Use for 3lb black grapes

too many people bought grapes. These are mostly good but on their last legs and some are getting flabby. Any ideas?

nutcakes
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10 Comments

ChrisBird July 25, 2012
if you are going to dehydrate in the oven, maybe just using the oven light as a heat source will work. It's a bit cooler than you want, so I heating oven to its lowest setting, then turn on the oven light, turn off the oven, insert the product and leave overnight. My oven will get down to 120 by morning.
 
Devangi R. July 25, 2012
why not make sweet focaccia with grapes pressed on to the dough before baking...instead of rosemary..and sprinkle some sugar on top of it. You can serve it with some ice cream as a dessert or may be have it for breakfast..
 
SeaJambon July 25, 2012
Nutcakes -- let us know how they turn out. You shouldn't need to split (how many raisins have you ever seen that are cut in half? and a raisin is nothing but a dehydrated grape!). For best results, there does need to be a way for steam to escape -- simply making sure each grape is off the stem should be enough (the hole where the stem was providing the steam escape) although there are other recommended methods of preparation. Effective dehydrating is a combo of small heat and good air circulation (that's what a dehydrator will do for you). Oven dehydrating can be a bit trickier as many ovens won't hold at the lower temp (140F recommended) for the time recommended (can be 12+ hours for grapes -- so overnight plus a little should do it) and you will end up cooking your fruit rather than drying it. The National Center for Home Preservation has really good information on drying all fruits (as well as other safe food preservation, including canning, freezing and pickling). There is a good how-to sheet for dehydrating at http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/csu_dry_fruits.pdf And, you aren't done when you pull it out of the oven, but must still "condition" it. The how-to sheet has more information.
 
nutcakes July 25, 2012
I hamve them dehydrating in the oven. I tried to do the NYT method for 1-1/2 hrs at 200F, but I didn't notice to cut them in half, so now I have them at 150F and I will see how they look in the morning.
 
Maedl July 25, 2012
My mother used to make grape pies (my grandmother had grape vines.) You can use any recipe for a fruit pie as a guide. I always liked a crumb topping on the pie. A scoop of whipped cream or vavilla ice cream never hurt, either.
 
SKK July 25, 2012
Dehydrate them - either in a dehydrator or in your oven at the lowest temperature. The taste is rich, juicy and you can use them in baking, in snacks, over cereal or to make sauces as SeaJambon pointed out.
They will keep for at least a year in sealed containers. Delicious!
 
nutcakes July 25, 2012
I like this! I can do it tonight. How long to dehydrate? or what should they look like when done so they keep?
 
SeaJambon July 25, 2012
Squeeze them and use the juice in a multitude of things: frozen in popsicles; reduced and with some savory herbs as a sauce for chicken or fish; in smoothies; ...
 

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Nozlee S. July 24, 2012
Freeze them...and then eat them as a frozen snack!
 
Pegeen July 24, 2012
Jam! Freeze them and make it later if you don't have time right now.
Recommended: "Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber"
 
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