It's the Truly American Grape
America is really a land of immigrants, a good melting pot of cultures. Such may be the Concord Grape. Back the mid-1800's, some guy named Ephraim Wales Bull developed the very first Concord grapevines. He was a committed grape grower intent on creating a grapevine that might be hardy enough to survive the cold Massachusetts winters. Many European varieties didn't do too well in the northern American climate. Mr. Bull is said to possess evaluated over 22,000 seedlings in his time before he finally produced his masterpiece my website. Though he left no complete records of the heritage with this grape, experts speculate he crossed hardy native grapes, Vitis labrusca, also called the Fox Grape, with a European variety, Vitis vinifera. From these created what he regarded as an ideal grape. He named them after the town near his vineyards in Massachusetts.
It's an American Cultural Icon
What's an American supermarket without Welch's Grape Juice on its shelves? Soon after Mr. Bull introduced his perfect American grape at the Boston Horticultural Society, where it won first prize; a Dr. Thomas Welch, a New Jersey dentist of all things, appeared on the grape scene. Along with his wife and son, Charles, he gathered about 40 pounds of grapes from a trellis on their property. They blanched the grapes and then squished the juice out through muslin bags into quart bottles lined through to a kitchen counter.
Using the method described by Louis Pasteur, they sealed the bottles and boiled them. This pasteurization was a pioneering effort for the canned and bottled juice industry in America. His intent, however, was to produce juice for non-alcoholic wine to be properly used during communion at his local teetotalist Methodist church. The pasteurization prevented fermentation, more churches ordered the stuff, and the company grew. Soon, Charles moved the operation to New York from New Jersey and began processing 300 tons of grapes a year. And not only for churches.
What's America without Peanut and Jelly Sandwiches? Concord Grape Jelly may be the penultimate foil for peanut butter as any American kid, and any American adult for instance, will tell you. Grape pie is really a regional New England treat. And, according for some, Concord Grapes are a popular American table grape, recognizable by their frosty blue sheen. Usually, whenever an artist or cartoonist really wants to depict grapes, the Concord Grape may be the model. Any child who hasn't worn a purple mustache at some amount of time in his or her young life, may not be an American child. The Concord Grape can be used to flavor and color candies.
It's Chock-a-Block with Nutrients
Concord Grapes used in food goods are low in sodium and contain no fat or cholesterol. One cup of 100% Concord Grape juice contains almost the maximum amount of potassium as present in a banana. Concord Grapes are a great vegetable source of calcium. They contain plenty of antioxidants and trace minerals so imperative to health. Studies declare that Concord Grape juice may provide some protections against breast cancer, others that it might reduce blood pressure. It can help control cholesterol levels. Concord Grapes are heart-healthy, fight narrowing of the arteries, and improve arterial elasticity. And the list continues on
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