Why it works: Grape and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 23% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,490 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Grape Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very cool oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the grapes
Remove the stalks from the black grapes and place them in a preserving pan.
Boil the grapes for a few minutes.
Strain the grapes through a sieve and crush them with a spoon.
Reduce the juice
Boil the strained juice and stir until it is reduced by half.
Skim off any scum that forms.
The jelly is done when it sets upon cooling.
Pot and store
Pour the jelly into pots.
Place the pots in a cool oven at 300°F (150°C) for 24 hours.
Cover and seal the pots as usual.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Grape + sugartop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,490 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Black grapes
- Supply the juice that is reduced into the jelly and provide its fruity flavour.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps preserve the jelly and aid its setting.
The step that matters
Reducing the juice until it sets. The juice must be boiled down far enough to concentrate its sugars and natural setting agents. Too little reduction leaves the jelly runny, while too much makes it stiff and cloudy-tasting.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More grape jelly recipes
You might also like
Grape Sherbet32 recipes
Grapefruit Marmalade16 recipes
Grape Butter9 recipes
White Cake431 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.