How do I make grape jelly that doesn't crystallize?

The gritty crystals in homemade grape jelly are usually tartrate crystals, which form from grape juice itself, and you prevent them before you cook. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) method is to let freshly extracted juice stand overnight in a cool place, then strain it through two layers of damp cheesecloth to leave the crystals behind. Then make the jelly: 5 cups of that juice, one package of powdered pectin and 7 cups of sugar, for 8 or 9 half-pints. This page covers the crystals, the tested Concord grape jelly and jam, other grapes, and jelly from bottled juice.

Two kinds of crystals, two different fixes

Grape jelly can get either kind, but tartrates are the grape-specific problem. More on sugar crystals and washing down the pan walls is on crystals in jam and grape jelly.

Settling out tartrates, step by step

NCHFP's two descriptions of this step differ slightly. The grape jelly recipe says to let the juice stand overnight "in a cool place" [2]; NCHFP's problem-solving page says to refrigerate the juice overnight [1]. Refrigeration is the cooler of the two and satisfies both, so this page uses it.

1. Extract the juice (method below) and let it cool.
2. Cover it and refrigerate overnight. The tartrate crystals form and settle to the bottom and sides.
3. Pour or ladle the juice off carefully, leaving the sediment behind.
4. Strain the juice through two layers of damp cheesecloth to catch any remaining crystals [2].
5. Measure the strained juice for your recipe.

Do not squeeze the cheesecloth. NCHFP says the clearest jelly comes from juice that drips through a jelly bag without pressing or squeezing [3].

Concord grape jelly with powdered pectin

From NCHFP, adapted from USDA's 1982 home bulletin [2].

Juice: about 3 1/2 pounds Concord grapes and 1 cup water make 5 cups of juice. Jelly: 5 cups grape juice, 1 package powdered pectin, 7 cups sugar. Yield: about 8 or 9 half-pints.

1. Sterilize canning jars and prepare two-piece canning lids according to the manufacturer's directions.
2. Sort, wash and remove stems from fully ripe grapes. Crush them, add 1 cup water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Extract the juice.
3. To prevent tartrate crystals, let the juice stand in a cool place overnight (this page refrigerates it, as explained above), then strain through two thicknesses of damp cheesecloth to remove crystals that have formed.
4. Measure 5 cups juice into a kettle. Add the pectin and stir well.
5. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
6. Add the 7 cups sugar, continue stirring, and heat again to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute.
7. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.
8. Pour the hot jelly immediately into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a dampened clean paper towel, adjust two-piece metal canning lids, and process in a boiling water canner.

NCHFP also lists a grape jelly with liquid pectin [4]. The two pectins are not interchangeable; see liquid or powdered pectin.

Grape jelly without added pectin

Grapes are one of five fruits in NCHFP's no-pectin jelly table [5]:

• Extract juice using no water or up to 1/4 cup per pound of fruit, simmered 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar and no lemon juice to each cup of strained juice.
• Four cups of juice make 8 to 9 half-pints.
• Use about 3/4 ripe and 1/4 underripe grapes, cook no more than 6 to 8 cups of juice at a time, and cook to the gel point [5].

The tartrate step applies here too. Because this route relies on the grapes' own pectin, it works best with the grapes NCHFP rates highest for natural pectin and acid, below.

Which grapes set on their own

NCHFP's sorting of fruit by natural pectin and acid treats grapes by region and form [6]:

So the same variety name can behave differently depending on where it grew. If your Concords come from the West, or you are not sure, use the powdered pectin recipe above. For sweet grapes, Pomona's directions for its calcium-set pectin require 1 tablespoon lemon juice per cup of juice, and make lemon optional for Concord [7]. Those amounts apply only to that pectin.

Muscadine and scuppernong grapes have their own NCHFP no-pectin jelly [4].

Jelly from bottled grape juice

Bottled and frozen juice makes good jelly, but only with added pectin. NCHFP says commercially canned or frozen juices are too low in pectin for the no-pectin method [5], and that juices like these may make soft spreads [8]. With a tested added-pectin recipe written for bottled juice, they set. NCHFP also notes that jellies made from bottled juices may take up to 2 weeks to set fully [1], so wait before you judge. Choosing a juice and following a tested bottled-juice recipe is covered on making jelly from bottled or frozen juice.

For less sugar, USDA's Guide 7 includes a refrigerator grape spread made with gelatin [9]. It is not processed or frozen and is kept refrigerated and used within 4 weeks [9]; see gelatin and chia spreads.

Grape jam and grape-plum jelly

Grape jam without pectin (NCHFP, from So Easy to Preserve, 2014) [10]: 2 quarts stemmed Concord grapes and 6 cups sugar, for about 6 half-pints. Sterilize canning jars. Separate the pulp from the skins. If desired, chop the skins in a blender or chopper, and cook them gently 15 to 20 minutes with about 1/2 cup water, only enough to keep them from sticking. Cook the pulp without water until soft and press it through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp, skins and sugar and bring to the jellying point (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently to prevent sticking as it thickens. Fill hot jam into hot jars with 1/4 inch headspace, wipe the rims with a dampened clean paper towel, adjust two-piece lids and process in a boiling water canner.

Grape-plum jelly (USDA) [9]: 3 1/2 pounds ripe plums, 3 pounds ripe Concord grapes, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine (optional, to reduce foam), 8 1/2 cups sugar and 1 box (1 3/4 ounces) powdered pectin, for about 10 half-pints. Wash and pit the plums; do not peel. Thoroughly crush the plums and grapes, one layer at a time, in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Strain the juice through a jelly bag or double layer of cheesecloth. Measure the sugar and set it aside. Combine 6 1/2 cups of juice with the butter and pectin in a large saucepan and bring to a hard boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, quickly skim off foam, and fill sterile jars with 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a dampened clean paper towel, adjust lids and process. More plum recipes are on plum jam.

Processing grape jelly and jam

That is the NCHFP and USDA chart for these recipes, in sterilized jars [2] [9] [10]. NCHFP says jars must be pre-sterilized for any process under 10 minutes [11]. For unsterilized jars, use the longer chart on how long to process jam.

Selling grape jelly

Grape juice is one of the juices named in the federal jelly standard, which requires at least 45 parts juice to 55 parts sugar and at least 65 percent soluble solids [12]. The juice side of that ratio is not the weight you poured into the pot: the regulation computes it from the juice's soluble solids times a factor for each fruit, 7.0 for grape [12]. The arithmetic is on how much fruit the law requires. Grape jam falls under the jam standard, where grape is a Group I fruit at 47 parts fruit to 55 parts sugar [13]. What "jelly" on your label commits you to is on what you can call your jam.

Getting the juice right

Clear juice is half of good grape jelly. Jelly bags, steam juicers, how much juice a pound of fruit gives and freezing juice for winter are on extracting juice for jelly, and the full jelly method is on how to make jelly.

References

1. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Jellied Fruit Products, accessed October 2026. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/causes-and-possible-solutions-for-problems-with-jellied-fruit-products/
2. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Grape Jelly with Powdered Pectin, June 2005, adapted from USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 56 (1982). https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jellies/grape-jelly-powdered-pectin/
3. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Extracting Juice for Jelly, accessed October 2026. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/extracting-juice-for-jelly/
4. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Jams & Jellies recipe index, accessed October 2026. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly
5. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Making Jelly without Added Pectin (Table 2), accessed October 2026. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/making-jelly-without-added-pectin/
6. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Jellied Product Ingredients, accessed October 2026. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/jellied-product-ingredients/
7. Pomona's Universal Pectin, Create Your Own Recipe: Developing or Converting Recipes for Cooked Jam or Jelly Using Pomona's Pectin, modified August 24, 2023. https://pomonapectin.com/?p=21164
8. National Center for Home Food Preservation, General Information on Canning Jams, Jellies, and Marmalades, accessed October 2026. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/general-information-on-canning-jams-jellies-and-marmalades/
9. USDA, Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 7: Preparing and Canning Jams and Jellies (Grape-Plum Jelly; Refrigerator Grape Spread), rev. 2015. https://nchfp.uga.edu/papers/guide/GUIDE07_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf
10. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Grape Jam without Pectin, adapted from So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed. (2014). https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams/grape-jam-without-pectin/
11. National Center for Home Food Preservation, Do I Need to Pre-Sterilize My Jars before Canning?, May 21, 2014. https://nchfp.uga.edu/blog/do-i-need-to-pre-sterilize-my-jars-before-canning
12. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 150.140, Canned fruit jelly (Cornell LII text, current). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/150.140
13. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 150.160, Canned fruit preserves and jams (Cornell LII text, current). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/150.160