Directions:

• Place 8 clean 500 ml or 4 clean 1 L mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.


• To prevent discoloration, place grapes into colour protection solution made of 4 tbsp (60 ml) Fruit-Fresh® dissolved in 8 cups (2 L) water.


• Prepare a light syrup of approximately 9 cups (2250 ml) water and 2-1/4 cups (550 ml) sugar. Prepare the syrup in canner batch quantities—approximately 5 cups (1250 ml) for 7-500 ml jars; 10-1/2 cups (2625 ml) for 7 L jars. Bring prepared syrup to a boil. If using water or fruit juice, measure into saucepan; bring to a boil.


• Ladle 1/2 cup (125 ml) hot syrup into a hot jar. Fill jar with grapes to within a generous 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar. Gently shake jar to pack grapes without crushing. Add hot syrup to cover grapes, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) headspace.


• Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more hot syrup. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining grapes and hot syrup.


• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process – boil filled jars – 15 minutes for 500 ml jars; 20 minutes for 1 L jars.*


• When processing time is complete, turn stove off, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.


• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Notes & Tips