A herald of Autumn days, Concord grapes make for a bright, refreshing soda – perfect for spells of warmer weather during the early fall.
Concord grapes were developed in Concord, Massachusetts, and they’re usually harvested from September to late October. Here on our farm in the Pacific Northwest, we just harvested the rest of our Concord grapes this October and have them chilling in the cooler, waiting to be made into jam.
Since we often experience some swings of warmer temperatures this time of year, though, I felt like these grapes would make a perfect addition to a liturgical soda fountain repertoire!
…and with the wheat harvest in, autumnal grape soda with a sprig of wheat (you can chew on the wheat berries!) serves as a symbolic reminder of the Eucharist.
Recipe
Autumnal Concord Grape Soda
A herald of Autumn days, Concord grapes make for a bright, refreshing soda – perfect for spells of warmer weather during the early fall.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Concord grapes, stems removed
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 tsp lime or lemon juice
Directions
- Add all the ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Decrease heat and simmer gently (uncovered) for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Strain the grape mixture into a bowl, pressing down on it with a large spoon to get as much syrup as possible out. Discard the leftover seed & pulp.
- Cool syrup to room temp and chill in the refrigerator.
- Fill a 12 oz. glass halfway with ice. Add 1/4 cup of grape syrup and top with cold seltzer. Garnish with a sprig of wheat!
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