And when I say stick, I mean quite literally it looked like just a stick. No leaves, no hint of growth possibility; it was a stick and a tiny rootball wrapped up in plastic.
I must have walked away and come back to that little stick about 4 different times, trying to decide if I really wanted to give grape-growing a go (Ooo...say that 5 times quickly). The apple-tree stems had at least a few branches to them, the peach-stems even had a few leaves. There was nothing to this meager little stick-in-a-bag but hope and possibility. But somewhere inside me, it sounded like fun to give it a try; so channeling my inner Charlie Brown, I finally scooped it up and walked to the cashier.
Giving me more than one look of uncertainty at my selection, Nick humored me and paid for the stick and a new pot to plant it in. On the drive home, I seem to recall him asking me more than once if I was sure it was going to grow into something. Answering with more confidence than I truly felt, I replied that it would and proceeded to give it a home (and a name) in the backyard.
I introduced into the (mostly) dormant garden, a stick named Gatsby.
(I amuse myself with my own simple brand of humor 😋)
With diligence and determination, I checked on Gatsby daily. I made sure he was in a bright and sunny area, gave him water as needed, and plenty of room to grow. For quite some time he stayed in stick-mode; not really seeming to grow or do much. But I wouldn't give up. For the most part, the process went rather smoothly and quietly. What little excitement we had came in the form of a near-fatal mishap when a winter storm knocked Gatsby's home over. I came out the next day to find part of his roots exposed and soil spread across the patio. But after being up-righted, given new soil and words of encouragement (plus a good shoring up with bricks around the base), he proved to be tough and persevered.
And then one day, faith and patience paid off. Peeking out of the stick, like magic, appeared tiny little blooms:
Tiny, adorable, joyful little pink buds.
Within a week those happy little pink buds grew into leaves....
Weeks turned into months, leaves turned into teeny-tiny little grapes until one day...
Grapes!!! Real, live, grapes!!
Grapes so fresh, you could smell them just standing near the vines. And the flavor? Warm and juicy and bright - I never knew grapes could taste so flavorful.
All of these fabulous smells and flavors - what could I possibly do with them? Wine was the obvious first choice...but it would have to be non-alcoholic...which at that point is just grape juice. Meh.
The grapes alone were delicious enough to eat as is - but with all the seeds, I could only eat a few before fear of biting down on one too hard and cracking a crown got the better of me.
What to do...what to do. And then as I was contemplating lunch ideas it came to me in a flash. Jelly!!! I could make my own, real, grape jelly. What better way to showcase the smells and flavors of my freshly grown grapes than to concentrate and compress their awesomeness into a jar of jelly. And when paired up with the salty goodness of fresh peanut butter on homebaked bread; mmmm...what an awesome showcase for a stick of such humble beginnings.
Growing grapes in the garden and turning them into jelly...definitely a much more exciting resolution to keep than the same old boring weight loss goals each year.
Look out apples - as soon as I find the room, I'm comin' for you next!!
Gatsby's Grape Jelly
1 lb grapes (seedless or not - either is fine)
3 oz water
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tbsp sugar-free pectin (I used Pomona's)
Directions:
Remove grapes from their stems - sort out any unripened grapes or raisins - rinse well through water.
Put the grapes and the water into a large saucepot. Turn heat to medium-low to allow the water to simmer and the grapes to start to cook. Stir often.
As you stir, the grapes will begin to burst, the peels will start to come off, and the water will turn an awesome shade of purple. When most of the peels are removed, turn off the heat and let them hang out for just a bit.
If you have an immersion blender, puree the grapes well. If you're using a blender, remember to leave the center piece out of the lid so the hot liquid doesn't explode and make a disastrous mess on the wall, the counter top, behind the stove, inside cookbooks....
(not that I would have any first hand knowledge of this type of thing happening.... 😳)
Using a metal sieve or colander, push all of the solids through into a slighly smaller saucepot - getting as much juice out as possible. Bring everything back up to a simmer - stir in 1/4 tsp pectin - let dissolve - then add the sugar.
*Hint: I started with 1/4 sugar because the grapes were already so sweet - and just added in a little more as needed.
Continue to slowly simmer for about 20 minutes - or until the jelly slides off the back of a spoon in sheets. If your jelly is still very runny after 20 minutes, add in a little bit more pectin; but realize that it will set and firm up as it cools, so don't get too crazy with it.
*Confession: I went a little overboard - and unfortunately my finished product was more gel than jelly. It still tasted awesome...but spreading it on bread just took a little more finesse.
Once your jelly is ready, remove from heat and pour into heat-proof containers (well cleaned). It will store in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. You can also freeze in batches if you desire.
You can double the recipe as needed - again, just adjust the sugar levels to taste and keep a careful eye on how much pectin you use.
Recipe adapted from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice (find the link HERE) and with advice from Sundays Marmalade (visit their awesomeness HERE)
