The Land of Grapes

Plaque on former headquarters of Welch's Grape Juice

Here in upstate New York, the grapes are ripe.  On the roadsides along the Finger Lakes (a little more than an hour from where I live), signs advertise grapes or grape juice for sale.  The wineries prepare for an onslaught of tourists for harvest season.

This past September, I had the privilege of visiting concord grape country.  Mile after mile of grape farms lined the roads along Lake Erie on the New York/Pennsylvania border.

We were told that when the grapes are harvested, the air is scented with the scent of grape jelly.

Many of the fields contain Concord grapes.  Those grapes, the grapes you find in concord grape jelly and grape juice and yes, certain types of very sweet wine.  But, commercial varieties of those products don't always reveal the true taste of the concord grape.  (I never tasted "true" grape jelly until I was about 14 years old - and then, never went back to the commercial type.)  And, if you are a wine drinker, you really should try dry concord wine.  Yes, there's such a thing.

Concord grapes were developed, in 1849, from a wild, North American grape.  I am not any kind of grape expert, but I do know there were problems with disease affecting European grapes that the early settlers tried to grow.  The Concord grape, developed in Concord, Massachusetts escaped those problems because of their native American heritage, plus they matured relatively early, perfect for escaping the first frosts.

Concord grapes ripening near Westfield, New York

In 1869, a New Jersey dentist, Dr.Welch, developed a bottled unfermented grape juice, using the then new process of pasteurization.  We visited the pleasant village of Westfield, New York, where Welch's was headquartered.  The above building, sadly vacant, once contained Welch's headquarters.

Some people do not enjoy eating these grapes fresh, because they have a very tart skin, but I love them. I find the texture of the grape inside to be something like muscadine, but more bursting in flavor (and smaller, too). If I start eating a bunch, I can't stop.

I don't worry too much, because Concord grapes are high in nutrition and low in calories.  They are high in polyphenol, an antioxidant.  They contain vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus. One cup of concord grapes, according to online sources, contains 62 calories. As they are a good natural source of oxalates, these sources warn that people prone to kidney stones should watch intake of Concord grapes. (Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional.)

Today, I dream of grapes, and miles and miles of grapevines....