Let’s not get into differences of jam/jelly/preserves/etc. I’m talking about the sweet fruit flavored stuff you might spread on your bread/toast/scones/muffins/whatever.
Is grape flavored (stuff) something you might routinely eat?
If so, what kind of grape (stuff) might it be?
When I was at the grocery today, I got some Welch’s grape jelly. I noticed there were various sized jars of the stuff from at least six manufacturers, but every single one specified prominently on the label that it was CONCORD grape jelly. That’s the name of a grape variety that was discovered/developed in Concord MA, if you don’t know, a close neighbor to my town,
So I got to wondering. Do they specify Concord grapes, as sort of a nod to the local hero? Are ONLY concord grapes used in jellies? How about other countries? Do kids in London also eat Concord grape (whatever) on their morning toast, or is a different variety favored? Or maybe they just have ‘generic’ grape jelly?
For that matter, do regions outside New England have different varieties of grapes used, or don’t bother to specify?
I’ve read a fair number of English published books, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a specification of a particular type of (whatever you call it), actually, it’s mostly marmalade. And I’ve never seen any detailed mention in any other countries books, though to be fair, it’s not like I’ve read a whole lot of German or French or Australian books anyway.
So, fill me in. What’s in that jar sitting on the counter beside the toaster in your country?
I’ve never seen grape jam/jelly here in South Africa, which is actually odd since we grow a lot of grapes. The most common “sweet fruit stuff on your toast” things we have here are apricot jam and strawberry jam - that’s what I’d expect to find at, for example, breakfast in a hotel. Other berry jams are also common, as is marmalade.
A little googling shows that we do have some local grape jams but they seem to be from more specialist/artisanal producers, not the big brands found on supermarket shelves.
I think Concord grapes are just a variety that’s particularly well-suited for jellying.
In case any of the internationals are wondering, here in the US, grape jelly is probably the most common fruit spread, but strawberry jam isn’t far behind. We also eat plenty of other varieties, including apple butter, currants, and many sorts of berries, but you’re less likely to see them in a generic grocery store.
Concords are quite high in sugar. They are also used to make kosher sacramental wine like Magen David and Manischewitz, which is why they are super sweet.
Concords have a very distinct individual flavor. (So do a lot of other grapes – a lot of other flavors.) They’re also a very hardy grape that bears well, and will produce a heavy crop where a lot of others won’t grow well at all. And, while that specific flavor is considered by lots of people very good for jams and jellies – to the point at which, to a lot of people, that flavor just is what grape jam is – many people think it not well suited for wine; though I’ve had some Concord wine that I liked a great deal, and no it doesn’t always have to be cloyingly sweet.
Having said that – I’ve had Niagara jelly, and Delawares make very good jelly. They don’t taste like each other, or like Concord jelly, of course. And there are hundreds if not thousands of varieties of grapes; I’m sure a lot of them make good jelly. But it’s Concords that took over the jam and jelly market, at least in the USA, and that’s the flavor that most people are expecting.
Direct evidence from the middle of western Europe: I don’t remember seeing grape jelly, ever, on any store shelf. The most common jam varieties (and rarely jellies; it’s mostly jam) in my region are blueberry, strawberry, apricot, and plum.
Grape farming here is focused on winemaking, with table grapes a distant second. No jellies.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen, much less had, grape jelly in Germany. Which is strange now that I think about it, virtually anything else seems to be readily jellied/jammed/marmaladed.
I had an Australian native grape jelly once but it wasn’t really sweet and was served with a BBQ. More of a cranberry sauce kind of thing. I am guessing that it was this stuff out of the jar:
I can’t speak to what people in other countries eat, but Concord grapes are so vastly different from any grape routinely eaten in the US, that they might as well be completely different TYPES of fruit. I was always puzzled at the difference between the grapes we got to eat, and jelly / grape juice.
Until I bought some Concord grapes to make a grape pie.
It was like a whole bowlful of Welch’s Grape Juice. The smell, the taste - were exactly like the juice and jelly.
It’s possible to buy grapes which are called American grapes (Clinton).
The local nickname for this grape is Chatzeseicherli, which refers to the foxy undertones (Fox-Ton), otherwise known as foxy in English.
The common translations of chatzeseicherli is cat piss.
So even if it’s possible to buy the grapes, and people can make their own jam/jelly (there are plenty of recipes), only those who like the taste are going to bother making it.
My parents always make jelly, mainly berry, so I never had Concord grape jam growing up in the PNW. Recently my dad’s been making jelly/jam with pinot noir grapes. Also a good way to use up extra wine.
UK. Also a grape jelly free zone. We have numerous kinds of fruit based jams and citrus based marmelades. I think you’d have to go online if you wanted to track down grape jelly.
I’ve also never seen grape jelly in stores, but some small family wineries produce and offer it as a side business, but of course that’s no mass production, but rather a specialty. I’ve never tasted it, but I’m no fan of any jelly/jam anyway.
Welch’s grape jelly is weird.
It doesn’t taste like grapes you eat. Grapes for eating are always green. And I don’t think I would want to spread 'em on toast.
Welch’s grape jelly is unique, unlike anything else…
It’s a fruit flavor, but of a fruit which exists nowhere except in jars of Welch’s. (Unlike, say, strawberry or blueberry.).There is no such thing as grape-flavored yoghurt, grape-flavored ice cream, grape-filled cookies, etc.
As a kid in America, I was addicted to Welch’s grape jam, because it’s perfect for kids–sickly sweet, kind of artificial tasting. And obviously made of something produced in a factory, not grown in nature.
But in the rest of the world, there are no fields of Welch, and hence no grape jam…
For them, jam is made from berries, currants, apricots , peaches, oranges.
And all these flavors are recognizable, because they taste like the fruit they are made of.
