Perfect Little Pickled Grapes
Dylan here. I feel like I need to be honest with you all: I hate olives. It kills me that I hate olives—they go hand in hand with all of my favorite things. Hard, salty cheese. Pizza. Martinis. I love the idea of olives so much, but the reality is crushing heartbreak.
Years ago, I frequented a pickle store in Cambridge, MA, called Grillo’s Pickles. It was the first place I ever saw pickled grapes and the idea hit me—this could be my fix for the olive. Because while I hate olives, I love pickles. My love of pickled grapes was born and I now throw them on everything from salads to cheeseboards, pizza to martinis.
Pickled Grapes for the People
Grapes are sweet, so I love my pickling liquid to be more on the savory side. However, you could probably replace the rosemary and garlic with nutmeg and cinnamon and have an equally awesome twist. Once your grapes are pickled, they’ll last a while in the fridge, but I think they are best within 1–2 weeks.
The key is this: These grapes can go anywhere. Salads. Cheese plates. Chicken salad. Cocktails. There’s no wrong way here; find your bliss.
Time: 2+ hours
Active Time: 10 minutes
Makes: A pound of pickled grapes
EQUIPMENT
1. Prep your grapes
Wash ‘em and remove ‘em from the stems. Put the grapes in their container—I used 2 16-ounce canning jars, but you could go bigger, smaller, or use a glass Tupperware. Evenly distribute grapes if using more than one vessel.
2. Simmer vinegar, water, and aromatics
Combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, rosemary, garlic, and pink peppercorns in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium head and stir frequently until salt and sugar dissolve fully.
3. Pour hot liquid over grapes
If you’re worried about glass breaking, do this slowly, little by little.
4. Let pickles come to room temperature
Place the jars off to the side until they come to room temperature, roughly one hour.
5. Refrigerate pickles for 2 hours minimum
2 hours is a must for the grapes to get good and pickled. 24 hours is best for maximum deliciousness.
6. Serve!
Make a cheese board or a martini to celebrate your genius.
Um, excuse me?
Grapes?
Yes.
Okay!
Yeah!
Does it matter if they’re red or green or black?
Doesn’t matter one bit. What do you like best? Go with that.
Can I use other fruit?
Definitely! Blueberries would be great, but you could use this pickling recipe for most fruits or vegetables.
How do I make that martini?
Ice, gin, pickle juice. Stir the hell out of it and strain over a pretty glass. Garnish with a grape or three, and maybe some lemon. The proportions are up to you—but our favorite is about 3 ounces of gin to 1/2 ounce of pickling liquid.
Also, remember the golden rule of martinis: one is a great idea, two is an okay idea, three is a terrible idea.
I don’t like gin.
That sucks for you because gin is delicious! You can definitely sub vodka here.
I have other questions.
DM us on Instagram @idratherbemeryl.
