Orangette's Pickled Grapes

I love anything pickled. Especially pickled eggs!

When I first told my husband that I was going to pickle some grapes, his response was "why?".
Because I can.

This was one of the recipes from Orangette Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life that I have wanted to make since it came out.



After I saw that Debra & Kari both made this recipe with great success, I thought it would be ok to try, now that they have tested it out for me.

This takes no time at all to prepare, except for the waiting time in the fridge for the fruit to macerate fully. It gets better as the week goes by.

We tried this served with some cheeses, and it was delicious, however, I think it was best served over my lemon yogurt pound cake with the syrup dripping off the sides of the cake.
I also used the syrup in a salad dressing, and plan on making cocktails with the last few grapes.
I loved this recipe, and can't wait to make it again.
It is very special, and everyone that tried it (and I force everyone to try everything!) loved it too.



Pickled Grapes w/ Cinnamon & Black Pepper: (adapted from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life)

1 pound seedless black grapes
1 cup white wine vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 (2 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon salt

Rinse and dry the grapes, and pull them carefully from their stems.
Using a small sharp knife, trim away the “belly button” at the stem end of the grape exposing a bit of the flesh inside. Put the grapes in a medium bowl.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour over the grapes in the bowl. Let cool.
Once cool, chill the grape and brine mixture in either mason jars in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or overnite.



Enjoy!