I’m a big fan of giving – and receiving – homemade goodies as holiday gifts. There’s just something extra special about unwrapping a mini loaf of zucchini bread or opening a jar of chokecherry jelly, especially when the ingredients are homegrown. What’s more, gifts from the kitchen garden are a thrifty way to spread the garden harvest throughout the year.
A jar of spicy picked grapes makes a nice hostess gift or a special present to the “foodie” in your family.
Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey
White vinegar, sugars and assorted spices are some of the basics used to make the brine for pickling seedless grapes. Adding fresh ginger and jalapeño chilis really make this a flavorful (and unusual) condiment.
Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey
‘Concord Seedless’ is a popular grape variety for Northern climes.
Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey
Spicy pickled grapes have turned into one of my favorite gift-giving recipes. When I got this special present, it was beautifully packaged with a copy of the recipe thoughtfully attached. Thankfully, it’s a snap to make and uses ingredients that can be found in many backyard gardens: grapes, jalapeño chili peppers and coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant).
Not only do the grapes make a statement as a tasteful gift, this pickled fruit is delicious as an accompaniment to meat and curry dishes, an interesting condiment on an appetizer tray or a flavorful addition to fruit salads.
Spicy picked grapes
Ingredients
- 1½ cups white vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 7 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3-inch-long piece of fresh ginger (about the diameter of a dime)
- 3 jalapeño chili peppers
- 3 cups seedless grapes
(If you don’t grow seedless grapes, or can’t find them at the grocery store, simply cut seeded varieties in half and scoop out the seeds before adding them to the brine mixture.)
Directions
Thinly slice ginger and jalapeño peppers and set aside. Wash, stem and sort through grapes and discard any that are soft or blemished. Combine vinegar, white and brown sugars, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a saucepan. Mix well, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in sliced ginger, sliced jalapeños and whole grapes. Let stand for one hour. Spoon the grapes with the brine into jars and cover with tight-fitting lids.
Kept covered and refrigerated, these grapes will last for several months, with the flavor deepening over time. Give them a try this holiday season (or any time of the year), then plan on adding a few more jalapeño pepper and cilantro plants to your garden in the spring. While you’re at it, why not plant a few grapevines, too?
