What’s Inside: In this article, you’ll learn how to make grape jelly in the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker. I provide the recipe, step by step instructions for making the jelly, and tips for how to preserve your delicious, homemade grape jelly!
There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own jelly. The process, while simple, feels like a labor of love, resulting in a deliciously sweet and tasty spread that’s perfect on toast, biscuits, or even as a filling for your favorite pastries. Today, I’m going to take you through the process of making grape jelly using a Ball jam and Jelly Maker.
The Ball Jam and Jelly Maker is a fantastic tool for any home cook looking to delve into the world of homemade preserves. This handy gadget simplifies the procedure, making it easier than ever to create your own delectable spreads. Let’s get started!
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If you want to simplify the process of making jam and jelly, The Ball FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker is the way to go! I hesitated to buy a single use device like this, but now I’m hooked, and actually have two of them!
Key Takeaways:
- Use unsweetened store-bought grape juice for making jelly in the jelly maker
- The Ball Jam and Jelly Maker makes the process super simple! Even if you’ve never made jam or jelly before, you’ll have success when following this process, and using the jelly maker.
- There are 3 ways to preserve your homemade grape jelly:
- Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks
- Freeze for up to a year
- Can and it will be shelf stable for a year and a half.
Benefits of Making Homemade Grape Jelly Using the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker
Making grape jelly at home is not only fun but also comes with several benefits. For starters, it’s easy. The Ball Jam and Jelly maker takes the guesswork out of the process, ensuring a perfect batch of jelly every time.
Secondly, by making your own jelly, you can keep grape juice in your pantry and whip up a batch of jelly whenever you want.
Lastly, you get full control over the ingredients that go into your jelly. This means you can adjust the amount of sugar based on your preference, making it a healthier alternative to store-bought versions.
When it comes to the benefits of using the Ball Jam and Jelly maker to make your grape jelly – it’s so darn easy! Even if you’ve never made jelly before, you can expect to succeed when you use the jelly maker machine.
Grape Jelly Recipe for the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker
Ball RealFruitTM Classic Pectin
Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin is the pectin recommended in the instruction manual for the Ball FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker.
Our recipe today comes from the book that comes with the jelly maker, and involves just four simple ingredients:
- 3 cups of unsweetened grape juice
- 4 tablespoons powdered pectin
- 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine
- 3 cups of granulated sugar (or 1 1/2 cups for a reduced sugar jelly)
Yield: 4 half pints with the full sugar recipe. The yield will be a bit less if you use the reduced sugar recipe.
How to Make Grape Jelly in the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker
After gathering your ingredients, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Insert the stirrer into the pot of the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker.
Step 2:
Whisk together the grape juice and powdered pectin in a separate bowl until well incorporated. Note that the pectin may not completely dissolve, and that’s perfectly fine. Pour the grape juice and pectin mixture into the pot.
Step 3:
Add butter or margarine to the pot. This helps reduce foaming during the cooking process.
Step 4:
Press the ‘Jelly’ button on the maker. The cooking time will automatically set to 25 minutes.
Step 5:
After 4 minutes, the machine will beep, indicating it’s time to add sugar. Pour sugar slowly into the pot.
Grape Jelly Being Made in the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker
The video below is just a short snippet showing how the jelly maker works. This is so much easier than slaving over a hot stove!
Step 6:
Let the machine complete the rest of the cooking process. Once done, use a potholder to remove the stirrer. Be careful, because it’s going to be hot!
Then, carefully ladle the hot jelly into jars. (The amount of headspace you leave in the jars depends how you’ll preserve your grape jelly. Keep reading for more information on how to preserve your freshly made grape jelly!)
If you’re at all interested in making homemade jam and jelly, and don’t want to slave away over a hot stove, I definitely recommend you pick up this sweet little machine.
Preserving Your Homemade Grape Jelly Made in the Ball Jelly Maker
Once your grape jelly is made, preserving it properly is essential. There are three main ways to do this:
- Refrigeration: Ladle your hot jelly into jars, let it cool to room temperature, then simply pop it into the fridge. This method will keep your jelly fresh for up to three weeks.
- Freezing: To extend the shelf-life of your jelly, consider freezing it. Pour your jelly into jars, leaving half an inch of headspace to allow for expansion, then freeze. You can store frozen jelly for up to a year.
- Water Bath Canning: For a longer shelf-life without taking up freezer space, you can use water bath canning. Fill the jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Be sure to wipe the rims before putting the lids on. You can use any water bath canner. Be sure to process the jelly for 10 minutes, adapting for altitude.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure how to adapt canning recipes based on your altitude, check out my article, How to Adapt Canning Recipes Based on Altitude.
The Best Canners for Canning Homemade Jam and Jelly
Thankfully, water bath canning is one of the most simple canning methods. You can technically use any large pot with a lid, as long as it has a rack to put the jars on. Having said that, here are my top recommendations.
What can I say? I love my Nesco canner! I use it for both water bath and pressure canning. It can also be used as a pressure cooker, steamer and more, but I use it just for canning. If you want one device that can do it all, this is my top recommendation.
This set has everything you need to get started with water bath canning (except for the jars and lids). It’s a good old fashioned water bath canner that has stood the test of time.
I put this steam canner as #3, because I personally have not used it. I simply don’t have room for one more thing in my kitchen! Having said that, many people swear by steam canners, because they use less water and take less time. This is a highly rated one. Use the same processing time with a steam canner as you do with a water bath canner.
Water Bath Canning Grape Jelly in the Nesco Canner
To ensure a successful canning process with the Nesco canner, follow these detailed steps:
Step 1:
Place the canning rack at the bottom of the inner pot.
Step 2:
Put filled jars on the canning rack.
Step 3:
Pour water into the pot, enough to completely cover the jars.
Step 4:
Close the lid and set the pressure limiting valve to the exhaust position. Ensure the lid is securely locked.
Step 5:
Press the WB/Steam button.
Step 6:
Adjust the processing time as required by your specific recipe using the time+ button.
Step 7:
Confirm that the pressure limiting valve is set to exhaust.
Step 8:
Press the start button. The control panel will display a ‘digital chase.’
Step 9:
Wait for a constant stream of steam to emerge from the pressure limiting valve. This usually takes around 20-25 minutes.
Step 10:
Once a steady stream of steam is visible, press the START button again to begin the countdown timer.
Step 11:
Upon completion, turn the lid clockwise 1/8 of a turn and carefully open the lid away from you to avoid the hot steam.
Step 12:
Remove the jars from the canner using jar lifter and place them on a towel on your counter to cool. Check the seals after 12-24 hours. If any jars didn’t seal properly, refrigerate or freeze them.
Conclusion
With these detailed instructions, making grape jelly at home using the Ball FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker and preserving it using the Nesco canner should be a breeze.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor spread on a warm piece of toast or as a sweet addition to your favorite dessert!
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Leave your thoughts, questions, comments, and anything else you’d like to chat about regarding making grape jelly, or the Ball Jam and Jelly Maker below.