Grape Jelly

A few years ago we thought our grape vine was terminally ill. The guy from the nursery looked at the withering brown leaves and told us the vine had a year or two left. The news was hard to take because you become attached to a plant the grew along with your kids. Fortunately, the guy was wrong and the grape vine is thriving again.

I use some of the juice to make grape jelly, which you can’t find in grocery stores in Switzerland.

Grape Jelly

4 cups of grape juice

4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix ingredients in a 4-5 quart pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the mixture boil gently for 15-20 minutes. Check setting point by pouring a few drops of jelly on a cold saucer and place in the fridge for a few minutes. If the few drops have set, the jelly is ready. If the jelly is not set yet, continue boiling for 5 minutes and test again. Skim the foam off the top and pour into sterilized jars.

Gelée de Raisin

1 litre de jus de raisin

1 kg de sucre

1 cuillère à café de jus de citron

Mélanger les ingrédients dans une casserole de 4-5 litres et porter à ébullition. Baisser la température et laisser bouillir pendant 15-20 minutes. Vérifier si la gelée a pris en mettant quelques gouttes sur une soucoupe au frigo pendant quelques minutes. Si les quelques gouttes ont pris, la gelée est prête. Si ce n’est pas le cas, cuire encore 5 minutes et tester de nouveau. Enlever l’écume et verser dans des bocaux stérilises.