Monday, September 22, 2014

Spiced Grape Butter from the Leftovers

I picked up my half-bushel of Concord grapes at market last week, piling the rest of my produce on top for a big heavy load.  I mentioned my grapes in a chatty way to a market farmer.  We both marveled at the modern juice steamer and agreed we would not make grape juice without it (I borrow one from Rebecca). Then she told me that her daughter takes the leftover grape skins and pips and puts them through a food mill.  She mixes one part sugar with two parts resulting puree, and there's grape butter.

I thought that was something pretty thrifty I could try.  I usually put that stuff left from making juice in the compost.


To my grape butter, I added little pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  These are flavors from a hot spiced grape cider I made last fall which we loved.  And now we love the grape butter, too.
bonus photo of our purple coleus in a clear green vase
So, from that half-bushel of grapes, I got 11 quarts of juice and 3 pints of grape butter.  Not bad for $18 and some time.

11 comments:

  1. Oh, your coleus is gorgeous!
    R - who is too lazy to sign out for C

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  2. The grape butter does sound very nice!

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  3. You're back, oh good. I missed you.

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  4. The things I learn here! You have been busy.

    Your coleus is gorgeous.

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  5. How do you preserve your grape butter? Freezer?

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  6. Amy, you could freeze it, but I've been canning it. I put it in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for pints.

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  7. How do you make/can your grape juice? Also, do you make the grape butter out of the remnants of the grapes and skins left in the juicer? I am fascinated!

    Julie

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  8. Julie, I use a juice steamer/extractor, and then add 1 Tbsp. sugar to each quart of juice. I can it in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. I do use the remnants from the juicer to make grape butter! Then I can it. Hope that answers your questions.

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  9. Thank you for the information! One last question, do you bring the grape butter to a boil as you would jam, or just heat with the sugar and then can. I haven't made a butter in quite a few years, and I have never made grape butter! Again, thanks for the help. I have lots of grapes right now and I would love to make a few quarts of juice and some grape butter!
    --Julie

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  10. Julie, glad to help. The grape butter has been pretty thick, so I haven't really boiled it down at all but just heat it up to can. I think you could definitely boil it down a bit if you felt it wasn't concentrated enough. Good luck with your grapes!

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