Making up lunches for the kids to take to school? You might turn to these fun recipes. If you’re in a real hurry though, you might send those kiddos (and yourself) off for the day with a classic PB&J. It’s simple, but the pairing of peanut butter and grape jelly is always satisfying—even as a grown-up.
When it comes to this combo, most folks have a preferred peanut butter—Taste of Home staffers certainly do! But what about the grape jelly? Do you go for the big names? Do you grab what seems fancy? Do you choose organic? Do you think they all taste the same?
Of course, we had to settle this debate with a blind tasting of every grape jelly we found at the grocery store. We tried five brands, and two stood out. Check out our favorites as chosen by our staff.
Runner-Up: Smucker’s
Score: 7/10
You know the slogan: “With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good.” This catchphrase certainly rang true with our taste testers. Smucker’s grape jelly tasted familiar and comforting. It’s the jelly many of us remembered from our own childhood—be it used in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or spread across toast at our favorite local diner.
This jelly was sweet but not over the top, tasted strongly of grape and was easy to spread. And the price tag is budget-friendly (it’s only $2.34 on Amazon!). What more could you ask for?
Best in Show: ShurFine
Score: 8.2/10
Smucker’s was a tough jelly to beat, but ShurFine—a generic brand available at independent grocers—managed to do it. ShurFine grape jelly tasted strongly of Concord grapes, and while it was sweet, the flavor wasn’t overpowering. This jelly had a hint of tartness to help balance out the flavor, which made all the difference in this test. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though. A little bit of tartness, like the squeeze of lime juice in this grape and apple fruit salad, can help you appreciate the sweetness even more.
The Bottom Line
Some taste tests really run the gamut from no thanks to more please! This grape jelly test was a bit different. We definitely found some great jellies for these PB&J-inspired recipes, but we also found out that the very best in grape jelly isn’t too far off from our lower-ranking brands. In total, there were less than three points separating the jellies from top to bottom.
If you ask me, that’s just fine. I’ll grab what’s on sale knowing that these chili-jelly meatballs will always be a great potluck treat.
Try Making Your Own Jellies at Home
My mother brought this old family recipe with her when she moved here from Scotland. My children and husband especially love spreading this fruitful jelly on slices of homemade bread. I love it because this blueberry jelly recipe is simple to make. —Elaine Soper, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland
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A jar of this sweet and spicy jelly is always warmly appreciated. To add an extra Southwestern accent, I trim the lid with a snappy bandanna print fabric. —Lori McMullen, Victoria, Texas
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For a change of pace, give this yummy jelly made from frozen orange juice a try. I've given it as gifts to friends and family—and many times the jars have been returned for refills. —Mary Rice, Maysville, Oklahoma
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I love both honey and lemon, so I combined those ingredients into a doubly delightful jelly. Spread it on toast, bagels, English muffins or scones for a tangy breakfast treat. —Ramona Wysong, Barlow, Kentucky
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Peppers grow like wild fire in our hot Missouri summers. That's when I make spicy jelly to give as gifts at Christmas. The leftover pulp can be frozen in small batches and stirred into chili, pasta sauce, salad dressing and salsa. —Lee Bremson, Kansas City, Missouri
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With its beautiful color and intense watermelon flavor, this jelly preserves summer to enjoy long after the cool weather arrives. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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With a hint of apple and cinnamon, this apple jelly spreads cheer from breads to bagels to muffins. Its rosy pink color looks lovely. —Betsy Porter, Bismarck, North Dakota
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I help help my husband with the pouring and skimming for this jelly—my own personal favorite. It's nice as both a breakfast spread and a topping for pork or other meat. —Jean Coleman, Ottawa, Ontario
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For a tasty jam during the fall, try this cider. The candy adds a wonderful cinnamon flavor.—Donna Bensend, Dallas, Wisconsin
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I've had this recipe for ages. Each year when the wild plums are ripe, I'll fill my pail and make this jelly. It's so good served with toast, pancakes or waffles! —Ludell Heuser, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin
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August is the busiest month of the year on our small farm—that's when we're harvesting sweet corn, pumpkins and pickling cucumbers for our stand. But I always make time to put up this jelly. The apples come from our old-fashioned orchard, while the blackberries grow wild along our creek...and the jelly's usually gone by January! —Liz Endacott, Matsqui, British Columbia
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I'm sure to pick up extra bags of cranberries for the freezer in the fall so that I can make this lovely, delicious jam year-round. My kids love it on peanut butter sandwiches. Jars of this pretty ruby-colored jam also make great gifts. —Marjilee Booth, Chino Hills, California
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This holly-green jelly won a Best of Show at the county fair and I was so thrilled. Flavored with lime, it's delicious on roasted meats. —Gloria Jarrett, Loveland, Ohio
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Making this jelly every year in the summer is a tradition in my family. I often give this jelly as a gift.—Marge Hagy, Brewster, Washington
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This deliciously different green jelly gets its flavor from an unusual source: savory rosemary. The herb adds a refreshing zip to the otherwise sweet spread. —Margaret Dumire, Carroll, Ohio
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For a beautiful jelly to give as gifts, I make this jelly. Not only is it delicious but it will impress all!— Bernard Bellin, Franklin, Wisconsin
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I like to use this jelly as a condiment. It's always a conversation piece—everyone wonders about the "green" ingredient! This beautiful jelly is so easy to make and I often use it as a gift-giving item for the holidays. —Ruth Glick, Dalton, Ohio
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When I hosted a Christmas open house, each guest left with a batch of my blush-colored jelly. It was a hit! Plus, it’s made with just pink champagne, sugar and fruit pectin. —Gail Sheppard, Somerville, Alabama
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"For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making this pomegranate jelly and sending us all home with a few jars." To make this jelly even more tangy, substitute cranberry juice for pomegranate juice. —Tatiana Kushnir, Montara, California
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Stirring pomegranate juice into my jalapeno jelly creates a beautiful red version for the holidays. Spread it on crackers, fish or poultry. My husband even uses it as a dip for Mexican food! —Katherine Metz, Sharpsburg, GA
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Spread some holiday cheer with this rosy pink cranberry jelly. —Nancy Davis, Tualatin, Oregon
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Notes:
- This blind taste test was performed by our staff and was not part of a sponsorship. All opinions shared are our own and have not been influenced by advertisers.
- Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The post We Found the Best Grape Jelly for Your PB&J appeared first on Taste of Home.
Lisa Kaminski
