# People who live outside the USA: Do you routinely eat grape jelly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 20, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893 "2024-12-20T00:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/61 "2024-12-21T08:55:02Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I do not like the taste at all. It’s musty. Also, very seedy, so not pleasant eating. Well, i can’t disagree about the seeds. There’s a reason we turn must of it into (strained) jelly. I find it interesting that so many people name cherry jelly. We get fresh cherries (almost always sweet) and canned/bottled cherries (usually sour) and cherry pie is popular. But i don’t think I’ve ever seen cherry jelly. > [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > the favorite flavors are strawberry, raspberry and apricot This would have been my guess as to what’s popular where Concord grape jelly isn’t king. I’ll have to look for cherry jelly. Do y’all get sour cherry jelly? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/62 "2024-12-21T13:01:05Z")
Smuckers makes cherry jam. You can find it at Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/63 "2024-12-21T20:26:31Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I do not like the taste at all. It’s musty. Also, very seedy, so not pleasant eating. I also can’t disagree with the seeds. However, either you and I mean something different by “musty”, or the Concords grown in that climate and/or that soil don’t taste right. Or else they’ve got mold in them somewhere. Both climate and soil do affect flavor, so that might be what’s going on. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > We get fresh cherries (almost always sweet) and canned/bottled cherries (usually sour) and cherry pie is popular. But i don’t think I’ve ever seen cherry jelly. Ditto. Although I’ve also seen cherry juice. I think they would make good jelly. Fresh cherries are never around me long enough for me to consider making jelly out of them, though. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/64 "2024-12-21T20:32:49Z")
Not mouldy. Just funky. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/65 "2024-12-21T20:38:32Z")
I’m not sure whether you’re describing the flavor often called “foxy” – in which case yes they taste like that but a lot of people like it – or whether you’re describing a flavor they don’t have when grown here, where they more-or-less belong. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/66 "2024-12-21T20:40:52Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > However, either you and I mean something different by “musty”, or the Concords grown in that climate and/or that soil don’t taste right. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Not mouldy. Just funky. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s just that very distinctive ‘foxy’ flavor. Though that flavoring is very common in the U.S. and generally inculcated in childhood, I’ve met multiple Americans who can’t stand Concords either. We had Concord grapes weedily free-growing in my backyard some years ago and while I sorta like them (but don’t prefer them), my neighbor trying them fresh for the first time was kinda repulsed. He had always disliked good ole’ Smuckers grape jelly as a kid and fresh didn’t improve things for him. Also some varieties have a distinctly fish-eye-like chewy texture which I don’t find super-appealing. It’s just another of those little cultural food oddities like root beer and peanut butter that are ubiquitous in the U.S., but not so prized outside of it. Meanwhile black currant isn’t really a thing here except as imports. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/67 "2024-12-21T20:55:10Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > We had Concord grapes weedily free-growing in my backyard some years ago and while I sorta like them (but don’t prefer them), my neighbor trying them fresh for the first time was kinda repulsed. I’m not surprised. Grapes that aren’t pruned properly will often produce fruit that’s too tart to eat (as well as producing undersized berries scattered on undersized bunches.) I’ve tried wild-growing Concords and they were close to inedible; they really do need to be cared for, which includes pruning off something like 80% or 90% of the new growth every year – and pruning it off in the right places. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/68 "2024-12-21T20:59:56Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Grapes that aren’t pruned properly will often produce fruit that’s too tart to eat No, these were perfectly sweet and palatable 🙂. The previous owners had planted them, tended them and built them a trellis. We just ignored them for years because we didn’t care about them. The bore low amounts of fruit, but when they did I’d go pick a small basket. But I never took care of them, watered, fertilized or pruned after we moved in because…eh. They were just Concord grapes, which were fine, but so not worth the trouble to us. The rain kept it going so it looked fine on the trellis, but if it had died we would have shrugged. In fact I was the only one who ever ate any except for a few random tastes. We paid a lot more attention to the apple and plum trees, which we much preferred. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/69 "2024-12-21T21:12:02Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I’m not sure whether you’re describing the flavor often called “foxy” It might be - what they don’t taste like is any other table grape I’ve had (we get many varieties here). Closest I could say was that it was a bit … _Brassica_-ish? Or vaguely reminiscent of stinkbug scent. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Grapes that aren’t pruned properly will often produce fruit that’s too tart to eat The Concords I had were definitely sweet, that wasn’t the issue. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/70 "2024-12-21T21:26:00Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > (Ever had an ice wine? Yes! My best friend brought me back a small bottle from New Zealand, and it was delicious. Loved it. I haven’t eaten grape jelly since I was a kid, and I usually preferred strawberry in my pb&j’s, so I didn’t eat it much even then. One of my aunts in Ohio had a house in a very small town with a grape arbor behind it. Picking and eating grapes sun-warmed straight from the vine was a treat. My mom loved orange marmalade, but the kind she bought was too sweet for me, so I thought I hated it. When I was a teen I bought a jar of Scottish marmalade in one of those dirty brown colored crockery jars? It was a rougher cut, had a nice tang with a bitter edge, and I really liked it. That’s the only marmalade I’ll eat. I want to try a marmite and butter toast, but I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2024, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/71 "2024-12-21T21:55:05Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Although I’ve also seen cherry juice. I have some cherry juice in the house. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/72 "2024-12-22T01:48:34Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > might be - what they don’t taste like is any other table grape I’ve had (we get many varieties here) I mean, they don’t taste like your standard table grapes here, either. Brassica and stink bug (like ciilantro/coriander-ish?) I’m pretty sure you’re tasting the foxiness, as that’s what separates them from table grapes, but I’m not sure I detect those flavors or scents in them. Then again, I really couldn’t describe the flavor I taste, really. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/73 "2024-12-22T02:23:39Z")
Aren’t Concord grapes also very seedy? Grapeseed oil, BTW, is a very light cooking oil, with little flavor and a very high smoke point. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/74 "2024-12-22T04:19:50Z")
What grapes are used for the generic purple grape juice? When I was a kid, only the green grapes were seedless and the only ones we had. Today we buy all colors of seedless for the grand kids. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/75 "2024-12-22T04:33:22Z")
The generic purple grape juice is probably Concord. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/76 "2024-12-22T04:37:02Z")
The good stuff is Concord. The stuff that tastes like sugar water might be from common seedless grapes, or a blend of grapes. You can get grape juice from wine grapes, which is pretty weird, and very interesting to drink. But that’s a specialty item, not something you’ll find at the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/77 "2024-12-22T07:08:25Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Do y’all get sour cherry jelly? I don’t think I’ve ever seen fresh sour cherries themselves here. Supposedly they are available at certain farmer’s markets. They are availabe in [jars](https://www.migros.ch/de/product/152191500000?context=online&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_emTg-e6igMVNKWDBx3CrTDxEAQYBiABEgKCvvD_BwE). There is sour cherry jam. > **[Sauerkirschen - 370 g - Tradition - Konfitüren](https://www.bonnemaman.ch/de/catalogue-konfituren-tradition-sauerkirschen-370-g-c1-t1-p5.php)** > >   Zutaten Weichselkirschen, Zucker, Rohrzucker, Zitronensaftkonzentrat, Fruchtpektin.   Durchschnittliche Nährwerte pro 30 g: Brennwert 309 kJ / 73 kcal Fett 0.1 g Kohlenhydrate 17.7 g Ballaststoffe 0.3 g ... And black cherry jam. > **[Schwarze Kirschen - 370 g - Tradition - Konfitüren](https://www.bonnemaman.ch/de/catalogue-konfituren-tradition-schwarze-kirschen-370-g-c1-t1-p15.php)** > > Zutaten Schwarze Kirschen, Zucker, Rohrzucker, konzentrierter Zitronensaft, Geliermittel: Fruchtpektin.   Durchschnittliche Nährwerte pro 30 g: Brennwert 309 kJ / 73 kcal Fett 0.1 g Kohlenhydrate 17.7 g ... ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/78 "2024-12-22T07:55:51Z")
Too late to edit. The US version just lists cherries in the ingredient list. > **[Cherry Preserves - Bonne Maman](https://www.bonnemaman.us/cherry-preserves-13-oz.html?srsltid=AfmBOooqefsSRaf-23pIKQvqceC_RqJwou6KNZxb7kZlJJ9fhdMLFnrn)** > > Whether you spread it on toast, slather it over waffles, or sneak spoonfuls straight from the jar, you’ll love our Cherry Preserves. An Austrian company also offers sour cherry jam: > **[Double-Fruit 200 g Sour cherry - A. Darbo AG](https://darbo.com/en/product/fruchtreich-weichsel/)** ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/79 "2024-12-22T16:26:15Z")
It is indeed Concord - I think the bottles are specifically labeled. The concird grapes I used for pie smelled exactly like Welch’s. Funnily, once you squirt the fruit out of the skin (surprisingly easy, and a necessary step) you get a pale green sphere - the color is all in the skins. You wind up with a bowlful of what looks like small green eyeballs, that smells like a Welch’s factory exploded. And yes, they are very seedy. That’s a big part of why I gave up on the pies. Too much work. to strain the seeds out of the pulp. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893/80 "2024-12-22T16:27:33Z")
In response to the OP - never. I think it tastes terrible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-live-outside-the-usa-do-you-routinely-eat-grape-jelly/1011893.md?page=5)