I discovered a huge amount of wild grapes on our property. I looked on the internet and found jelly and jam recipes for wild grapes. We have had a serious drought this year in the spring and again in late summer continuing into the fall. I have seen on various wine tasting and wine making shows that grapes thrive in dry climates, which includes France, California, Italy and Australia where the world’s best wines are produced. Could it be that I never noticed these wild grapes because they didn’t produce well in our normal rainy climate? Only the future will tell, but these grapes are still small and not very juicy, which I attribute to their wild strain, rather than anything else. A scripture came to mind as I was contemplating this discovery, “This is what the Lord says: “As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is still a blessing in it,’ so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all.” (Isaiah 65:8) God’s nature is gracious, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;” (Isaiah 42:3) So, I saw this in the wild grapes. 

I read that pectin was not necessary when using the grape skins to make the jam as ample amounts of natural pectin is in them. I harvested a bag full of wild grapes. 

In the end, pectin was necessary, but it had a nice tart grape flavor.