Concord Grape Pie

Learn how to make the best Concord Grape Pie with an easy-to-follow, family recipe. Grape pie with streusel topping has step-by-step instructions full of tips and tricks for making homemade grape pie filling.

What are concord grapes?

Concord grapes are highly aromatic, seeded grapes named after Concord, Massachusetts, where the grape variety originated. 

Deep purple, almost black, concord grapes have thicker skins. They are used primarily for juice, jelly, pie fillings, and sometimes wine making. 

Concord grapes are slip skin, meaning if you squeeze the grape the pulp will slip out. Inside is a green pulp with large seeds. Even though the skin, pulp, and seeds are all edible, the seeds are strained out for cooking and baking. 

What does grape pie taste like?

Most people have not tried grape pie before so they are curious what it tastes like.

Grape pie has the distinctive, amped up flavor of Welch’s grape juice or grape jelly, but with a buttery crust, thick jammy filling, and a little bit of creaminess from the streusel topping. 

Where to buy concord grapes

Concord grapes come into season in late August through October, depending on your location.

Concord grape vines are commonly grown in backyards, but take several years to become established. If you aren’t lucky enough to have vines in your own yard, check with your neighbors. Often I find them being underutilized on vines because a lot of people don’t take advantage of them.

Concord grapes can also be found at fruit orchards. Check with your local apple orchard to see if they carry them.

During the fall harvesting season, I have come across them at grocery stores as well. 

Can I freeze grape pie filling?

Yes! In fact, grape pie filling freezes very well. Many people freeze grape pie filling since concord grapes aren’t available year round.

1. Make as many recipes of grape pie filling as your grapes allow. (About 2 1/2 pounds of concord grapes are needed per pie) 
2. Cool the pie filling completely.
3. Place the amount needed for one pie in a glass jar or freezer ziplock bag and freeze up to 6 months. 
4. When ready to use thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake according to recipe.

It’s a treat to have already prepared grape pie because all the time consuming tasks have already been done!

How to Freeze Grape Pie

Concord Grape Pies may also be frozen fully assembled. Growing up, my mom would always double the recipe making one to enjoy right away and one to freeze for later.

1. Prepare the pie according to recipe directions, but do not bake.
2. Place pie with streusel topping on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.
3. Once the pie has frozen completely wrap securely with plastic wrap. Cover plastic wrap with a double layer of foil. Freeze up to 6 months.
4. When ready to bake unwrap pie and bake from frozen. The pie will take up to twice as long to bake so make sure to protect the crust with a silicone pie shieldor aluminum foil. 

Concord Grape Crisp

Forgo the pie crust and turn Concord grape filling into a jammy fruit crisp served warm with ice cream. 

1. Pour grape filling into a 8X8 baking dish and preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Prepare streusel topping recipe, adding 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup old fashioned oats, and an extra 4 tablespoons of softened butter. 
3. Sprinkle topping over grape pie filling and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling all over.
4. Let cool for 20 minutes and serve warm with ice cream.

How To Make Concord Grape Pie Recipe

First gently squeeze the grapes so the pulp slips out of the skin into a medium saucepan. Separate the skins into a small bowl and set aside to use in pie filling.

Bring the pulp to a boil over medium heat, cover, and simmer for five minutes. Pour hot pulp into a mesh sieve fitted over a bowl to collect pulp.

Stir and press the grape pulp to separate the seeds from the pulp. Keep stirring until only the seeds remain in the strainer.

Add butter to the hot pulp and stir until melted. 

Whisk in lemon juice, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. Add grape skins and stir. Pour grape mixture into prepared pie shell and set aside.

With a fork mix together flour, sugar, and softened butter for the streusel topping. Sprinkle over the top of filled grape pie. Bake until crust is golden brown and grape filling is bubbly.

Preventing Pie Crust from Burning

Since the edge of the pie is so exposed, it often browns before the pie is finished cooking. To avoid burned crusts, cover it as soon as it is firm and set. This guarantees golden, perfectly cooked crusts everytime. 

An inexpensive silicone pie shield is easy to throw on a baking pie, plus the wider base covers various sized pie crusts. 

If you don’t have a pie shield on hand, aluminum foil may also be used. This article shows how to cut a circular foil shield quickly and easily. 

How to serve and store grape pie

Before cutting and serving concord grape pie allow it to cool 1-2 hours for filling to set. Concord grape pie may be served warm with ice cream or at room temperature.

Do not refrigerator leftovers. Grape pie can sit on the counter up to 2 days. Leaving it uncovered keeps the crust crisp and prevents the pie from becoming soggy. If you need to cover it, turn a large bowl over the pie. 

More Favorite Pie Recipes!

Fresh Blueberry Cream Pie is an easy blueberry pie recipe using fresh blueberries over a creamy layer of sweet buttermilk custard filling.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Pie is a creamy no bake cheesecake in graham cracker crust, topped with fresh strawberries, and a glossy gelatin glaze. 

Sugar Cream Pie has thick, creamy, vanilla custard, sprinkled with a dusting of cinnamon, and made with a handful of simple ingredients and easy steps.

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