No grape jelly this year...
I know, I know, it
looks like there will be grape jelly this year, but there won't. Because Johnny and I? We're really not that bright. We never even thought about the fact that all the rain we had this summer meant the grapes would ripen early. And so we didn't realize they were ripe until we smelled them, by which point it was too late. For jelly. Jelly wants slightly underripe grapes, ideally, though regular-ripe grapes will do. The jelly might not so much jell in that case, but it will taste just as good, spread a hell of a lot easier, and be really,
really yummy over ice cream. But overripe grapes? Overripe grapes are no good for jelly. It would come out like syrup, and it would be much too sweet. So I suppose it would in fact be grape syrup, after all, and while grape syrup, too, may be really, really yummy over ice cream, lord knows I don't need five-plus gallons of that.
You know what
overriped grapes
are good for, though? And you know what I might
could maybe use five gallons of?
So stay tuned over the next few days and weeks. I'll talk you through the saga of The First Time Johnny And I Are Making Wine Together From Our Very Own Grapes. You won't learn anything, but I hope you might wind up a wee bit entertained.
I know I will!
11 comments:
When we bought our house, we inherited a grape vine. It's the coolest thing. I'm not brave enough to make wine--tried that once in college and we ended up with fruit flies everywhere. But we have made grape pie (delicious!) and grape butter. Good luck with your experiments in viniculture!
The only homemade wine I've ever had was...beyond description. Beyond horrible. I hope you do better.
Then again, I'm not really a wine person...
you can add apples to the grapes to add pectin and increase jelling boo hoo I want jelly
Green Fairy -- Grape Pie!? I never heard of grape pie! Why didn't you say that before we started making wine!? Remind me to ask you for the recipe next year.
Beardo -- I'm not really a wine person either, but free booze is free booze, and Johnny's pretty accomplished at the wine-making process. This is just the first time that I'm helping. Here's hoping I don't fuck it up!
Su -- I know about the apple trick, but it didn't work last year even with added store-bought pectin, and I didn't feel like going through all that again. You'll get some wine, I promise. And you'll LIKE it!
or else!!!
ahhhh!!!!!
ugh.
gah.
Jen (and Su, for that matter) -- I know, right? Sorry!
Oh that is too bad... Our grapes we gave to the birds (again) this year because we had orphans and we stuck the box we put them in right in the grapevine. The other birds fed them the grapes. At least it was for good reason this year. Usually, they just hog them all and poop all over what they leave for the day so we don't even want them! Elaina's fiance Nick made really good wine. Not this year though; they (and my husband and boys) gutted a house instead and are building a plumbing company in the woods in their backyard!...(I should write THAT blog!)
I hope your home made wine is better than the home brew beer I made. And the home brew apple cider. Both were dreadful.
I had never heard of grape pie, either. I got the recipe from another house blogger. Pics of our vine and a link to the recipe can be found here.
Donna -- Building a plumbing company in the woods? You SHOULD write that blog!
Amanda -- I hope so too. I made cider once, though, and it came out YUM. Well, I mean I bought cider and turned it into hard cider. I didn't press the apples myself or anything.
Green Fairy -- Thanks for the link. That's a great story. Hey, everybody! Follow that link and read that story about the grapes!
Post a Comment