Concord Grape Onion Jam Recipes

CONCORD GRAPE ONION JAM

Steps:

• Immerse a jar with a tight fitting lid in simmering water until grape jam is ready. Wash lid in warm, soapy water.
• Place grapes in a saucepan and crush with a potato masher until they begin to release some juice. Cover and cook over low heat until grapes are very soft and can be easily crushed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Push grapes and all of the accumulated juice through a food mill or a fine mesh strainer. Extract as much pulp and juice as you can and return back to the saucepan. This should yield a generous 2 cups pulp. Discard leftover seeds.
• Add onion, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar to grape pulp and mix until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally at the beginning and then more regularly to prevent scorching, until jam is thick, about 30 minutes. (Do not overcook--jam will thicken more as it cools.)
• Pour hot jam into the sterilized jar, seal tightly with the clean lid, and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

CONCORD GRAPE JAM

Steps:

• Sterilize jars:
• Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Dry screw bands. Put jars on a rack in canner or deep pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, leaving jars in water. Heat lids in water to cover by 2 inches in a small saucepan until thermometer registers 180°F (do not let boil). Remove from heat, leaving lids in water. Keep the jars and lids submerged in hot water, covered, until ready to use.
• Cook jam:
• Chill 2 small plates (for testing jam).
• Slip skins from grapes and purée skins with 1 cup sugar in a food processor, then transfer to a 4- to 6-quart wide heavy pot. Stir in lemon juice, peeled grapes, and remaining 4 cups sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently and skimming foam, until pulp is broken down, about 20 minutes. Force jam through food mill set over a large bowl. Discard remaining solids. Return jam to pot and cook at a slow boil, skimming foam occasionally and stirring frequently as mixture thickens to prevent scorching, 35 minutes, then test for doneness.
• To test jam, remove from heat, then drop a teaspoonful on a chilled plate and chill 1 minute. Tilt plate: Jam should remain in a mound and not run. If jam runs, continue cooking at a slow boil, testing every 5 minutes, until done, up to 25 minutes more.
• Seal, process, and store jars:
• Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. Wipe off rims of filled jars with a clean damp kitchen towel, then top with lids and firmly screw on screw bands. Put sealed jars on rack in canner or pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer jars to a towel-lined surface to cool.
• Jars will seal; if you hear a ping, it signals that vacuum formed at the top of cooling preserves has made lid concave. Remember that you may or may not be around to hear that ping (some jars make the sound after you remove them from water, and others in same batch may take a few hours); the important thing is for jars to eventually have concave lids. Preserves will thicken as they cool.
• After jars have cooled 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift off lid with your fingertips. If you can't, lid has a good seal. Replace screw band. Put any jars that haven't sealed properly in the refrigerator and use them first.

CONCORD GRAPE JAM TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle with the ice water, and pulse until mixture just begins to hold together. Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1 day.
• Make the jam: Combine grapes and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until grapes release their juices, about 7 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. (You should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups juice.) Return juice to saucepan over high heat, stir in granulated sugar and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until temperature registers 220°F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Transfer jam to a bowl, and let cool, stirring occasionally. (Jam will keep, covered, up to 2 weeks in refrigerator.)
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Transfer 1 round to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and fit other round into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim excess dough flush with rim. Refrigerate or freeze shell and round until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using the wide bases of 2 metal pastry tips (one 3/4 inch in diameter and one 1 inch), cut clusters of holes in dough on baking sheet to resemble a bunch of grapes. Using a paring knife, cut a stem at the top. Freeze dough until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup grape jam over tart shell. (Reserve remaining jam for another use.) Brush edge of dough with egg wash. Slide remaining dough round on top, centering design. Press edges to seal, and trim excess dough. Brush top with egg wash, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate tart 30 minutes.
• Transfer tart to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Unmold, and transfer to a platter. Serve with crème fraîche.