What to do with wine grapes (they were free!)

[NewAussieMum]

Hi everyone,

I've been offered as many buckets of wine grapes as I can pick. They're obviously not so great for eating as they are nearly all seed, but the flavour is lovely, so I was wondering if there are any recipes I could use them for (preserves maybe?)

Any ideas? I hate to turn down free food products!

Thanks!

[Dee514]

It would be helpful to know the name of the wine grapes you have, also if they are red or white grapes. Some types of wine grapes are only suitable for wine making, other varieties can be used for cooking and the table.

[NewAussieMum]

I have some red cabernet sauvignon grapes now, and can go and get some Chardonnay ones (white) on Saturday (if I can think of anything to do with them!)

[Dee514]

Well....you could make wine You can also juice the grapes (either kind) and can the grape juice for drinking or to use in cooking.

I did find one recipe at 'about.com' for wine grape pie...

Wine Grape Pie

One of the nicest things about autumn in Tuscany is Schiacciata con l'Uva, an astonishingly rich, sinfully juicy wine grape pie whose country roots are clearly revealed by the dough and the crunchiness of the grape seeds. This is a fairly elegant, city version, in which the traditional lard and honey have been replaced by olive oil and sugar. You will need wine grapes, because those sold for consumption at table are too watery and not sweet enough.

Schiacciata con l'uva ("Crushed with the grape")

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 4 cups (400 g) flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* White wine or water sufficient to make a smooth, workable dough (about 1/3 cup)
* 1 k (2 1/4 pounds) wine grapes (either white or red), stripped from their stems, washed, and drained
* 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds (optional)
* 1/4 cup chopped walnut meats (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves (optional)

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F)

Mix the egg, sugar, flour, yeast, and enough wine or water to obtain a fairly soft dough. Knead it till it's smooth, and roll it out about a quarter of an inch thick.

Grease a 9x14" cake pan and line the bottom of it with half the dough, making sure that it reaches about an inch up the sides of the pan. Fill the pan with about 3/4 of the drained grapes.

Use the remaining dough to cover the grapes, sealing them in with care, then spread the rest to the grapes on top of the schiacciata. Dust the schiacciata with sugar and bake it in the oven for about an hour, or until the crust is browned. When it is done it will be about an inch and a half thick; the dough is primarily a container for the grape filling.

You can vary the recipe. Some cooks use considerably more sugar, and others put chopped walnuts within the schiacciata and sprinkle them over it. Still others sprinkle anise seeds or rosemary leaves over the schiacciata; whereas walnuts and rosemary are sometimes used together, anise seeds are used alone.

Schiacciata con l'uva goes wonderfully with a red wine.

I used to have a recipe for chardonnay jelly...will see if i can find it...if i recall though, it was made from the juice, not the fresh grapes.

[NewAussieMum]

Wow - that sounds amazing... I will definitely whip that up over the weekend! ( I can "kitchen travel", as i had a trip to Tuscany planned last year but had a baby instead )

Can you juice them in an ordinary juicer or is there a better method?

Also I had heard that there were toxins in grape seeds - is that a big myth (hope so)

[Dee514]

To be honest, I really don't know for sure if the grape seeds are toxic...however, since grape seed oil is readily available for cooking I'm guessing they are not toxic (although they will make the juice bitter).

The most common way to juice the grapes is to remove the stems, sort out the unripe and over ripe grapes and wash the remaining grapes. Put the washed grapes into a very large pot and add enough water so that the grapes wont stick to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer until all the grapes pop and the seeds come to the top. Strain through a strainer or cheesecloth. (Cooking the grapes will kill any bacteria growing on the skins.) This makes a rather concentrated juice, you will probably need to add water to it before drinking. If the juice is very tart, you can add sugar to taste.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are several methods I found for juicing the grapes:

Method I

Put washed grapes in a large kettle and crush them. Add only a small amount of water to keep from sticking. Cook the grapes until the skins pop off. Cook at a low boil. Strain the juice, either through cheese cloth bag or a strainer. Put in canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for five minutes. Sugar may be added before sealing or when ready to use.

1 bushel grapes makes 15-20 quarts concentrated juice. Dilute to taste.


Method II

Place one to two cups grapes in a quart jar and add ½ cup sugar. Fill the jar with hot water, seal, and process in boiling water bath or pressure canner.

1 bushel grapes makes 50-75 quarts dilute juice.


QUICK GRAPE JUICE (Microwave method)

Put two cups of grapes in a glass measuring container and place in microwave oven for four minutes. Grapes will pop out of their skins. Strain the grapes, add sugar and ice.


Homemade Grape Juice

Making Grape Juice

[NewAussieMum]

Terrific - thanks so much for that I really appreciate it!

I'll be in the kitchen next weekend (providing the birds haven't eaten them all in the meantime )

Didn't get time to make the pie - my baby girl decided it would be a better idea if I used the time to cuddle her

[O.D. learning new tricks]

I'm thinking if they taste good why not make tons of grape jelly? Or even preserves or jam if you're willing to de-seed them. Sounds like the price was right, too! I love grape preserves but can't seem to find them anymore, lucky you, if you make those. Oh, grape seeds are fine to eat, as are the skins, as long as they're washed well. Lucky you, enjoy.

[NoraMarie]

I would try a batch of grape jelly..I would use just a regular grape jelly recipe

[Aquene]

Did you succeed in making grape jelly? I have a ton of red wine grapes in my back yard and would love to do something with them! Many thanks for your help! Aquene