Ohioguy wrote:
I found a Concord seedless grape at the local Lowe's,
Anyone have any experience with these, or have any suggestions?
I've talked to a number of folks who seem to have a grape harvest
every year, and some of them say they haven't done anything other than
prune them back once in a while.

I grew concord grapes for more than 50 years. Pruning is not a once
in a while haphazard thing. Pruning grapes is an art form that
requires due diligence. Unless grapes are properly pruned one will
not be successful with a large crop of large well formed grapes and
harvest will be difficult. The first pruning is done in the spring
after the grapes form (the size of BBs), one removes 1/3 of the new
growth by weight, experience will teach how to judge. The second
pruning is in the fall after the leaves begin to brown, then one
removes everything up to the last year's buds. A proper trellis and
training is import too, and there are many ways to trellis and train
vines. I strongly suggest you read all you can find, there is much
information about how to grow grapes, how to build a trellis, and how
to train vines on the net. There is no one best way, different
growers do grapes differently, naturally they all swear by their
method. In fifty years of growing I never fertilized or used any
chemicals, no reason to, grape vine roots are extensive and grow
deep... any surface fertilizing won't reach their roots and may even
cause them not to seek their full depth... I never watered either.
Since retirement I moved and I don't grow grapes here, however
conditions in the Catskills afre ideal for grpe growing, witness by
all the wild grape vines I'm constanly battling in my woods and
hedgerows, just yesterday I mowed my back field and my path through my
woods and after mowing I spent severl hours lopping grape vines. If
left to their own devices grapes will strangle trees and kill them by
blocking them from receiving any light. Some of those vines were as
thick as my arm. Wild grapes grow fast and are very good at hiding as
their main stem grows up a tree trunk. Anyway, after all that labor
you'll have to decide what to do with concord grapes, they are not
easy to give away as most folks don't like to eat them fresh, and
preparing jams and jellies is a lot of work. You first need to pot
their pulp from their skins so you can cook them separately, otherwise
your jams and jellies will contain a lot of seeds... you need the
skins for flavor and color. I used to use some for baking but I was
lucky to have some Oriental neigbors to give them to, for some reason
they love to eat fresh concord grapes and it's rare to find concord
grapes for sale at food market produce sections. Cooking concord
grapes for jams will cramp your fingers so badly you won't be anxious
to do it again... was a time I used to slip skins from over 200 pounds
of grapes. After a while I mostly used the leaves to make dolmas. Oh,
and don't ever tie grape vines to its trellis (you'll kill the vine),
anyone who tells you to tie grape vines to the trellis has never grown
grapes and has never even seen grapes growing, anyone who has ever
grown grapes would know that they attach themselves with strong
tendrills that wrap quite tightly. This is a photo of my concords
before they turned purple, anyone can plainly see the tendrils
attaching to the trellis and to the vine itself:
http://i50.tinypic.com/2q9b2p0.jpg

Here is my Concord grape recipe file:

"Good Picking" GRAPE JAM

Pick 3-1/2 lbs Concord grapes.
Slip skins from pulp and set aside.
Place grape pulp in stainless jelly pot
with 1/2c water.

Bring to boil & simmer 5 mins.
Sieve to remove seeds.
Finely chop skins & add to cooked pulp.

Measure 5c grape pulp mixture
and return pulp to jelly pot.

Add 7-1/2c sugar, 1/2t butter.

Heat medium heat till sugar
melted, then adjust to high heat.

Heat and stir to full rolling
boil that will not stop.

Add 1 pouch Certo and return
to full rolling boil at high heat.
Boil exactly one minute stirring constantly.

Fill jars to 1/8in.
Seal with lids.
Invert 5 mins.


GRAPE JAM -- Ball Blue Book

2 quarts stemmed concord grapes
6 cups sugar

Separate pulp from skins of grapes. If desired, chop skins. Cook
skins gently 15 to 20 minutes, adding only enough water
to prevent sticking (about 1/2 cup). Cook pulp without water until
soft; press through sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp,
skins and sugar in a large sauce pot. Bring
slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar disolves. Cook rapidly almost
to jellying point, about 10 minutes. As mixture
thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour hot into
hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps.
Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.
Yield: about 3 pints.


Grape Pie (Welch's)

4 Cups Concord grapes
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 TBS. lemon juice
1-2 TBS. quick tapioca

Slip grapes from skins. Save skins.
Cook pulp until seeds loosen. Press through sieve.
Mix pulp, skins and remaining ingredients.
Let stand 5-10 minutes. Pour into UNBAKED pie shell,
top with second crust and bake. Pie will be done when
it is bubbling in the center (takes 45-60 minutes to bake).

(Special notes: Start pie at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350. Vent top crust well since this pie
tends to bubble over because of the high sugar content.
You may want to put a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom
of the oven to catch any spills.)


Concord Grape Pie (anon)

pastry for single crust pie
11/2 lbs. concord grapes (4 cups)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
2 T. butter or margarine melted
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Prepare and roll out pastry into a 12 inch circle. Line a 9 inch pie
plate and flute edge. Do not prick pastry. Slip skins from grapes
and set skins aside. In saucepan bring grape pulp to a boil. Reduce
the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Sieve to remove seeds. Add
skins to pulp. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and the salt.
Stir in the butter, lemon juice and grape mixture. Pour into pastry
shell. To prevent over browning cover edge of pie with tinfoil. Bake
in 375 degrees for 20 -25 minutes. Mean while combine 1/2 cup flour
and 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until crumbly. Remove foil
from pie. Sprinkle crumbs mixture over pie. Bake about 25 minutes
more.
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