A few years ago, Dave and I woke up on Saturday morning to take a drive to Calitzdorp. This is the home of South African Port and we really felt like tasting some. So, we found a Bed and Breakfast, made a reservation, found someone to feed the dogs and packed our overnight bags. We headed up the pass and after lunch wound our way to a town that was closed! Not one Port establishment was open, the main road was deserted and we decided to move along. I called Michelle to see where in the Garden Route they were staying, with the thought of spending a night with her and my step gran, to be told “we are about to enter a town called Calitzdorp”. They stopped, and we had tea and Dave and I went to spend the night along the coast.
A few months ago, we decided to drive home from Wilderness via Calitzdorp and tasted some Port at 10am! It might have been a bit early, but at least we got to see the town when it was open. I came home with some pink Port and when I saw Woolworths had some pink grapes, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the grapes and the Port. I thought a nice, soft jelly would be perfect, not only for some blue cheese, but for a dessert topping too.
- 1 lemon
- 225 grapes, including the stalks
- 600mls water
- 375g sugar - I used fructose
- 50mls pink Port
- squeeze the lemon and set the juice aside
- chop up the peel and add it to a pan with the grapes and the water
- bring to the boil
- reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour
- strain through a chinois, gently pressing all the juice out of the grapes
- add the juice, the lemon juice, the sugar and the port into a pan
- cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves
- bring to the boil and continue boiling until it reaches setting stage
- this should take about 20 minutes
- remove from the heat
- skim off any scum carefully using a slotted spoon
- pour into a warm sterilized glass jar
- place a wax paper disc, wax side down on the jelly
- seal with a lid and store in a dark, cool place for up to 3 months
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Grapes? With Stalks? Oh, I get it I think…that’s a weight…
yes, you need to weigh the grapes with the stalks on 🙂
OO that sounds fantastic. but do i have to count the grapes? c
I just weighed them – and there is no need to be accurate – I just had to be for the recipe as it was made for Woolworths 🙂
Hehe…Yes Celi…225, no more , no less…
Oh, thanks for doing the counting LOL
So pretty! And what a classy item to combine with blue cheese. Mmm, makes me miss blue cheese…
thanks so much 🙂
Sounds jst wonderful!
thanks Greg 🙂
That has to be totally delicious
it is Roger, thanks 🙂
This looks so pretty and how fantastic with blue cheese. Don´t think I´ve ever heard of either pink port or pink grapes!
you can use normal port and black grapes – it will just have a different colour 🙂
This recipe is screaming for a cream cheese bagel with your pink port jelly on top. Yum
oh yum *heads off shopping* 🙂
Tandy this is just gorgeous and so beautifully photographed – although I could skip the blue cheese.
🙂 Mandy
try it with some cheese cake! thanks for the compliment Mandy 🙂
I’ve always wanted to taste a pink grape. Ever since I’ve heard about them.. I always wanted to see what they taste like. I definitely have to try them out when their in season here.. and this jelly sounds divine
the jelly is scrummy – the grapes are really nice – a soft taste 🙂