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.
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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 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 then left to drain.
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:-)