Flavorful but seedy grapes

[heidih]

In this topic on young grape leaves I noted that I thought they would not produce but lo and behold they did.

Unfortunately they are flavorful small grapes and each one has two pretty significant seeds in it. I have taken a cluster and roughly squeezed by hand and used as a bed for roasting lamb shanks. As to the rest I am clueless. The intense flavor is all in the skin. I saw

this topic on squeezing grapes but I do not want to purchase equipment I do not have and the quantity is not large. It is really hot now and they are starting to shrivel in some spots so I need to deal with them.

My default plan is to snip the clusters and freeze them, using them for future roasts.

Any other ideas?

[Lisa Shock]

You can make a juice or jelly (either can be canned) without removing the seeds. Search around for recipes using whole concord grapes and you'll get the general formulas.

[helenjp]

This kind of grape pie is v ery suited to intensely flavoredgrapes that are a bit strong in acid, with seeds and thick skins.

[janeer]

Your description of them sounds an awful lot like muscadines. They make great jam. You have to put them through a food mill after cooking.

[heidih]

The recent record setting temperatures (well over 100) in Los Angeles forced me to pick the grapes before they shriveled to nothing but seed encased in skin. I rinsed and gently pulled them from their stems and ended up with four gallon zip-loc bags pressed flat about 1+ inches high. They went into the freezer pending my decision on usage.

Today I pulled a bag and experimented. I emptied the frozen grapes into a large heavy bottomed pot and added water about 1/2 way up. I let them simmer for 10 minutes and then used the potato masher to squash them. Off the heat I let them "get happy" for an hour in hopes that the intense and lovely flavor from the skins would infuse the mixture. They were then pushed and strained lightly through a regular kitchen strainer. The resultant juice went back into the pot and I reduced it until it was thick and syrupy.

I am overjoyed with the result. It captures the essence of this grape, is beautiful, and is naturally sweet with just an edge of tart. Almost like pomegranate molasses with a rounder slightly sweeter self. I plan to utilize the other bags the same way. I think this will store in the fridge well and I can imagine myriad uses. Here is a picture of the end result of the first bag.

[FoodMuse]

Gorgeous! Lucky you. This would be amazing with crispy duck breasts. Mix it with a little vinegar first.

Grace

[heidih]

Oh yes I am seeing it in a glaze and/or marinade ingredient with meats like duck and chicken legs, lamb, and beef.

[Okanagancook]

Thank you heidih, I just made a batch using your directions. I'll try it with a rack of lamb for tomorrow's dinner. The sugar content of our grapes is not what it usually is compared to other years which gave the syrup a nice acidic finish.

[heidih]

Please do let us know how it works in that application. I must confess that I have not used mine yet as I have been in a seafood frenzy and that deep purple would just not work even if the flavor did. I am also thinking a bit stirred into club soda would be good or drizzled on vanilla ice cream. I did my second batch today. The weather is supposed to cool down in the next week or so and I plan to give it a go with beef or lamb.

[loki]

I once had roasted halibut cheeks with red wine sauce (put on the side and drizzled on top). It was actually one of the most memorable dishes I've had so I would not discount the grape sauce with seafood entirely.

We used to collect small wild grapes and make jelly in the Midwest. Those you found are likely Vitis californica, California wild grape. Muscodines are only found in the South and Southeast, and are look different, and tend to have larger fruits, and less deeply dissected leave. Though muscadines may be raised there in gardens...

We would make jelly, much the way you made your sauce, but then we would add sugar and cook to the gel stage. It was really intense! I also used to collect the leaves in the spring and use them for dolmades. I was into food and cooking even as a kid, especially with wild foods!

[heidih]

Here I am again. Last year the saba ended up being too sweet for my taste. It was enjoyed by some over ice cream or things like pancakes, but that subtle acid edge was missing. I picked them earlier this year and the grapes themselves have a twinge of tart. We shall see. This is about a quarter of the "harvest". I expect to gift some this year so am going to search for the right vessel. The grapes are in gallon zip-locs in the freezer.

Also when I first made this I thought I was some genius discovering a new process. Turns out it is an ancient process and we have discussed it before here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/102533-saba-cooked-grape-must/?hl=%2Bgrape+%2Bmust

[SylviaLovegren]

This kind of grape pie is v ery suited to intensely flavoredgrapes that are a bit strong in acid, with seeds and thick skins.

Concord grape pie is delicious! My old recipe books call it "slip skin" pie and I've made it where you cook the grapes gently, then slip out the skins and strain the seeds. Bit of a pain but scrumptious.