Recipe: Baco Noir Wine Jelly

Recipe: Baco Noir Wine Jelly

Homemade Red Wine Jelly - TheMessyBaker.com

Get smug while making preserves and you’ll smart for it. Think you’re too coordinated to need a funnel? Well, let me tell you, one blob of 220°F  jelly straight to the thumb will change your mind in a heck of a hurry. It certainly made me rethink saving a few bucks. After a couple of years eyeballing it with a ladle, I’m now the contrite owner of a stainless steel canning funnel from Lee Valley. And no, they didn’t pay me for the mention. I’m just trying to save you some grief.

Of course, to make the trek worthwhile, I left with an herb infuser and jelly bag. I was determined the next batch wouldn’t beat me. And it didn’t.

Despite the blister on my thumb, I had a lot of fun making wine jelly from We Sure Can. Not only does Sarah B. Hood present an amazing array of jams, jellies, compotes, chutneys and pickles, she selected her recipes with a wide range of people in mind. In the section entitled “What Kind of Canner are You?” Sarah nails the different approaches: Thrifty Householder, Crafty DIYer, Foodie, and Homesteader are just a few of the personalities driven to make their own garlic dills. The only category she missed was Stubborn Fool, but to be fair, we don’t last long at canning. We either morph quickly into a Gadget Gatherer and purchase all the required equipment (and then some), or throw our blistered hands in the air and leave it to the pros.

Being a Foodie at heart, I headed straight to page 230 for the Baco Noir Wine Jelly recipe. I was so excited I summoned my inner Homesteader and made my own apple pectin for the occasion. Turns out I’m too lazy and unorganized to live off the land for long. You need to make the apple pectin at least a day before the jelly and I’m not good at delaying gratification.

As this was my first foray into jelly, I used all of Sarah’s hard-earned clues to determine if the jelly had set. I watched the amount of steam rising from the pot, studied the pattern of the boiling bubbles, tested droplets on a chilled plate and even dusted off my candy thermometer. The final jelly was good enough to eat with a spoon. Which I did.

Scone worthy. Popover worthy. Gift worthy. There may be none left by the time this post goes live.

It was so good, I broke down and made more pectin for the Riesling jelly. My inner Homesteader emerged briefly to run out to the garden and pick the required lavender, rosemary and thyme (the recipe calls for oregano, but I improvised). My Gadget Gather rejoiced as she put her her newly purchased herb infuser, jelly bag  and canning funnel to good use. The Foodie loved the results. Everybody wins.

White and Red Wine Jelly in the sun - TheMessyBaker.com

Print

Baco Noir Wine Jelly

How to Sterilize and Process Preserves - TheMessyBaker.com

Love gourmet wine jelly but hate the price? This jelly will rival specialty preserves. Use your favourite dark red wine and enjoy.

  • Author: Charmian Christie
  • Yield: 2 1/2 cups 1x
  • Category: Preserves
  • Cuisine: North America

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup apple pectin
  • 1 1/2 cups Baco Noir (or similar dark red wine)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 tsp dried thyme or 6 stems of fresh thyme
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar

Instructions

  1. Sterilize jars and warm lids. (Full instructions are included in the book, click here for a details provided by Bernardin.)
  2. In a wide, deep, non-reactive pot with a thick bottom, combine apple pectin, wine and lemon juice.
  3. Put the pepper and thyme into a jelly bag and immerse it in the pot, then bring the liquid to a boil, skimming off foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Skim the mixture again, then remove the seasonings and add the sugar, stirring well until the sugar dissolves completely.
  5. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring frequently and skimming foam if necessary, until it reaches the setting point. (To be 100% accurate, use a candy thermometer and cook until the jelly reaches 220°F.)
  6. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Seal with warm lids and process for 10 minutes at a rolling boil.
  7. Remove the canner lid, turn off the heat, and allow the jars to sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes to cool down.

Notes

Wine jellies tend to become foamy and expand to as much as three times their original volume while boiling, so be sure to use a big enough pot.

For White Wine Jelly: substitute Riesling or a similar light white wine for the red. Replace the 2 teaspoons dried thyme with 1 teaspoon each of dried lavender, rosemary and oregano.

This recipe is excerpted with permission from We Sure Can: How Jams and Pickles are Reviving the Lure and Lore of Local Food by Sarah B. Hood. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press © 2011.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @charmian_c on Instagram

Review in Brief

We Sure Can

Who this will appeal: All different kinds of canners, even those who are just curious and want to give it a try. There is something for everyone — and I mean everyone. Sarah B. Hood pulls her recipes from all across North America, so whether your palate turns to savoury or sweet, you’re sure to find a preserve or two that appeals.

Must make recipes: Normally a few recipes jump out at me, but with this book I just couldn’t decide. So I asked the author, who kindly obliged. Sarah said she might have picked the Baco Noir Wine or Chive Blossom Jelly, but settled on the following:

  • Strawberry Jam with balsamic vinegar and black pepper by Alec Stockwell, because it’s delicious and so well expresses the classic French tradition of jam making.
  • Fig, lemon and lavender marmalade by Gloria Nichol of Laundryetc., whose jam book Fruits of the Earth is so wonderful. It’s unexpetdely tasty with cheese.
  • Tomato sauce, because it’s one of the most thrifty recipes,and also because it really is a great way to preserve a seasonal flavour into the winter.

Biggest surprise: The absolutely brilliant — and I mean brilliant — inside cover flap. This easy-to-access area is reserved for cheat sheets covering the two most important aspects of all the recipes inside: Sterilizing Jars and Processing Food in Jars. No more hopping back and forth between the recipe and special instructions buried deep within the text. It’s right there for you. Brilliant. Wish I’d thought of that.

And once your perfectly set jam is sealed and cooled? Crafty DIYers will love the label, wrapping and gift idea section.

12 Comments
  • Maggie
    Posted at 15:48h, 20 September

    I made strawberry jam with balsamic vinegar and black pepper last year. It was delicious!

  • Rebecca
    Posted at 22:33h, 11 October

    Reason to can: because you can make things that you cant buy from the store. Baco Noir wine jelly qualifies. I may have to get my canner back out.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 09:46h, 12 October

    Good to know. I’m waiting the recommended one month — for the flavours to blend. But if it’s half as good as it smells, I’m making a triple batch next year!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 09:48h, 12 October

    Great reason! I’ve found wine jellies at food shows and specialty shops, but they’re very expensive! This was well worth the time (and bottle of baco!) Get that canner out and have some fun!

  • Susan Sampson
    Posted at 20:19h, 18 September

    This jelly sounds divine. I once made a sangria jelly but lost the recipe. Do you have the recipe for apple pectin or is in Sarah’s book? (I’m ordering a copy right now.)

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 21:15h, 18 September

    Oh, Sangria jelly sounds amazing! It would be fun to play with.

    The recipe for apple pectin is in Sarah’s book. Mine turned out a lovely soft rose shade. I froze some so I can make more wine jelly if I run out before Christmas. I think you’ll love her book. So many creative recipes. Try the one for Strawberry Balsamic and Black Pepper Jam. I love it with cheese!

  • Gary Dutko
    Posted at 18:05h, 18 August

    Can regular jelly or jam be made from Baco Noir grapes. I do not drink wine but have a bushel of Baco Noir grapes. Could not find anything on the internet about making jelly or jam from Baco Noir grapes. Hoping I can just substitute Baco’s for things like Concord or Niagara. HELP!!!!!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 19:30h, 18 August

    Good question. I’ve never tasted Baco Noir grapes (except as wine) but I don’t see why you can’t swap them for Concord when making preserves — providing the grape delivers the same tartness as the Concord. I am now quite curious.

    The recipe in this post is designed to be made with wine but my Concord jam recipe might work. If you do give this a try, I’d love to know how your jam turns out!

  • Gary Dutko
    Posted at 13:43h, 02 September

    Hi, Made the jelly/jam from Baco Noir grapes and it came out delicious. Email me your address and I will send you some samples. YUM!!! Gary

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 14:11h, 02 September

    Thanks so much for getting back to me on this. I was curious. Kudos for taking the chance with your precious grapes.

    I’m thrilled the jam turned out. I’ll email you privately.

  • Gary Dutko
    Posted at 14:12h, 02 September

    Sounds good, I love it and I am sure you will too. Gary

  • Pingback:Lemon, Fig and Lavender Marmalade with Sarah B Hood | The Messy Baker
    Posted at 15:13h, 14 April

    […] that persuaded me to buy a jelly bag and make my own from local apples. The one that had me making Baco Noir Wine Jelly so often friends and family suggested I try something else — black currant, […]