Concord grape syrup (for homemade grape soda)

Homemade grape soda made with an easy Concord grape syrup is easy to make with a handful of ingredients. The flavor is bright and aromatic, and wonderfully refreshing on a warm day. The syrup can also be used for much more, too.

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Since we inherited Concord grapes when we moved, I have learned that I need to be ready for when they ripen. True, that happens over the course of a few weeks, but within that time we get a lot of grapes, especially for the relatively small vines.

Much as my youngest and I like snacking on them, we can't get through them all that way. So I cook with most of them to avoid wasting them, as well as to enjoy them in other ways.

A big favorite with everyone is Concord grape jam, and my Concord grape sorbet goes down well, too. This last year my eldest suggested homemade soda, so I figured why not give it a try. It turns out, it's both easy and delicious.

What are Concord grapes?

Concord grapes are a variety of grape named after Concord, Massachusetts, where they were developed. They're a table grape, but with seeds so some struggle to eat them just as they are. But they are well worth enjoying as the flavor is both sweet, slightly aromatic and a lot more vibrant than many varieties.

Unlike some other table grapes, especially many European varieties, they have what's called a slip skin. This means the skin is thicker and comes away easily from the pulp. The skin is a little more tart but also has a lot of flavor, so you want to enjoy it too. And if you are cooking with the grapes, the skin is what gives the lovely color. 

Making grape syrup

This syrup, ingredients-wise, is much like any other simple syrup as all you need is the grapes, sugar and water. Since the grapes release a good amount of liquid, you need less water than you would for other syrups. Instead, the syrup is part grape juice, in effect.

You cook everything together to get as much flavor and color from the grapes as you can. This means cooking until the seeds start to separate from the grape flesh and the skins come off as well.

Let the mixture sit a couple minutes then strain to remove all of the solids. Use a fine strainer to try to make sure you don't accidentally get any seeds, skin or fleshy chunks in there.

You can press gently to help a little extra liquid go through but do this with care - you don't want to make the mixture cloudy by getting some of the finer solids in there. If in doubt, skip pressing and just let it drip a few minutes.

Once the syrup is cool, it's ready to either use or store in the fridge until needed. It's great to make into a soda with roughly 1 part syrup to 2 parts sparkling water (or still, if you prefer, for just a light grape drink). But it also works to add to cocktails in place of simple syrup to add a slight pink tinge and aromatic flavor.

You could also use it to make my grape gummy bears - it will just be a slightly sweeter base than the juice so you may need less honey but otherwise the same method etc.

This grape simple syrup is so easy to make and has such a lovely bright color and gently aromatic flavor. It makes a lovely homemade grape soda that's so refreshing on a warm day. Yes, it may seem slightly fiddly, but the fresh flavor is worth the effort (and it's a great way to use up some grapes).

Try these other syrup recipes:

• Ginger syrup (also great to make a refreshing soda and perks up cocktails)
• Lemongrass syrup (refreshing made into a cold drink, or combine with hot water on colder days)
• Pumpkin spice syrup (great as an addition to coffee or hot chocolate, as well as in cocktails).
• Plus get more homemade syrup and liqueurs in the archives.

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