How to use home-grown grapes

Home-grown grapes can be turned into plenty of treats (wine, raisins, juices, jams) or eaten fresh. A small home vineyard with even just one or two grapevines is a beautiful and elegant addition to an outdoor space, yard or terrace. We all love snacking on grapes, but it is almost surprising to discover how many ways they can be used. See for yourself.

A grapevine produces berries every year. A healthy plant grows several tens of centimetres each year and naturally sets far more fruit than can ripen, so it must be pruned during the growing season to produce fruit without taking up more and more space. On a rock garden on a slope it can be combined with hydrangeas to create an elegant natural corner. Grapes are juicy and sweet with a hint of tartness, and they can be used in many different ways.

7 unexpected ways to use home-grown grapes

Many home cooks ask themselves: “What should I do with all these grapes after such a big harvest?” Most think of turning them into raisins, juice or wine, but these are not the only options. If you want to add some variety to your menu, try these 7 ideas.

#1, bake them

Add them to your favourite muffin or sweet bread recipes. Simply cut the grapes into quarters and stir them into the dough. They replace raisins (dried grapes), but in some recipes there is no need to dry them. Instead, add them to the dough nice and fresh. They are especially delicious in cornbread.

#2, add them to grains

Grapes go perfectly with wholegrain foods. Try mashing the grapes and adding them as a topping to porridge oats or cereal, or to wholegrain side dishes. One popular recipe is to mix grapes, feta cheese, chopped spinach and fresh mint, add cooked bulgur, then toss with olive oil and lemon juice. The result is a tasty, juicy salad full of vitamins, to which you can also add tomatoes if you have a surplus of those too.

#3, grill them

Grilling grapes is not common, but that makes it all the tastier. Grilled grapes give meat a sweet and juicy flavour, so it is a good idea to make skewers and alternate the grapes with cubes of fish, chicken or your favourite meat. Marinate in a lightly peppered marinade and grill. Or try threading grapes of different colours onto a skewer, grilling them for 2 minutes on each side and serving them with the main course.

#4, sweeten your salsa with them 

A simple recipe for a fresh salsa: chop grapes, red onion, coriander and a small jalapeño pepper and drizzle with lime juice. Serve with grilled fish or chicken, or enjoy it with wholegrain tortilla chips.

#5, upgrade your breakfast

Spice up your breakfast or afternoon snack by layering yoghurt with halved grapes and flaked almonds or granola. Alternate red and green grapes in each layer for an eye-catching presentation if you want to impress someone with the look.

#6, freeze them and cool down

Rinse the grapes well, dry them and put them in the freezer. Leave them to freeze for at least 2 hours and enjoy them as a cooling treat.

#7, liven up your sandwich

Add sliced grapes to a turkey or tuna sandwich or to a grilled cheese sandwich. You get a treat with an even balance of salty and sweet flavours. Add the sweetest tomato varieties to make a delicious toastie.

How to make grape juice

Use seedless red grapes and do not add sugar if you are watching your figure. You can juice any kind of sweet grapes (seedless). If they are extra sour, add a little sugar to make the juice sweeter.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of sweet, ripe red grapes (or any sweet grapes),
• ½ lime or lemon (optional),
• 1 to 1 ½ cups of water,
• 6 to 8 ice cubes.

Method

Rinse the grapes under running water and put them in a blender. Add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth. Strain the juice into a clean container, squeeze in the lemon and add the ice cubes. Stir with a spoon and sweeten with sugar to taste. If the juice is too sweet, add another ½ cup of water. Pour the homemade grape juice into serving glasses and serve.

How to make grape jam

Grape jam is a treat especially popular in the British Isles. The same applies as with grape juice. If the grapes are sour, add more sugar. If they are sweet on their own, you can dilute them with water or leave them as they are.

Ingredients

• 5 cups of grapes,
• 1 packet of jam sugar,
• 7 cups of ordinary white sugar.

Method

Wash the grapes and remove the stems. Crush them, add water, cover and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then stir the juice slowly until it cools. To prevent tartrate crystals from forming, leave the juice to stand overnight in a cool place, then strain it through two layers of damp cloth. Add the jam sugar to the cooled juice and mix well.

Bring quickly to the boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar, keep stirring and boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from the hob and quickly skim off the foam. Immediately pour the hot jelly into sterilised jars, leaving 2 centimetres of headspace.