All about Scones Part 2 - Making scones in the U.S.

Sarabeth's Bakery Currant Scones with homemade strawberry jam

In part 1,  my friend, Ann, and I tasted scones at Brown's Hotel, in London, and then made them with some friends in an English kitchen.  When I got home, I wanted to see how well the recipe would work with American ingredients and equipment.  I wasn't surprised to find that the recipe did not work well, as Ann had told me that she hadn't had much luck using her American recipes in Britain.  Most likely, the recipe didn't work well because the flour is different, but the butter and milk might have contributed too.  I was a little surprised that the scones didn't brown in my oven at home, but then the temperature that Brown's scones cooks at is much lower than any other recipes I've seen, both English and American. 

For my first try, I used my everyday flour, King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour.  I found that the dough was so dry that I had to add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of milk to even get it to come together.  For the second attempt, I used Pillsbury bleached all-purpose flour, which has less protein in it than the King Arthur flour.  I did find that switching to this flour worked better.  At least I didn't have to add so much extra liquid to get the dough to the proper texture. However, the scones rose much higher than Brown's scones, and because of this they didn't look as pretty (bleached flour is probably the cause of this).  I also think I overkneaded this batch of dough in an effort to get the dough "smooth", an instruction in Chef Ecuvillon's recipe (which I didn't do in London).  Although they weren't tough, they didn't have the delicate texture found in the original Brown's scone.  If I made these scones again, I would probably try them with biscuit flour (White Lily, Southern Biscuit, or King Arthur Perfect Pastry Flour), and would knead them lightly, as I had done in London.

For my next experiment  I tried  America's Test Kitchen Dreamy Cream Scones.  This recipe is very similar to the Brown's recipe except that the butter doesn't get cut in as finely, it has more baking powder and cream instead of milk.  The disadvantage to having more baking powder is that the scones rise higher and don't look as pretty.  The texture is quite different because of the handling of the butter and the larger amount of baking powder.  These were delicious but tasted more like ordinary biscuits, rather than th emore exotic scone!

Next, I tried Sarabeth's Bakery Currant Scones.  These are extremely different from the two above, because they contain eggs and they have very little sugar in them.  They were quite flaky and they cooked perfectly, with the oven starting out very hot, and then being reduced when the scones were in.  The only problem with these was that they weren't sweet enough to suit my husband.

The last batch that I made, was from the Joy of Cooking.  I made their classic scones, but instead of  using egg I used double the amount of cream (as per variation in the Joy).   This was the scone that we liked the most.  These were the flakiest of all, crusty on the outside, yet moist within, and sweet enough to suit my husband's tastes.  You'll see that they're not as shiny as Sarabeth's because the glaze is just a light brushing of cream, rather than the shine of an egg.  Although they're not as pretty, we liked the taste of the crust better without the egg wash. 

For the original Joy of Cooking recipe, please see The All New Joy of Cooking Classic Currant Scones.  The recipe below has been slightly altered by me. Brown's Hotel Scones (adjusted for American kitchens) follows.  For Sarabeth's, go to http://www.epicurious.com/ and look for the recipe that was printed in Gourmet Magazine in 2010.

The All New Joy of Cooking Classic Currant Scones, edited by Penny Eisenberg
Makes 8 wedges or about 20 round scones

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, fluffed scooped and levelled
3-5 tablespoons sugar, to taste
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (can use up to 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins

1 cup heavy cream + 1 tablespoon, divided, cold

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Either cut the butter into small pieces, or grate the butter on the large grate of a box cutter.

 Toss the butter into the flour mixture to separate the pieces.  If using cut butter (rather than grated) you will need to rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips or use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until the largest pieces are the size of peas, and the rest looks like breadcrumbs.  Work quickly and lightly. 

Stir in the currants or raisins.  Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the cream, all at once.  Mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.

 Knead the dough, lightly,  turning the dough and pressing it  until everything adheres together.  Gently roll the dough into an 8-inch round, about 3/4-inch thick.

Cut the dough into 8 wedges, or cut out rounds with a 2t o 2-1/2-inch floured biscuit cutter.  Place the scones on the parchment paper, at least 1/2-inch apart. Brush the tops of the scones with cream.  If desired sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Place in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. F.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.  Let cool on a rack, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Brown's Hotel Scones adapted for the American Kitchen

Makes 16 wedges or 20 small round scones

4 cups minus 2 tablespoons (500 grams) lower-protein all-purpose (such as Pillsbury or Gold Medal), fluffed, scooped and levelled (if using biscuit flour, you might need 1/4-1/3 cup more flour)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup raisins or sultanas

1 cup whole milk + 2 tablespoons, divided

For egg wash

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon whole milk
pinch sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.   Either dice the butter, or grate it on a box grater (see above).  Add the butter to the flour mixture, and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is no longer visible. Stir in the sugar.

Toss the sultanas into the above mixture. Make a well in the mixture and pour in all of the milk. Stir with a spoon until the mixture starts to come together.

Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently, 5 or 6 times, until it forms a smooth, soft dough (add a little more flour or milk to get the texture right). Form into a round, wrap in cling wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough gently on a floured surface to about 1-inch. thick. Dip a 2-inch round cookie cutter into flour, and then cut out the rounds, dipping the cutter as needed. Press together scraps and re-cut. Place the rounds on the parchment paper.  Alternatively you can shape the dough into two 8-inch rounds and then cut each into 8 wedges.
Make the egg wash, by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the scones are golden brown and look and feel cooked on the sides. Let the scones cool until just barely warm or completely cooled, and serve with fresh strawberry jam.  You probably won't be able to make Clotted Cream because you need  unpasteurized or lightly pasteurized cream to make it, but you might be able to find jarred Devonshire Cream in a specialty food store.

All about Scones - Part 1 Brown's Hotel Scones

I am so lucky to have been invited to spend my birthday in London with my dear friend, Ann and her family.  One of the things she wanted to do there was to have me make scones with a few friends of hers.  Never having made them before, I knew I would have to do some homework ahead of time.  When I first thought about blogging about scones, I thought there would be a clear distinction between American scones and British ones, but I soon found that there really isn't a standard recipe, regardless of country of origin. Scones are buttery, baking powder biscuits.  After that basic fact, anything seemed to go - amounts of flour, butter, sugar, liquid and leavening varied greatly.  Even the pronunciation  isn't universal.  Americans tend to say "sc-oh-ns, while Brits are just as likely to say "sc-oh-ns"  as "sc-ah-ns.

 I was certainly thrilled that prior to our class, Ann wanted to take me to Brown's Hotel for their world-famous High Tea.   High Tea at Brown's consists of  a beautiful array of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and fresh strawberry jam, an assortment of finger pastries and two cakes served from a trolley - and of course, your choice of tea!

All of the food was wonderful, but I was especially impressed by the scones and pastries. I rarely eat pastry out because it so often doesn't live up to my expectations.  But these were all wonderful.  We asked for the recipe for the scones, and were a little surprised when the communications person delivered it to our table.  We were even more pleased and surprised when the pastry chef, Fabien Ecuvillon, also came out to talk with us about his pastries.

Me with pastry chef  Fabien Ecuvillon at Brown's Hotel

Among other things, he told us that Brown's only uses fruits in season (except for the strawberry jam, which is a must-have for High Tea scone service).  One of those rare fruits, in season when I was there, was sea buckthorn berry, and these he used in a delightful macaroon that was on the pastry plate, as well as in jelly, which he brought to us in a small glass. Both items were very different and interesting.

It is fine food like this that has kept visitors coming to Brown's for more than a century.  If you plan on going to Brown's for High Tea, be sure to make  a reservation, which you can do directly from their website: http://www.brownshotel.com/, or 020 7518 4155 ( in case you're wondering, this is a completely unsolicited rave review!)

Brown's scones are a little different from the average scone, whether British or American.  They are tiny, round scones and have a more tender, cakey texture than the scones you find in the supermarket or bakeries in London (this is most likely because Chef Ecuvillon mixes in the butter until no longer visible, rather than the others who mix it in more chunkily).  The round shape is definitely traditional - chef Ecuvillon told us that he'd probably be out of a job if he made them wedge-shaped!  Wedge-shaped ones are easier to make, and you don't have any scraps to re-roll the way that you do with round ones.  Scones made from scraps are a little denser, and Chef Ecuvillon always discards the scraps so that each scone is always perfect.

For our class the next day, we decided to try and replicate Brown's scones.  We made them in the traditional round shape (we did re-use the scraps), and in the easier wedge-shape.  Our British scones came out great.  They weren't quite as pretty as Chef Ecuvillon's, but they were delicious.  When I made them at home in North Carolina, however, they really didn't come out well.  The reasons for this, along with American measurements and details will follow in part 2.

Brown's Hotel Scones
500 grams plain flour
17 grams baking powder
2 grams salt
100 grams cold, diced unsalted butter
100 grams sugar
250 ml cold milk
60 grams sultanas

For egg wash
2 large egg yolks
10 ml milk
pinch sugar

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Add the diced butter, and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is no longer visible.  Stir in the sugar.

Toss the sultanas into the above mixture.  Make a well in the mixture and pour in all of the milk. Stir with a spoon until the mixture starts to come together. 

Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently, 5 or 6 times, until it forms a smooth, soft dough.  Form the dough into a round and wrap in cling wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. or Gas Mark 6.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Roll the dough gently on a floured surface to about 2.5 cm. thick.  Dip a 5cm cookie cutter into flour, and then cut out the rounds, dipping the cutter as needed.  Press together scraps and re-cut.  Place the rounds on the parchment paper.

Alternatively, you can shape the dough into two 8-inch rounds and cut the rounds of dough into 8 wedges.

Make the egg wash, by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the scones are golden brown and look and feel cooked on the sides.  Let the scones cool until just barely warm, and serve with Devonshire Clotted Cream (recipe follows in Part 3, and fresh strawberry jam.

  

From left: Rhonda, me, Ann-my friend and our hostess, and Gail

 

Cheese Blintzes with Berry Sauce

I thought it would be simple to put together a nice blintz recipe to put up in time for New Year's Day brunch.  But then again, somehow I forgot that I am a compulsive food nut!  I started with my original recipe which called for 3 eggs, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 cup of flour and a few other ingredients (we'll get to the filling in a minute).  These wrappers were good, but they weren't quite as sturdy as I would have liked them and the batter was just a tad heavy which made swirling the pan a little harder than necessary.  I had seen some recipes on the Internet that varied a bit, and so I proceded to make them again, and again, and again until I can barely stand the thought of blintzes (at least in the near future).  I tried adding more milk, using water instead of milk, adding melted butter, etc.  The ones made with water were flat tasting and didn't brown up enough.  The ones mades with less egg and more flour were tough and dry and stuck to the pan.  Finally I thought I would try adding a little more egg, and voila - I had the wrapper I was after.  As for the filling, you might see recipes that call for pot cheese, farmer's cheese, cottage cheese or ricotta.  Personally, I have never seen pot cheese in the store, and I knew that the farmer's cheese that we get here was totally wrong - it is a brick of cheese with a dense texture- not at all the right texture or taste (we don't get Friendship farmer's cheese, which I understand might be perfect).  Ricotta didn't work for me either because it contains vinegar, and the taste is all wrong.  After researching pot cheese and farmer's cheese I learned that traditionally, these are fresh milk cheeses that aren't readily available because they spoil fast, but that they are basically cottage cheese that has been drained so that the texture is drier and firmer (and that's what I had always used in the past).  I made my filling with a low fat cottage cheese, and also a full-fat cottage cheese, but the difference wasn't great, so I opted to stay with the lower fat cheese.  Don't forget that once you press out the liquid, the denser cheese is also denser in calories and most other nutritional elements.  Besides the type of cheese, there were instructions for processing the cheese, whipping the cheese, hand-beating the cheese or stirring it.  For my Light Jewish Holiday Dessert cookbook, I had made some lowfat blintzes, in which I had processed the filling.  I remembered that I didn't quite like the texture this made, but it hadn't made much difference for that book, because there was also an apple filling inside of the blintz.  But with just cheese,  I wanted this filling to be perfect.  I tried the processing method again, and also used the beater on another batch. Both of those methods created a cheese that was too thin. I decided to stir everything together by hand, pressing the cheese against the side of the bowl to make it a little smoother (I don't think for blintzes that you want a totally smooth filling).  I also used the filling at room temperature and one batch with refrigerated cheese and the difference was vast.  The ones with the room temperature  cheese were runny and grainy, while the chilled filling hung together nicely and remained creamy.  Even with the colder cheese, the filling wasn't as firm as I would have liked it.  I did some more experimenting adding more egg  and then egg and flour to the filling, and here again, the results were spectacular.  The filling with more egg and a little flour held on to its shape even after the blintzes were fried and warmed in the oven.  I'm sure that those of you who eat blintzes have a mental idea of what is perfect for you.  Now that you know the effects of these ingredients, techniques and temperatures you'll be able to tweak the recipe to create your own perfect version. By the way, the berry sauce was also an adventure (recipe follows). 
Happy New Year!

Makes 10 Blintzes

Blintz Batter
2 large pasteurized eggs
1/2 cup milk (skim to whole, your choice)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour, measured by fluffing, scooping and levelling

Cheese Filling
2 pounds cottage cheese (brand matters - use one that tastes sweet and delicious to you!)
2 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons powdered sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large pasteurized egg, whisked (instructions for regular eggs follow)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for frying

Berry Topping
3 cups blackberries
3 cups raspberries
2 cups blueberries
1/3 -2/3 cup sugar, to taste
dash cinnamon, optional
1 teaspoon cornstarch,  optional

For the very best results, you'll want to make the filling far enough in advance so that it will be cold when you fill and fry the blintzes.   You can also make the wrappers a few days ahead, if you like.  If you want  the berries softer and sweeter, make them in advance, too.  At the very least, you want to make the berry topping at least 1-2 hours ahead of serving, especially if using blackberries, which have very firm center cores.

For the blintz batter, place the eggs,  milk, salt , and sugar  in a food processor bowl.  Process until well blended.  Add the flour, all at once.  Process for 5 seconds to blend the ingredients.  Scrape down the bowl and pulse for 3 more seconds to blend well.  Transfer the batter to a storage container.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.

To make the filling, you'll need to drain and press the moisture out of the cheese.  I've tried cheesecloth, the traditional method, but find it messy and inefficient.  I find that the easiest way to do this is in a knee-high stocking.  Cut off the top 3 inches of the stocking, and then put it in a tall glass with the top of the stocking cuffed over the top of the glass so that it will stay in place when you fill it with the cheese. 

 Hold the stocking over the sink with one hand, squeeze all of the filling towards the tip of the stocking. 

Continue to squeeze the cheese until the stuff coming out looks very thick or like curds are coming out.

The best way to get the cheese back out of the stocking is to put the stocking back into the glass, fold the top over the glass (as in the beginning), and then holding onto the stocking on the outside of the glass, turn the glass upside down over the bowl.  Shake the glass crisply and the cheese should start coming out of the stocking. Once it starts coming out, you can squeeze the stocking to help it along. 

You have now made pot cheese or farmer's cheese!  Add the cream cheese and press it against the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon.  Once it is smoothly against the bowl, start mixing the cottage cheese and cream cheese together by mashing it against the side of the bowl.  The object is to mix the two together and to smooth out the cottage cheese a little - you are not aiming at a smooth filling - just one that is smooth enough to be pleasing on the tongue!  Stir in the remaining filling ingredients until well blended.  Transfer to a covered storage container, and refrigerate until cold or up to 1 day ahead.

Before starting the blintz wrappers (crepes),  have a piece of parchment paper near the stove onto which you will flip the crepes.  Remove the blintz batter from the refrigerator and stir it.  Heat a small nonstick pan over medium to high heat (depending on your stove and pan), until a droplet of water rolls around in the pan ( you can also use a carbon steel crepe pan, but you'll need to lightly butter it).  Ladle about 3 tablespoons of batter (a scant 1/4 cup) directly into the center of the pan.  Immediately pick up the pan and swirl the pan around and around so that the batter widens out  to fill the whole pan with batter.  By the time you do this, the crepe will almost be finished cooking.  Set it back down on the burner to finish cooking any spots that still look shiny.  As soon as the entire surface is dull, the crepe is done. 

To get the crepe out of the pan,  start the edge with a fork and then just turn the pan upside down over the parchment.  Once the edge is raised you'll be able to grab it and pull, and the whole crepe should come down onto the parchment paper.  You want this side of the crepe to be nicely browned, but not too brown or burned.  Adjust the burner accordingly.  On my heavy-duty gas range with an All-Clad pan, I start off medium-high and then need to turn it down to medium-low, but each stove will be different.

For my taste, the crepe on the left hand is too light, while the one on the right is just a bit too dark.  You can stack the crepes one on top of the other, and fill them as soon as they are all done, or cover them with wrap and refrigerator for several days before using.

Make the berry topping, sometime before you start filling the blintzes, either within 2 hours or ahead. 

In a small pot, combine 1 cup washed blackberries and 1 cup of washed blueberries**.  Place the remaining washed berries in a bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the berries in the pot and 1/4 cup sugar to the berries in the bowl.  Let both sets stand for 10 minutes.  Mash the berries in the pot with a potato masher or fork. 
Place the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons water.  Bring the berries to a boil, reduce the heat and let the mixture cook for 4 minutes.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture, bring it back to a simmer and let the mixture cook for 1 minute or until it goes from being cloudy to being clear. Let the cooked berries cool for 1 minute, and then strain them over the berries in the bowl.

Toss the berries with the cooked mixture until everything is well coated.  Set aside at room temperature for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, or transfer to a covered storage container and refrigerate until ready to serve (we like the berries at room temperature but you can eat them at any temperature you like).

 When ready to assemble the blintzes, preheat the oven to 200 degrees if you've used pasteurized eggs and to 300 degrees if you've used regular eggs in the filling.  Take the wrappers and cheese out of the refrigerator.  Set one wrapper on a piece of parchment or work surface with the browned side up.  Place about 2-1/2 tablespoons of the filling  on the crepe, just downward of the center in a mound that is about 1-inch x 3-inches. 

Most instructions call for folding over the bottom edge first and then the sides, but I think they are easier to make if the sides are folded in first, and then the bottom.  If done this way the crepe will stick to itself and you won't be fighting with it trying to get the sides to stay in.

Fold the bottom part over the filling and then continue to roll the blint up into a cylinder.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to a large frying pan (I use cast iron), and heat until the pan is hot and the butter has started to brown.  Add half of the blintzes to the frying pan  and cook for a few minutes on each side until they are brown on both sides.

Drain the blintzes on paper towels and then put them on a pan and set in the warm oven.  Repeat with the remaining blintzes.  If you have used pasteurized eggs in the filling, they won't need more than 5 minutes in the oven to warm them up.  You don't want the filling too hot or the blintzes will be hard to eat.  If you have used regular eggs, you want the filling to reach 160 degrees.  This should take 10-15 minutes in the oven.  Let them cool down before you eat them, or the filling will be unpleasantly hot.

Serve the warm blintzes with a bowl of sour cream and the berries.

**You can use any mix of berries that you like, but don't mash raspberries unless you are fond of the seeds.  Even if you strain them, lots of the raspbery seeds will get into the sauce (to strain raspberries you need a fine mesh strainer, a food mill or a chinois).  If you are using only blackberries, you can skip the heating process. Just mash 1/3 of the berries, add back into the  remaining sugared berries and let them macerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Enjoy the berry sauce on pancakes, waffles, blintzes, cottage cheese or ice cream.

Grape Jam

First, let me say that you have never tasted anything like jam made from the following recipe. It’s not even remotely related to the jam you get in the supermarket, but an intense blast of grape that takes your breath away. Making grape jam is a labor of love - and I do mean labor. If you aren’t serious about cooking and food, you don’t want to even contemplate this recipe. Every year I vow that it will be the last year I make it, but every year as we finish our stash of jam, I once again bring out all of my equipment and settle down for several days of jam making.

Nowadays, in the United States, you can get practically any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year, even if the quality might suffer a little. But if you live on the East Coast, Concord grapes, the kind needed to make grape jam, are only available September through October. For the best jam, it’s best to wait until early October when all of the grapes you get will be dark purple, sweet and plump.

Why is my jam so different from commercial jam? I believe it’s because I pop the pulp out of the skins and cook the pulp, but leave the skins uncooked. These I puree (almost) and then sieve them together with the pulp. I use much less sugar than commercial jam so that the grape flavor can shine through. But make no mistake, this is NOT low-sugar jam – only lower than the commercial variety. Because it’s got less sugar than normal, I do need to use low-sugar pectin.

Penny’s Incredible Grape Jam
Makes 8 wide-mouth 12-ounce jars

7 dry quarts of concord grapes
56-58 ounces sugar (8 to 8-1/3 cups)
3/4 cup water
63-66 grams (more than 1 box) Sure-Jell™ – No Sugar Needed Pectin (in the pink box)
dash of cooking oil

To make this quantity of jam, you are going to need a large canning pot in which to sterilize the jars and seal the jars. And you’ll also need a very large stockpot in which to cook the jam. If you decide to make a smaller quantity, you will need a pot that is 3 times larger than the quantity of jam you are making, as it bubbles up quite a bit as it cooks.

I also have some other canning supplies that are useful: special tongs with which to hold the jars, and a funnel that is especially made for jam making. I use a mesh lingerie bag to hold the lids and tops. A food mill is also essential.

To start, put the jars (without the lids and tops), into the canner and fill the whole thing so that the jars are covered by about 1-1/2-2-inches of water. Put the lids and tops in the mesh bag and put it in the canner ( tops can never be re-used, but the lids and jars can be used year to year, as long as the lids are not rusty) . Cover, and bring the pot to boiling. Turn down the heat and keep it at a simmer.

To make the jam, place the grapes in a colander and wash them well.

Over the cooking pot, squeeze each grape, forcing the pulp to pop out into the pot. Place the skins in a large processor bowl.

I usually process half of the skins at a time, for about 1 minute. They will get very liquidy.

Pour the contents of the processor into the food mill, which has been placed over a super-size measuring cup. Press the contents through the mill until only the dryish skins remain. Repeat with the remaining skins

Add the water to the pulp and set it on the stove. Boil the pulp for 5 minutes. Pour the pulp and liquid on top of the skin residue in the food mill, and press everything through , using a back and forth motion of the mill, so that you aren’t grinding up the seeds, but are getting the pulp to go through.

Discard the seeds and remaining residue. You should have approximately 9 cups of grape juice. Remove any extra or add a little water if needed so that you have exactly 9 cups of juice. Make sure that the cooking pot has no seeds in it. Pour the juice into the cooking pot.

Measure out the sugar (there's a range to allow for personal taste, but also the grapes vary in sweetness). In a small bowl, combine 2/3 cup of the sugar with the pectin (you have a range here too - also depending on how sweet the grapes are).

Gradually stir this into the grape juice. Add a dash of oil, so that the jam doesn’t get too foamy when it starts to boil.

Set the pot on the stove and bring it to a full-rolling boil – that is, a boil that can not be stirred down, stirring continuously ( the mixture will be a muddy, maroon color).

Dump in the sugar, all at once. Stirring continuously, cook until the sugar is completely melted, and then bring the mixture to a full rolling boil again. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. At this point the mixture will triple in volume, bubbling furiously, and will change to a dark purple color (although the picture doesn’t show the color clearly).

When the minute is up, turn off the heat. If using an electric stove, you will need to slide the pot off of the burner, so that it doesn’t continue to cook. Skim off any foam and discard it.

Take three of the jars out of the boiling water, using the special jar holder (so that you don’t get burned), emptying the water back into the pot. Turn the jars upside down onto a towel, and then using oven mitts, turn them right side up. Remove the tops and lids from the boiling water and let drain on the towel, as well.

Place the funnel in one jar, and ladle in the hot jam, filling the jar as high as it will go without touching the funnel.

Remove the funnel. If there is any jam on the rim of the jar, wipe it off with a clean, damp cloth.

Place the top on the jar and then screw on the lid. Repeat with the remaining jars, and then take out three more hot jars and repeat the process.

Tighten the lids, and using the jar holder, place the jars back in the boiling water. Cover the pot, and simmer the jars for 5 minutes.

Remove the jars from the simmering water, and set them aside to cool. As they cool, you should here the lids pop down. To make sure that each jar is well sealed, press on the top of the lid. If there is any movement, the jar is not sealed, and should be placed in the refrigerator. The remaining jars can be put in the pantry for 12-18 months. To use, remove the screw lid, and use a beer bottle opener to pry up the top. Store in the refrigerator once opened.

You can see in the photo that the jam on the back muffin is redder and thicker and the jam on the front half is more grape-looking and runnier. Both were made with the exact same recipe. Logically you would think (or I did) that the darker one would be sweeter. But in fact the darker one was more tart and runnier. Cooking might be science, but sometimes you don’t know what the parameters are until you are into it! At this moment I am recooking the runny jam with another half cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of pectin/water mixture (ratio is on the box of pectin). Always an adventure!