Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 500 ml or 1 L jars
- Headspace: 1/2 inch (1 cm)
- Processing: 15 minutes for 500 ml jars or 20 minutes for 1 L jars at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s altitude guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Grapes in Syrup — Bernardin. The primary source and WPRM card remain authoritative.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the canner, jars, lids, and measured ingredients.
- Complete every preparation and cooking stage in the WPRM card.
- Hot-pack, process for jar size and elevation, wait 5 minutes, then cool upright for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 500 ml or 1 L jars with compatible lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, and nonmetallic bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients as documented.
- Cook to the source’s stated stage.
- Hot-pack and maintain 1/2 inch (1 cm).
- Process with jars covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Use the published grape preparation, tested light syrup, documented jar sizes, and size-specific processing times.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
Grapes hot-packed in light syrup.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient, confirm your elevation, and prepare one tested batch at a time.
Altitude-adjusted processing
15 minutes for 500 ml jars or 20 minutes for 1 L jars at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); use Bernardin’s documented adjustment above that elevation.
Maintain a full rolling boil throughout processing.
Grapes in Syrup — Bernardin
Ingredients
- 8 lbs (3.6 kg) grapes, stemmed, treated to prevent browning, and drained
- Fruit-Fresh® Fruit Protector, optional
- 1 batch hot light syrup
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Place 8 clean 500 ml or 4 clean 1 L mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. To prevent discoloration, place grapes into colour protection solution made of 4 tbsp (60 ml) Fruit-Fresh® dissolved in 8 cups (2 L) water.
- Prepare a light syrup of approximately 9 cups (2250 ml) water and 2-1/4 cups (550 ml) sugar. Prepare the syrup in canner batch quantities-approximately 5 cups (1250 ml) for 7-500 ml jars; 10-1/2 cups (2625 ml) for 7 L jars. Bring prepared syrup to a boil.
- If using water or fruit juice, measure into saucepan; bring to a boil. Ladle 1/2 cup (125 ml) hot syrup into a hot jar. Fill jar with grapes to within a generous 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar. Gently shake jar to pack grapes without crushing.
- Add hot syrup to cover grapes, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) headspace. Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more hot syrup. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim.
- Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining grapes and hot syrup. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5cm) of water.
- Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
- At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process - boil filled jars - 15 minutes for 500 ml jars; 20 minutes for 1 L jars.* When processing time is complete, turn stove off, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface.
- Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired.
- Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process - boil filled jars - 15 minutes - 15 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process - boil filled jars - 15 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve or use this preserve according to its fruit, condiment, or dessert profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the documented jar sizes and their matching times.
Can I change the formula?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
Grapes hot-packed in light syrup. It is not interchangeable with an unprocessed refrigerator preparation.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar; do not store it at room temperature.
Spoilage signs: Discard the product without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only; tested directions remain in the WPRM card.