This amazing Bordeaux Red Wine Jelly recipe is super easy and so very delightful on your toast or with a cheeseboard. I made this red wine jelly for Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas TV show when I was a finalist.
Any of my friends will tell you that I appreciate a nice glass of red, hell I’ve been known to hoover up many a not-so-nice red as well. We’re talking red wine here folks of course…
One’s red wine consumption is of course curtailed to the socially accepted wine times of the day. If out and about with friends one can sometimes enjoy a glass with lunch and then when the sun goes over the proverbial yardarm the clock strikes wine and all is well with the world.
Red wine in the kitchen…
Like most folks who play with food in the kitchen I cook with wine, you can get the great grape into many a meal from gravy to sorbet, I’ve tried them all.
But how can one legitimately enjoy the odd bit of Bordeaux at breakfast without having the health and addictions police battering at your door?
Why jelly of course, red wine jelly!
Red wine jelly puts a whole new spin on the old PBJ sandwich, it livens up the humblest slice of toast and doesn’t even bother if you are crass enough to introduce it to sliced white instead of the preferred baguette. Not just grape jelly, red wine grape jelly!
Ingredients for Red Wine Jelly
- Red grapes
- Red wine
- Apples
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make red wine jelly
This is an overnight drip job so have a bit of patience please. You have to simmer the grapes and apples and mash them down a bit. Then leave them in a jelly bag to drip out their gorgeous juice.
Next day make the juice that has dripped into your jug up to 500ml with red wine (doesn’t really have to be Bordeaux of course. Any red wine will do). Then add the required sugar and boil to a set.
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.
Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;
How to make great jam and marmalade
How to make chutney and relish
How to sterilise jars and bottles
How much Bordeaux jelly does this make?
I only had a few grapes in the fruit bowl so only made one jar of this gorgeous jelly. Want more Bordeaux jelly? Then just double up the recipes to make as much as you like.
Serving ideas
This red wine jelly goes just as well with savouries and fairly dances on to a cheese board to shimmy with the brie.
I’ve even served my red wine jelly slightly warmed and drizzled over seriously good plain vanilla ice-cream. Give it a swirl and you have a grown up ripple to rock the senses and give Hagen Daas a run for their money any day.
You can also use this red wine jelly to liven up Game or beef stews, just stir in a couple of tablespoons to add a bit more depth of flavour.
Maybe try this as a glaze on baked ham too.
Finally, you can thin it out with a little more red wine and use as a luxurious topping on really good vanilla ice cream.
The inspiration
I came up with this recipe really as an experiment to use up a bunch of red grapes that just weren’t going to get finished. I hate wasting food so will make jams and jellies out of a very small amount of fruit. Grapes in this case.
Not wanting just to make grape jam I decided to throw in some red wine and go for a real red wine jelly instead.
Bordeaux Jelly on TV
I made this gorgeous red wine jelly for my Auld Alliance (the famous friendship between Scotland and France) Christmas hamper. I was a finalist of Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas in 2017 and this jelly was loved by Kirstie and the judge.
This recipe makes a great foodie gift, so why not check out my post on how to make Christmas hampers.
Here are the other recipes I made on Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas TV show;
Oat and almond crumble crackers
Scotch Mist liqueur (homemade Drambuie)
Labneh cheese preserved in herb oil
This is a delightful jelly that looks as good as it tastes, simply stunning and the best possible way to enjoy your favourite tipple any time anywhere straight from the jar!
This Bordeaux Jelly also features in my great Ebook Naughty & Nice Edible Gifts For Christmas. There are over 50 great recipes in there for you to try. So no excuses at all when it comes to Christmas prezzies!
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Bordeaux Red Wine Jelly
Ingredients
- 500 g grapes red grapes
- 500 g apples
- 1/2 cup water
- 300 ml red wine
- 1 lemon juice only
- 300 g sugar
Instructions
- Place the grapes and roughly chopped apples (don’t bother to peel or core them) into a pan and add water.
- Simmer the fruit until tender and mash with a potato masher.
- Pour this mash into a jelly bag (muslin lined sieve) and set aside to drip into a jug overnight. Resist any temptation to squeeze the bag to get more out, if you do this you’ll make the jelly cloudy)
- Make the juice in the jug up to 500ml by adding the wine.
- Pour this into a pan and add the lemon juice and sugar and heat gently till sugar dissolved.
- Raise the heat to boiling point for approximately 20 mins until you have reached the setting point (see jelly making page).
- Carefully pour into a sterilised jar and pop on the lid.
So simple, yet so good. I love giving wine jelly as a gift.
Thanks for the comment Sean, you are so right, wine jelly is perfect gift so friends can enjoy the best tipple at any time of day!
Kx
We often joke about “a nice breakfast wine.” 🙂