Concord Raisins

Concord grapes have several distinct connections in my mind since childhood days. One is the pungent flavor of Welch's grape juice. A second is the spontaneous tour of a Welch's grape-grower's farm after starting to chat with him at a little farmer's market stand in the Pacific Northwest on a family camping trip in 1993. He even showed us the home-made grape harvester he invented.

I couldn't find any photos of that visit; they must be on Dad's slides. But here are glimpses from other stops on that trip (poor quality photos-of-photos):

At the end of an arduous hike near to the
rumbling crater of Mt. St. Helens

Sitting on log-covered Spirit Lake at the
foot of Mt. St. Helens

Crater Lake

Being dwarfed by the world's tallest known tree

But back to our grapes: the memory that still impacts us most today is bringing home a slip of live Concord vine from our local friends' arbor. (Thanks, Linda and family!!) 

See our bushy grape arbor at left

Despite frigid winters, that planting has flourished for more than two decades.  

Many are the pints of jelly and quarts of juice we have enjoyed in years past though more recently we have not been able to make use of the wealthy crop from our little arbor and have let the birds (or a neighbor) enjoy it.

But this is the second year I have made raisins. Last year's post showed the strange version that resulted from the dehydrator. 

This year I learned to set the oven at 180 degrees F. and slowly dry them for a couple days (turning off overnight), never stirring or turning the fragile grapes.

Several pints of raisins are now in the freezer to enjoy in cookies, cakes, scones, and smoothies.

"Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season,

    the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us
    the weeks appointed for the harvest."

Jeremiah 5:24 (ESV)