Help: Blue Grapes

tintalle said:

Hi everyone,
Time to call on the collective expertise of this group again. Bought a
huge basket of blue grapes today, at the urging of my hubby. They are
tiny dark purple/blue grapes. Turns out the flesh is sweet and tasty,
but the skins are too [censored] for me to enjoy eating them out of hand. I'd
love some recipes or suggestions as to how to use these. What do you
all think?

Thanks,
tint

c
Concord Grapes?

On Tue 30 Aug 2005 03:54:50p, tintalle wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Hi everyone,
Time to call on the collective expertise of this group again. Bought a
huge basket of blue grapes today, at the urging of my hubby. They are
tiny dark purple/blue grapes. Turns out the flesh is sweet and tasty,
but the skins are too [censored] for me to enjoy eating them out of hand. I'd
love some recipes or suggestions as to how to use these. What do you
all think?

Thanks,
tint

Grape juice, grape jelly, grape jam.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Wayne replied:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Time to call on the collective expertise of this group again. Bought a
huge basket of blue grapes today, at the urging of my hubby. They are
tiny dark purple/blue grapes. Turns out the flesh is sweet and tasty,
but the skins are too [censored] for me to enjoy eating them out of hand. I'd
love some recipes or suggestions as to how to use these. What do you
all think?

Grape juice, grape jelly, grape jam.

Grape cake (recipe below)
Pickled grapes (I can post recipe if anybody wants it)
Grape pie (ditto)

From _Patricia Wells at Home in Provence_ by Patricia Wells

WINEMAKER'S GRAPE CAKE
Come September, I prepare this cake often, taking advantage of whatever
clusters of grapes I can find on our vines after harvesting. At Chanteduc,
we grow a mixture of Grenache, Syrah, and Morvèdre grapes, each of which
contributes its own personality to the wine and to this cake. I love the
rustic crunch that seeded grapes impart, and so I also recommend trying
Zinfandel, Cornith, and Cabernet grapes. For seedless grapes, try Red Flame.
The original recipe was given to me by Rolando Beramendi at Italy's fine
Tuscan estate Capezzna, where this intriguing not-too-sweet cake appears
frequently at the table during the fall harvest. Note that the cake is
prepared with half butter and half olive oil, producing an unusually light
and moist cake.

Equipment: One 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan

Butter and flour for preparing the cake pan
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (2 ounces; 60 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (6 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (8 cl) whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of sea salt
Grated zest (yellow peel) of 1 lemon
Grated zest (orange peel) of 1 orange
10 ounces (300 g) small, fresh purple grapes (see above for varieties)
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C; gas mark 4/5).

2. Generously butter and flour the springform pan, tapping out any excess
flour. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the eggs and
sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, oil,
milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until blended.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the lemon
zest and orange zest, and toss to coat the zest with flour. Spoon the
mixture into the bowl of batter and stir with a wooden spoon until
thoroughly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more.
Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.

5. Stir about 3/4 of the grapes into the batter. Spoon the batter into the
prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.

6. Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then
sprinkle the top of the cake with remaining grapes. Bake until the top is a
deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a
fingertip, about 40 minutes more, for a total baking time of 55 minutes.
Remove to rack to cool. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the sides of the
pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on
the pan base. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Serve
at room temperature, cut into thin wedges.

Wine suggestions
Grape cake is an ideal match for vin santo,the rich, smooth, aromatic sweet
wine prepared in small quantities on many Italian estates.

In a purple haze
Over time, I have identified the mystery that discourages many shoppers from
buying grapes: the inevitable hazy white film. Though one might
understandably assume it’s due to a spray of pesticide, the film is in fact
a natural substance produced by the grape. It acts as a protective covering
to prevent moisture from penetrating the fruit. It also keeps the skin from
cracking when the grape loses moisture. Even better, the film contains
nothing toxic! You will find the same harmless film on plums.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Bob

wine grapes, thats what they are.

"tintalle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi everyone,
Time to call on the collective expertise of this group again. Bought a
huge basket of blue grapes today, at the urging of my hubby. They are
tiny dark purple/blue grapes. Turns out the flesh is sweet and tasty, but
the skins are too [censored] for me to enjoy eating them out of hand. I'd love
some recipes or suggestions as to how to use these. What do you all
think?

Thanks,
tint

What you have are probably concord grapes. The grapes welches uses for the
dark grape juice.

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Grape Jelly

Jelly recipes leave little room for variation. Do not double, and don't
play with the proportions of sugar/wine. Lastly, find the right pectin.
It matters. I have several pints of cranapple syrup that were supposed to
be jelly to remind me of these facts... :-)

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 4
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Preserving, Jam/jelly

-= Ingredients =-
3 c Grape juice
4 1/2 c Sugar
1 Box sure -jell ; pectin

-= Instructions =-
Heat juice and pectin to a full boil, over high heat. Add sugar and return
to a boil. Boil hard for 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Ladle into hot jars. Adjust caps.... Proceed as usual. Yield : 6 jelly
jars. From: [email hidden] Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 10:50:17 Edt From:
[email hidden] MM by Helen Peagram

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Grape Jelly With Liquid Pectin

Recipe By: Canning Recipes at http://ext.msstate.edu/pubs/pub
Serving Size: 0
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Jams/Jellies, Fruit, Canning

-= Ingredients =-
4 cups grape juice
(abt 3 1/2 lbs Concord grapes,
and 1/2 cup water)
7 cups sugar
1 bottle liquid pectin

-= Instructions =-
To prepare juice. Sort, wash, and remove stems from fully ripe grapes.
Crush grapes, add water, cover, and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat
and simmer for 10 minutes. Extract juice.

To prevent formation of tartrate crystals in the jelly, let juice stand in a
cool place overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp
cheesecloth to remove crystals.

To make jelly. Measure juice into a kettle. Stir in sugar. Place on high
heat and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full rolling boil that
cannot be stirred down. Add pectin and heat again to a full rolling boil.
Boil hard for 1 minute.

Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot,
sterile canning jars to 1/4-inch from top. Seal and process 5 minutes in a
boiling water bath.

This recipe yields 8 or 9 half-pint jars.

Formatted for MC5 08-19-2000 by Joe Comiskey - [email hidden]

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Grape Jelly With Powdered Pectin

Recipe By: Canning Recipes at http://ext.msstate.edu/pubs/pub
Serving Size: 0
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Jams/Jellies, Fruit, Canning

-= Ingredients =-
5 cups grape juice
(abt 3 1/2 lbs Concord grapes,
and 1 cup water)
1 package powdered pectin
7 cups sugar

-= Instructions =-
To prepare juice. Sort, wash, and remove stems from fully ripe grapes.
Crush grapes, add water, cover, and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat
and simmer for 10 minutes. Extract juice.

To prevent formation of tartrate crystals in the jelly, let juice stand in a
cool place overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp
cheesecloth to remove crystals that have formed.

To make jelly. Measure juice into a kettle. Add pectin and stir well.
Place on high heat and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full rolling
boil that cannot be stirred down. Add sugar, continue stirring, and bring
again to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.

Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot,
sterile canning jars to 1/4-inch from top. Seal and process 5 minutes in a
boiling water bath.

This recipe yields 8 or 9 half-pint jars.

Formatted for MC5 08-19-2000 by Joe Comiskey - [email hidden]

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Grape Jelly Without Added Pectin

Recipe By: Canning Recipes at http://ext.msstate.edu/pubs/pub
Serving Size: 0
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Jams/Jellies, Fruit, Canning

-= Ingredients =-
4 cups grape juice
(takes abt 3 1/2 lbs Concord grapes,
and 1/2 cup water)
3 cups sugar

-= Instructions =-
To prepare juice. Select about one-fourth underripe and three-fourths fully
ripe grapes. Sort, wash, and remove stems from grapes. Crush grapes, add
water, cover and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10
minutes. Extract juice.

To prevent formation of tartrate crystals in the jelly, let juice stand in a
cool place overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp
cheesecloth to remove crystals.

To make jelly. Measure juice into a kettle. Add sugar and stir well. Boil
over high heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water (220 degrees),
or until jelly mixture sheets from a spoon.

Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot
containers, seal and process 5 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars; cool
and store.

This recipe yields 5 six-ounce glasses.

Formatted for MC5 08-18-2000 by Joe Comiskey - [email hidden]

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Microwave Grape Jelly

Jelly recipes leave little room for variation. Do not double, and don't
play with the proportions of sugar/wine. Lastly, find the right pectin.
It matters. I have several pints of cranapple syrup that were supposed to
be jelly to remind me of these facts... :-)

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 6
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Preserving, Jam/jelly

-= Ingredients =-
1 1/2 c 360mL grape juice
2 ts 10mL lemon juice
1 tb 15mL powdered pectin
1 3/4 c 420mL sugar

-= Instructions =-
Combine grape juice, lemon juice and pectin in a three-quart microwave-safe
bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper and bring to a boil in the
microwave oven on high setting (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven and add
sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves, then return to oven. Bring mixture to a
boil on high setting (about 4 minutes). Remove from the oven and stir.
Return the uncovered mixture to the oven and cook until jelly sheets from a
spoon (about 1 minute). Skim foam: pour into sterilized jars. Adjust caps.
Yield: about 2 half-pints (480 mL). From: The Ball Blue Book Shared By: Pat
Stockett The jelly will only be as good as the juice you use is. Jelly
must be boiling hot to achieve a seal when using vacuum lids and metal
screw bands. Pour jelly into jar, holding ladle or kettle close to the top
of the jar. This prevents air bubbles from forming. Quickly fill jar to
within 1/8 inch (3mm) of the top. Wipe top and threads with a clean, damp
cloth. Put hot lid on with sealing compound next to jar. Screw band on
evenly and tightly. Invert jar for a few seconds so hot jelly can destroy
any mold or yeast which may have settled on the lid. Cool, test for seal,
remove bands and store. Or: Jelly glasses are filled in a manner similar
to jars, except a 1/2 inch head space (13mm) is left at the top. Then the
jelly is immediately covered with a 1/8 inch (3mm) layer of melted, but not
smoking paraffin. A single, thin layer of paraffin holds a seal better than
a thick layer. To insure a good seal, paraffin must touch all sides of the
glass. [censored] any air bubbles that appear on the paraffin. Bubbles cause
holes to appear as the paraffin hardens, and an imperfect seal may result.
Allow glasses to stand until paraffin hardens and then cover with metal
lids. Store in a cool, dark, dry place. Make only one batch at a time.

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Port Wine Jelly

Jelly recipes leave little room for variation. Do not double, and don't
play with the proportions of sugar/wine. Lastly, find the right pectin.
It matters. I have several pints of cranapple syrup that were supposed to
be jelly to remind me of these facts... :-)

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 4
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Preserving, Jam/jelly

-= Ingredients =-
INGREDIENTS:
1 c Port wine
1 c Fresh grape juice ; or fine
-quality commercially
Canned grape juice
3 1/2 c Sugar
3 oz Liquid pectin ; 1/2 bottle

-= Instructions =-
Servings: makes 4 - 1/2 pint jars Notes: This can be made from other rich
red wines, and apple juice may be substituted for grape. It is used as a
spread on scones, tea biscuits, English muffins, or tea breads and as a
glaze for, or accompaniment to, pork dishes, chicken, or duck. DIRECTIONS:
Place wine, juice, and sugar in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium
heat. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat
and stir in liquid pectin. Skim off foam with metal spoon and immediately
pour into hot sterilized jars. Vacuum seal (hot water bath method, or may
be refrigerated up to 6 weeks). Source: Gourmet Preserves by Judith
Choate, ISBN# 1-55584-038-8 From: Sallie Austin

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Spiced Grape Jelly

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 1
Cuisine:
Main Ingredient:
Categories: Australian, Fruits, Preserving

-= Ingredients =-
2 oz Stick cinnamon
1 oz Whole cloves
1/2 pt Vinegar
3 1/2 lb Sugar
1/2 pt Grape juice
7 lb Grapes

-= Instructions =-
Tie stick cinnamon and clove in a bag, and put in preserving pan with
vinegar, sugar and grape juice. Place on stove and when the mixture boils
add grapes and boil until it is at the jelly stage. Remove from stove and
bottle. Spiced grapes generally require from one hour to one and a half
hours boiling. From " Ideal Recipe Book - For the use of Currants, Raisins,
Sultana and Grapes - Issues by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Sth.
Aust." 1958 Typed by Vicki Crawford - Australia

** This recipe can be pasted directly into BigOven for Windows. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **