Recipe Roundup: Concord Grapes

We recently talked about discovering different types of grapes, and this week we brought home a bunch of Concord grapes from the local market. We then discovered something else – those suckers aren't easy to eat!

We love the super-sweet unique taste, but the tough skins and tiny seeds make them a bit of a chore. We now know they're commonly used to make juice and jams.

Here are a few recipe ideas ...

Gourmet: Concord Grape Jam
The Amateur Gourmet: Concord Grape Syrup
Martha Stewart: Concord Grape Sorbet
Martha Stewart: Hot Spiced Concord Grape Juice

Have you cooked with Concord grapes? What are your favorite recipes?

(Images: Epicurious, The Amateur Gourmet, Martha Stewart)

Comments (5)

My grandfather grew grapes. The preferred way to eat the Concords was to sit under the arbor, hold the stem end to my mouth, apply light pressure to the inedible skin to shoot the juicy grape insides into my mouth and then use my hand to capture the seeds and toss them and skin into the bushes.

We had a concord grape vine in the backyard when I was a kid. I remember one summer we made jam - I think it was a huge mess and it never solidified - but it was awesome oozing on some bread.

My favorite concord grape recipe is Grape Pie. My Grandma had a concord grape vine outside her house so we had grape pie (and juice, and jelly) a lot growing up. Now that I've moved away, I crave that pie about this time each year. Grape Pie is certainly a chore to make (popping the skins off, boiling the insides, and pushing through a sieve before adding the peels back in), but the payoff is worth it!

I second the grape pie - it's a family favorite. However, you have to be detail oriented (bordering on OCD) to do it.

The October issue of Martha Stewart had a "concord grape jam tart" recipe, but I can't find it anywhere on her site. BUT, someone made the recipe and posted it with photos here: http://themodernapron.blogspot.com/2008/10/picture-perfect-concord-grape-jam-tart.html