Pickled Grapes
Ingredients:
- 5 to 6 handfuls of seedless black or red grapes
- 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cups of white wine or champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn
Directions:
1. Pick up some plump, seedless black or red grapes and slice off the belly buttons (the top part where the stem was) of five or six handfuls. By taking off this top piece of the grape, you will allow the pickling juices to seep into the fruit immediately.
2. Fill a small Mason jar with the grapes, 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seed, and one stick of cinnamon. Or, as in my case, use 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon if you forget to buy cinnamon sticks.
3. Heat two cups of white wine or champagne vinegar in a pot with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns. Remove from heat once it boils.
4. Let the pickling liquid (step 3) fully cool before filling the Mason jar. This will keep the fruit from becoming too mushy.
5. Shake and shimmy your Mason jar and put in refrigerator. The grapes will be pickled in two days.
BONUS TIP: On my quest to find a good substitute for olives, I realized that a savory grape pickle could do the trick. I think they could act as a mischievous doppelgänger in tapenade and Mediterranean salads, fooling any palate. I can’t wait to test out this theory in the weeks to come.
*Read how the recipe author, Jessica Goldman, aka "Sodium Girl," changed her diet to revive her failing kidneys and improve her life with lupus.
