Last Updated on November 1, 2017
Have you ever heard of sea grape jelly? Seagrapes grow all along Florida’s coastline. Sea grapes are synonymous with Florida’s coastal landscape and make a great jelly. .
Making Authentic Florida Sea Grape Jelly
Written by Robin Draper, reprinted courtesy of Visit Sarasota.
Old-timers and newcomers alike enjoy making the classic sea grape jelly and now is a good time to get outdoors, walk the beach, and collect the sea grapes.
Where To Find Sea Grapes
Seagrapes cannot be normally purchased at markets. So this will require an authentic Florida outing.
Seagrapes are usually gathered at most public beaches or near coastal waterways throughout central and south Florida. Distinguished by heart-shaped leaves, sea grapes generally ripen in the fall.
They range in color from lime green to dark purple. But for picking and harvesting sea grapes, you’ll want to choose the medium purple ones.
Using a bucket, comb your finger over the grapes. The ripe ones should fall off easily.
Sea Grape Jelly
Ingredients
- 8 cups of sea grapes
- 4 cups of water
- 5 cups of sugar
- 1 box (1.75 ounces) of Sure-Jell pectin (thickener found in the baking section)
- 8 - ½ pint canning jars
- 2 limes (¼ cup of lime juice)
- ½ teaspoon butter
- Potato masher
- Stainless steel pot (6+ quarts)
- Large colander
- Package of cheesecloth (cheesecloth recommended), or two pieces of cheesecloth – 2 feet long each
- OR
- 1 large round, handheld mesh strainer (pasta strainer) – if not using cheesecloth
- Package of cheesecloth (cheesecloth recommended), or two pieces of cheesecloth – 2 feet long each or 1 large round, handheld mesh strainer (pasta strainer) – if not using cheesecloth
Instructions
- Collect 8 cups of sea grapes. They should be pinkish-purple (not greenish). Again, ripe grapes should fall into your bucket easily as you comb the fruit from the stem.
- Next, rinse the sea grapes in a colander, picking out ones that are unripe.
- In a stainless steel pot, place the grapes and water on medium heat (water should cover the grapes) and cook for 1 & ¼ hours until the seeds begin to break away from the fruit and the skins soften. Press with a potato masher to further loosen the fruit.
- Next, your goal is to squeeze the pulp to obtain the juice of the grapes.
- Cut two strips of cheesecloth (2 feet long) and spread over a colander that should be sitting on top of a bowl to collect the juice.
- Then, place the cooked grape mixture into the cheesecloth, enclosing the cloth to form a large tight ball. Squeeze the juice out of the pulp into the bowl. Be patient, it will come!
- Place a mesh strainer in a large bowl, and begin spooning the cooked grape mixture into the strainer, and press so that the juice drips into the bowl below. You will end up with around 4 cups.
- Next, add approximately one cup of water to the pressed remaining juice to make 5 cups total.
- Then, in a large pot bring the 5 cups of juice/water, 1 package of Sure-Jell, ½ teaspoon butter, ¼ cup of lime juice to a rolling boil.
- Slowly add five cups of sugar, stirring. Bring the mixture to another boil for 1 minute.
- Pour the jelly mixture into the sterilized canning jars and seal tightly. Let it set up (thicken) overnight.
How To Make Sea Grape Jelly
The ingredients are relatively simple and the results are Authentic!
- Rinse the sea grapes in a colander, picking out ones that are unripe.
- In a stainless steel pot, place the grapes and water on medium heat (water should cover the grapes) and cook for 1 & ¼ hours until the seeds begin to break away from the fruit and the skins soften.
Press with a potato masher to further loosen the fruit. Next, your goal is to squeeze the pulp to obtain the juice of the grapes.
- Cut two strips of cheesecloth (2 feet long) and spread over a colander that should be sitting on top of a bowl to collect the juice.
- Then, place the cooked grape mixture into the cheesecloth, enclosing the cloth to form a large tight ball. Squeeze the juice out of the pulp into the bowl.
You will end up with around 4 cups.
Next, add approximately one cup of water to the pressed remaining juice to make 5 cups total.
Then, in a large pot bring the 5 cups of juice/water, 1 package of Sure-Jell, ½ teaspoon butter, ¼ cup of lime juice to a rolling boil. Slowly add five cups of sugar, stirring.
Bring the mixture to another boil for 1 minute.
Pour the jelly mixture into the sterilized canning jars and seal tightly. Let it set up (thicken) overnight.
Enjoy your Authentic Florida Sea Grape Jelly.
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