Grape Jelly Fail

Throughout August and September, concord grapes were a staple in my diet. The source was our Plan B CSA box, and no matter how hard I tried and how purple my fingers became, I just could not eat them fast enough. Then, a brilliant idea: grape jelly!

Seemed simple enough. Squish grapes. Strain. Boil. Add sugar. Add pectin. Pour into jars and boiling-water process for shelf stability.

Upon tasting the grape juice after straining, I decided that it was sweet enough and didn't need much more sugar. I decreased the sugar in the recipe by more than half. BIG MISTAKE.

The jelly did not set. So the next day, I added more pectin. Again, still runny. The following week, I added more sugar. And yet still, a jar of purple liquid stared back at me.

I could add more sugar, but then it would be way too sweet. I could add more pectin, but I would have to buy another box and I would have no idea how much to add.

So now, I have 2 jars of grape concentrate for making sparkling grape drinks (just add soda water). Pretty tasty, I suppose. Lesson learned: don't mess around with jelly recipes. Also, when life gives you runny jelly, make drink concentrate.