flight of the concords

So I didn't make it to the farmer's market last Saturday to see if concord grapes are still available but I'm betting there are a few clusters to be found and they probably won't be around for much longer so make plans to get yourself a couple pounds the next time you have a chance. Hit the ATM ahead of time, don't forget your little canvas tote thingy, and enjoy this short-seasoned treat while it can still be found. 

When I taste a concord for the first time in a while I am always stunned by the true grape-y-ness of the flavor. The food scientists who invented the chemical formula for "grape" flavoring definitely used concords for their flavor profile, which was smart, because true concord grapes are hard to enjoy as a snack due to the presence of the many annoying seeds in each innocent-looking orb. Do not fear. You don't have to give up and head to the gas station in search of grape Bubbalicious or "drink" to enjoy the honest-to-grapeness flavor of concords. Home cooks are a smart and capricious breed and we've got a method for everything!

After you extract the seeds from the grapes you will be left with pulp and skins. Not a snack exactly, but with a little more time in the kitchen you can turn that fruit soup into something worthy of being served to guests, given as a gift, or hoarded for your own private enjoyment. Just bear with me.

Spiced Concord Grape Butter.

 As good an excuse to make (or buy) crusty homemade bread and a tub of mascarpone as I've ever found. 

2# Concord Grapes (equal to 2 1/2 cups prepared pulp)

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. brandy

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground clove

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

2 c. sugar

(makes 3 jam jars)

1. Prepare the grapes. Wash them, then pluck them from their stems and squeeze each one over a small saucepan, popping out the insides. Keep the skins in a separate bowl. Simmer the grape innards (if I may use the word) for 10-15 minutes or until they have broken down and are soft enough to release their seeds. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve until only the pesky seeds remain. Discard the seeds. Add the strained pulp along with the reserved skins to a medium saucepan. 

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over low-med. heat. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Test for thickness by dropping a spoonful of the mixture onto a plate. If it is ready it will be thick when cool. This part is subjective. For a fruit butter I simmer the mixture for quite a while to make sure it is nice and thick: thicker than jam, darker and glossier too. 

3. Carefully ladle mixture into sterilized jars and process to seal. (refer to canning methods for this step. Alternately, you can skip the canning process but just make sure you keep it in the fridge)

I served this supertreat with a whole grain baguette and a healthy smear of mascarpone, which was a bit of an homage to one of my favorite childhood lunchbox treats: Smuckers grape jelly and cream cheese on Roman Meal wheat bread. Yes, my childhood food memories are that acute.