Pickled Red Grapes
Pickled grapes have long been one of my favorite preserves. I first discovered them through food blogger and cookbook author Marisa McClellan, whose Food in Jars blog and cookbook introduced me to a version scented with cinnamon, cloves and other warm baking spices.
My adaptation heads in a different direction, shifting the spice profile toward coriander, cardamom and fresh ginger, and using a blend of rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar. The result is bright, fragrant and just sweet enough, with a flavor profile that leans more Asian. These grapes are remarkably versatile: serve them with cheese, rillettes or pâté, toss them into a salad or use them as a garnish for spirit-forward cocktails such as a Manhattan or Boulevardier.
Pickled Red Grapes
Ingredients
- 1 pound red seedless grapes
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
- 4–6 thin slices fresh ginger
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Remove the grapes from the stems, place in a colander and rinse well.
- Depending on their size, either slice the stem end off small grapes or cut larger grapes in half crosswise.
- Combine the rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Place the coriander seeds, cardamom pods, ginger slices, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and kosher salt in the bottom of a 1-quart Mason jar. Add the grapes.
- Pour the boiling vinegar mixture over the grapes and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.
Rob Bilson
Rob Bilson is co-publisher of Edible Santa Barbara. He enjoys developing recipes and sharing the stories of the people, places and flavors that define Santa Barbara County’s vibrant food community.
