Rhonda Ramey
Just found your site! Looks really delish & easy! If you process in a water bath, how long ? Thanks:)
Camilla
Hi Rhonda, I’m afraid I know zero about water baths as it’s not something we have in the UK. Is it not a standard amount of time for every jam?
Jenn
Wow, I’m so impressed this doesn’t have any gelatin or gelling agents. Looks fabulous!! And thanks for the shout out for my Roasted Cauliflower Salad too!
Camilla
Thanks Jenn and a pleasure, your salad look awesome-)
Bex Salmon
Oh I think even I can do this. I’m so excited to try it. Genius and reads as as easy as the title suggests. *rushes to grocers*
Camilla
Aaw, thank you Bex and I love your Snoopy avatar. Do let me know how you get on:-)
Bell
Made this last night.. Nice and easy. Followed the instructions. Perfect. Enjoyed it on toast this morning with peanut butter. Will so be making it again.
Camilla
So glad you enjoyed it, we are all hooked to as it’s such a new flavour for us:-)