Dear Curiosity Journal,
The grape jelly project is on the back burner of my mind while we harvest the first week of the fall CSA. I’ve processed 15 lbs of wild and cultivated grapes into 28 cups of juice, which has been refrigerated overnight. According to the wild grape jelly recipe I’m using, “Grape juice contains tartrate crystals, which are crystals of tartaric acid. When the juice is warm, the tartaric acid is dissolved in the juice, but once it cools, it solidifies into crystals. The crystals are intensely sharp and irritating, and they can actually damage your digestive tract.” Best not to skip the refrigeration and additional filtering step then. I observe myself taking on the persona of someone’s grandmother; warning Rufus not to bump my juice in the cooler, worrying about spilling, fixating on making the proper calculations, and presenting my 16 pints and 5 quarts as proud as a peacock at the end of the night – then promptly going to bed. It’s giving grandma vibes for sure.
~Joy
