This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

One thing that is constantly in my refrigerator and pantry are the makings of a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.

When nothing else in the world sounds good, I can depend on a good ol’ PB&J to hit the spot and make the world seem right again. Maybe that comes from years of them being the only sandwich I wanted in my lunch box – from pre-K all the way through ninth grade. (As a 10th-grader, I discovered the pizza and salad bar.)

There were days that Mama would have made something different just to try and get me out of what I’m sure she thought was my PB&J sandwich rut, but those were miserable days.

Opening up a lunch box expecting my standard sandwich only to find a thermos of soup or a ham and cheese sandwich instead was a total letdown.

Those are the days I contemplated ditching my lunch box and going to the lunchroom ladies and asking for an emergency lunch where one of the options was always a school-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Although they weren’t as good as my homemade with Jif peanut butter and grape jelly, they were much closer to my standards than a thermos full of chicken and rice soup. At age 12, I’d take anything over chicken and rice soup.

Well, flash forward nearly 30 years and I’m faced with the same dilemma my Mama faced. I have a little boy who would prefer a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to just about any other meal in the world. Seriously. If given an option, it’s his first choice more times than not.

So, my pantry stays stocked to feed his PB&J habit as well as my own.

Good ol’ delicious, grape jelly.

Homemade Grape Jelly Ingredients

I had all of the ingredients on hand:

  • grape juice
  • pectin
  • sugar
  • butter

and in about 30 minutes from start to finish, Little Buddy and I were tightening the tops on our jars of grape jelly he’d help make.

The recipe is simple.


Mix together grape juice and pectin and pour into the pot. Bring to a hard boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add in the sugar, bring back to a hard boil and boil for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, skim away any foam and add to your jelly jars. Seal with appropriate lids and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

The next day, when I asked him what he wanted for lunch, he cocked his head to the side and gave me his half-grin and said, “Mama, today, let’s both have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the jelly I made.”

And you know what? They tasted better than any PB&J sandwich I remember eating in a long, long time.

Here’s my Grandmother’s Grape Jelly Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!

5 from 9 votes

Grape Jelly Recipe

Canning — 40 mins

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Servings 6 pints
Course Jam Jelly
Cuisine American
Author Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch
Print the recipe Leave a Review
Kid-friendly grape jelly recipe that everyone loves.

Ingredients  

  • 5 cups grape juice
  • 1 1 ¾ ounce box pectin
  • 7 cups granulated sugar

Instructions 

  • Combine grape juice and pectin in a large stockpot, stirring well over medium heat.
  • Bring to a hard boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Add sugar and stir well. Bring back to a hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle into prepared jelly jars and seal with canning lids or store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Shout Out

Did you make this recipe?

Mention @addapinch or tag #addapinch!

Share it with the world!

Pin

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Freezer Friendly Recipes

Robyn Stone

Robyn Stone is a wife, mom, blogger, recipe developer, and cookbook author. Welcome to Add a Pinch where I share thousands of delicious, tested and perfected easy recipes that the whole family will love.

More About Me

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Review




Comments

  4. I love strawberry jelly. But my kids love grape. I’ve never even thought to make it myself! That looks fantastic!!

    Reply

  8. The guys love apricot but I love anything fruit. Have been following all three options for some time now. Thank you for this giveaway.

    Reply

  20. Ooooh! Grape jelly is the absolute only flavor I truly love. Definitely giving this a try sometime when things slow down a bit.

    Reply

  21. Our family is a big fan of Raspberry Jelly, crabapple jelly and rhubarb strawberry jam. I have never made grape jelly but it is next on my list for my kids Christmas baskets. Thank you for the give away chance.

    Reply

  25. Omg you just changed my life. I discovered canning over the summer, but couldn’t get my grape to come out. I never thought of using just juice! Grape is the only flavor I still buy. Not any more!

    Reply

  26. My Mom was telling me about this cool little contraption and I would surely put it to good use. I am a big pb&j girl too, especially with grape jelly!

    Reply

  32. I hate to think about choosing, but I guess it would be Blackberry. Mmmm, think I’ll go make a PB&J right now and follow more with you on my email. Thanks for the opportunity to win this great giveaway.

    Reply

  33. Strawberry. Unless its a obj, then grape is the only acceptable choice. 😉 (hubby won’t eat obj with anything except grape).

    Can this recipe work with less sugar?

    Following on pintrest.

    Reply

    1. I am following you on Pinterest, twitter, facebook and I am subcribed to your your email.

  49. I just made one 2 weeks ago that is my new favorite – Prickly Pear Jalapeno Jam. It is wonderful on cream cheese with crackers. I served it at a party recently and it was GONE! I live in Arizona so we picked and juiced the prickly pears and I used jalapenos from my garden.

    Reply

  52. I love this idea!!!! Can you use other juices in this recipe as well? White/Peach grape juice or Cranberry?

    Reply

  54. Fig, bourbon and vanilla bean jam is my absolute favorite and I can’t wait for fig season to roll back around so I can make more.

    Reply

  65. My all time favorite is seedless blackberry!! I’ve had “learn to make homemade jelly” on my summer bucket list for the past two years. Maybe next year will be the year…

    Reply

  66. I’m following you all over the place! I love all types of jam! We need some type of tropical fruit tasting jam. Something with pineapple and other tropical fruits! Yum!I love this machine…but need more recipes. It’s super easy to use and I could keep two going at the same time in the summer. This was my first year to can anything and this machine gave me the confidence I needed.

    Reply

  72. My favorite is Pinecot Jam, it’s Pineapple and Apricot. My grandmother used to make it, but never got the recipe and my mom never had it. Wonder who does have it.

    Reply

  79. I like all kinds, but I have diabetes so I either have to make without sugar, and use a substitute, absolutely grape is best with peanut butter and home made English muffin bread….yum…

    Reply

  82. Grape jelly is my favorite on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches however rhubarb blueberry jam is great on english muffins. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  84. My favorite jam: Peach! I’m totally making grape jelly for my brother next time we’re together. He’d DIE.

    Reply

  86. My favorite kind of jelly is grape, but I also love the mixed berry jellies, peach preserves, and wine jellies. I spent all this summer making all different types of jams and jellies. The concord grape has been my favorite but so were the many different wine jelly combos that I made!:)

    Reply

  87. 5 stars
    Like you, nothing beats grape jelly. Nothing. Never knew you could make it from scratch using grape juice, that was quite a revelation!! It doesn’t look too difficult, either! I subscribe by email, and am going over to Pinterest right now to subscribe to you there! Thanks! (Don’t do Twitter, sorry.)

    Reply

  92. 5 stars
    Damson Plum jelly. As a child, I used to stay with my grandma all day long as she made Damson jelly. Her and grandpoa lived right next door to my family. She had a Damson tree, the fruit purple with a dusky shade, too tart to enjoy raw, but ooohhh, when Grandma cooked them up, it was so very good. She stood over the stove stirring and stirring, the kitchen full of the jelly brewing, grandma’s hands purple from the fruit. My reward for “being her helper”? After all the jelly was dipped from the huge heavy pot and it had cooled slightly, she gave it to me. I sat on the kitchen floor with the pot between my bare legs (we only wore dresses in the 60s when growing up) and I spooned that sweet and tart gummy substance into my mouth. As it cooled in the pot, it was like fruity gummy bears to my taste buds. I’ve not tasted Damson jelly like that since I was a child. I miss it and I miss Grandma. Such sweet memories.

    Reply

  95. My. husband is one for seedless strawberry … any suggestions? We also have a few diabetics in the family, do you think that a sugar substitute can be used in this recipe? Thanks for your help.

    Reply

    1. I use fresh strawberries and they are super juicy when crushing them so I do it in a colander and then strain the juices with a fine strainer to get out all sediment. I make a strawberry syrup for pancakes and desserts out of it but you could use it like juice to make jelly. It would require a LOT of strawberries

  96. Am so excited to try the grape jelly recipe. Have been looking for an easy alternative to store bought. Do not own the jam and jelly maker so I am using your grandma’s 🙂

    Reply

  98. 5 stars
    This recipe has a firm but spreadable texture. I used my own homegrown grape for this recipe .My
    wine grapes make this jelly very special with a wonderful color and flavor.

    Reply

  100. 5 stars
    My all-time dav would have to be neither a jam nor a Jelly – but Apple Butter! Especially my grandma’s , using Apple’s from her trees. Yum!
    My youngest son, however, loves, loves, loves grape jelly.😇

    Reply