Concord grapes are a
cultivarA cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of desired characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when propagated it retains those characteristics....
derived from the
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
species
Vitis labruscaVitis labrusca is a species of grape native to the eastern United States. It is the source of many grape cultivars, including Concord grapes. It is characteristic of this vine to have tendrils form on every node of the cane . This is in contrast to the European wine grape Vitis vinifera. The...
(a.k.a. fox grape) which are used as
table grapeTable grapes are grapes intended for consumption while they are fresh, as opposed to grapes grown for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins. Table varieties usually have lower sugar content than wine grapes and are more flavorful when eaten...
s, wine grapes and juice grapes.
The skin of a Concord grape is typically dark blue or purple, and often is covered with a lighter colored "bloom" which can be rubbed off. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the fruit.
Concord grapes are a
cultivarA cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of desired characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when propagated it retains those characteristics....
derived from the
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
species
Vitis labruscaVitis labrusca is a species of grape native to the eastern United States. It is the source of many grape cultivars, including Concord grapes. It is characteristic of this vine to have tendrils form on every node of the cane . This is in contrast to the European wine grape Vitis vinifera. The...
(a.k.a. fox grape) which are used as
table grapeTable grapes are grapes intended for consumption while they are fresh, as opposed to grapes grown for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins. Table varieties usually have lower sugar content than wine grapes and are more flavorful when eaten...
s, wine grapes and juice grapes.
The skin of a Concord grape is typically dark blue or purple, and often is covered with a lighter colored "bloom" which can be rubbed off. It is a slip-skin variety, meaning that the skin is easily separated from the fruit. Concord grapes have large seeds and are highly aromatic. They are often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape-flavored
soft drinkA soft drink is a drink that does not contain alcohol . Soft drinks are often carbonated and commonly consumed while cold. The most common soft drinks are colas, flavored water, sparkling water, iced tea, sweet tea, lemonade, squash and fruit punch....
s, and candy. The grape is sometimes used to make
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
, particularly
kosher wineKosher wine is wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, the Jewish dietary laws regarding wine. However, some non-Orthodox branches of Judaism may be more "lenient"...
, though it is not generally favored for that purpose due to the strong "foxy" (sometimes described as candied-strawberry/musky) flavor. Traditionally, most commercially produced Concord wines have been finished sweet, but dry versions are possible if adequate fruit ripeness is achieved.
History
The Concord grape was developed in 1849 by
Ephraim Wales BullEphraim Wales Bull was the inventor of the Concord grape.-Biography:Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bull was apprenticed to a gold-beater at a young age. On September 10, 1826, he married Mary Ellen Walker of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Complaining of lung problems, he moved away from the city...
in
Concord, MassachusettsConcord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the town population was about 17,000. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature...
. Bull planted seeds from wild
Vitis labruscaVitis labrusca is a species of grape native to the eastern United States. It is the source of many grape cultivars, including Concord grapes. It is characteristic of this vine to have tendrils form on every node of the cane . This is in contrast to the European wine grape Vitis vinifera. The...
and evaluated over 22,000 seedlings before finding what he considered the perfect grape, the original vine of which still grows at his former home. The pollen parent is unknown. Although Concord is frequently considered to be basically a
Vitis labruscaVitis labrusca is a species of grape native to the eastern United States. It is the source of many grape cultivars, including Concord grapes. It is characteristic of this vine to have tendrils form on every node of the cane . This is in contrast to the European wine grape Vitis vinifera. The...
cultivar, some have argued that the hermaphrodite flowers suggest at least a small amount of
Vitis viniferaFor the town in Australia, see Vinifera, VictoriaVitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Spain north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran.It is a liana growing to 35 m tall, with flaky bark...
in its
pedigreePlant breeding is the art and science of changing the genetics of plants for the benefit of humankind. Plant breeding can be accomplished through many different techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to more complex molecular techniques...
. This trait has not been proven to exist in any native American grapes. However, Concord is definitely much more
labrusca-like in its characteristics than
vinifera-like. Many consider the likely male parent to have been
CatawbaCatawba grapes were introduced to wine-growers in the 1800s by Major John Adlum of Georgetown, D.C.. Grown predominantly on the East Coast of the United States, this purplish-red grape has a rather sweet flavor. It is typically in season from September to November and can be used in wines, juice,...
, itself probably half Vitis labrusca, which Bull had growing nearby.
In 1853, Bull's grape won first place at the
Boston Horticultural SocietyThe Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest, formally-organized horticultural institution in the United States....
Exhibition. It was then introduced to the market in 1854. Dr.
Thomas Bramwell WelchThomas Bramwell Welch was the discoverer of the pasteurization process to prevent the fermentation of grape juice.-Birth and emigration:...
developed the first Concord
grape juiceGrape juice is a juice obtained from crushing grapes. The juice is often fermented and made into wine, brandy, or vinegar. In the wine industry, grape juice that contains 7-23 percent of pulp, skins, stems and seeds is often referred to as "must"....
in 1869. Through the process of
pasteurizationPasteurization is a process which slows microbial growth in food. The process was named after its creator, French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur. The first pasteurization test was completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard on April 20, 1864...
, the juice did not
fermentThe process of fermentation in wine is the catalyst function that turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
. Welch originally introduced the grape juice to his church, to be used for
communionThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
.
Concord grapes are often used to make grape jelly and are occasionally available as table grapes, especially in
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
. They are the usual grapes used in the jelly for the traditional
peanut butter and jelly sandwichThe peanut butter and jelly sandwich, , also known as a peanut butter and jam sandwich in the UK, Canada and Australia, is a sandwich that includes a layer of peanut butter and either jelly or jam on bread, commonly between two slices, but sometimes eaten open-faced, that is, with peanut butter and...
, and Concord grape jelly is universally sold in U.S. supermarkets. Concord grapes are used for grape juice, and their distinctive purple color has led to grape flavored soft drinks and candy being artificially colored purple. Recently, white grape juice with a milder flavor and less ability to stain fabric, primarily from Niagara grapes, has risen in popularity at the expense of Concord juice. The dark colored Concord juice is used in some churches as a non-alcoholic alternative to wine in the service of
communionThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
. Concord grapes are also made into
Kosher wineKosher wine is wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, the Jewish dietary laws regarding wine. However, some non-Orthodox branches of Judaism may be more "lenient"...
.
WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
produces the largest harvest, followed by
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Erie,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
. This is about 8% of the total U.S. grape harvest. However, Concord grapes are rarely seen on grocery store produce racks due to a preference for seedless grapes.
The Concord grape is particularly prone to the physiological disorder
Black leafBlack Leaf is a physiological plant disorder that affects some grape varieties such as Concord. It is essentially a potassium deficiency that causes the leaves on a vine to turn purple and eventually black as chlorophyll is lost...
.
External links