What can I do with grapes?

babyblooz

I have a grapevine in my garden and it has lots of smallish but sweet grapes with pips. There are too many to eat and I don't want to make wine with them because we did it once and it wasn't any good (wrong grapes apparently) so has anyone ever dried them, so I can use them in my baking. I am thinking it might be a bit of a faff?

Brambling

My mum used to make grape jelly with hers (sorry I don't have a recipe) jelly is better than jam as you can leave in the pips and strain them out with the skin at the end.

VfM4meplse

babyblooz wrote: »

I have a grapevine in my garden and it has lots of smallish but sweet grapes with pips. There are too many to eat and I don't want to make wine with them because we did it once and it wasn't any good (wrong grapes apparently) so has anyone ever dried them, so I can use them in my baking. I am thinking it might be a bit of a faff?

What is going to make it a faff is the pips.

What about making a grape jam? Then at least you can strain all the pips out.

babyblooz

I am over run with jam and jelly, all home made. I have gooseberry and plum jam and I have made grape jelly with my grapes before. I just wondered how people dry fruit. I know you can buy dehydrators but I thought maybe there is another way to dry them. I quite fancy making a christmas cake with fruit from my own vine.

VfM4meplse

babyblooz wrote: »

I am over run with jam and jelly, all home made. I have gooseberry and plum jam and I have made grape jelly with my grapes before. I just wondered how people dry fruit. I know you can buy dehydrators but I thought maybe there is another way to dry them. I quite fancy making a christmas cake with fruit from my own vine.

I can understand that, but this will only work if you don't mind a very crunchy texture to it!

If you have a sunny spot inside, spread the grapes in a single layer along a tray lined with a clean tea-towel / some newspaper. It will take a few days to dry out and the fruit will need rotating now and again, but is the easiest method.

I'd be wary of sticking them in the oven at a low heat to expedite the process, because of the attention they need: once they catch they will burn quickly.

phryne

I wonder if you could give any surplus to a food bank, or do they not take fresh food?

Farway

phryne wrote: »

I wonder if you could give any surplus to a food bank, or do they not take fresh food?

Depends on local food bank, many do not take fresh food due to storage space problems and keeping it fresh

Plus unfortunately the risk of accidental or even wilful contamination

babyblooz

I don't think the foodbank would accept them because they have pips in, so dangerous for small children who are used to just seedless grapes. I might try to dry some on a tray, just to see if I can, trouble is the sky is grey and gloomy and the temperatures a bit on the low side. I think they will probably go mouldy as well because they haven't been sprayed with anything. I think I could just squeeze out the juice and then freeze it, then drink it bit by bit. Just seems a shame to waste all that home grown goodness.

VfM4meplse

babyblooz wrote: »

Just seems a shame to waste all that home grown goodness.

Compost, perhaps?

babyblooz

Haha yes there is always the compost heap.

phryne

Another idea, is there anyone local to you who might have excess freshly grown produce you could do a swap with? I think this happens a lot on allotments.