When you think of
holiday fruits, my guess is that grapes don't ever come into the
picture. Well, grape lovers, this one is for you! Christmas
Crunch Grapes are a new variety to hit the market between the months of October
and December and grown exclusively for Melissa's Produce. Larger and sweeter
than the standard seedless red grape and with a pronounced crunch in texture,
these late harvest grapes have a distinctive taste.
Once a week we make
a meal out of a fruit and cheese platter to which I always add savory little
sides like slices of salami, cornichons, and kalamata olives. Today I decided
to try out a recipe that has long intrigued me and it made the perfect
accompaniment. It will also make a great little hostess gift, and the name of
the grapes makes this just perfect.
Mrs. Plagemann’s Savory Pickled Grapes
Slightly adapted from
Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home
Canning, Pickling and Preserving, by Kevin West
3 pounds Melissa’s Christmas
Crunch Grapes
2 cinnamon sticks,
broken in half
4 small sprigs fresh
or dried thyme
12 cloves
2 cups white wine
vinegar
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons finely
minced shallots
Prepare your jars by
immersing them and the lids in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Remove
from water and allow to dry.
Choose grapes that
are firm and crisp. Remove them from the stem and wash well. Pack them snugly
into four prepared pint jars. Compress the grapes lightly, but don’t crush
them. Tuck half a cinnamon stick, a small sprig of thyme, and 3 cloves into
each jar.
Combine the vinegar,
sugar, and shallots in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Ladle the boiling syrup
over the grapes to cover, seal the jars and store in the refrigerator.
Serve cold, drained
of the syrup.
For long-term shelf
storage, leave a generous ½ inch headspace when
you ladle the boiling syrup over the grapes. Seal and process in a
boiling-water bath for 10 minutes (usual canning procedure).
Makes 4 pint jars.
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