Monday, September 16, 2013

Fall foraging

While on walkabouts this afternoon I made a discovery... the fox grapes are ripe!
 Of course, the best ones were high up a tree.  So, I returned with pails, shears and taller companions.
 For being wild grapes and a dry year, they are pretty decent.  And we got them before the birds.
I foresee wild grape jelly in the near future....

2 comments:

  1. I wonder if we had the wild fox grapes when we lived in Illinois? (I know we don't have them here in northern Minnesota.) Does the jam/jelly taste like that made from Concord grapes? We did have two long grape harbors in Illinois and the Concord grapes made WONDERFUL jam. The other grapes were so bad (SOUR) they were hard to use for anything!

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    1. They have that "welch's Jelly" concord taste but not as strong as a true Concord. The skins are tart but not overpoweringly so but it gives the jelly a nice sweet/tart flavor that you don't get with domesticated grapes. All in all, I'm happy with the way it turned out. From those grapes I got enough for six 12 oz jars of jelly. One in the fridge for using now, one destined for the care package being sent to Justine in college and 4 more for the pantry. Pretty awesome deal from a bunch of wild grapes!

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