grapity grape
Recipe: frozen grapes
Guys, we need to talk. Have you heard of Holiday grapes? I saw them last week at Whole Foods. I tend to be particular about grapes. I like them to be sweet, crisp, juicy, and preferably without seeds – but I’ll make an exception for the seeds if everything else makes the grade. I gently squeezed one of the giant round grapes between my fingers, surprised at the firmness. I plucked one off and popped it in my mouth. Delightful! Since then, I’ve purchased several pounds of this variety. Apparently they are typically available from mid-October to early November. That means now. That means – get ye to the market and find yourself some Holiday grapes.
holiday red seedless grapes
The check out guy scanned the grapes and then said, “You know what I love to do with these? I put the whole thing in the freezer and snack on frozen grapes. It’s so good!” I’d never frozen grapes before, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to try this with such precious, lovely and expensive grapes. When I got home, I plucked three from the stem, washed them, and popped them into the freezer.
give them a wash
pat dry
Biting into a frozen grape is like eating the munchkin equivalent of a popsicle. The fiber and sugars keep the whole thing soft enough to be easy to eat, and it’s contained in an adorable little round package. These were amazing. Like amazeballs. I kicked myself for only freezing three. Of course, I’m a little torn because I love these grapes fresh as much as I love them frozen – hence the hoarding, because they’re probably only available for another couple of weeks.
place in a vessel so they don’t go rolling around your freezer
frozen and frosty
I haven’t tried freezing any other grape varieties, but I know that the squishy ones become perfect when frozen. So perhaps that’s something you can do with tired grapes. I imagine frozen grapes are ideal for summer months, but if you are like me and enjoy frozen treats any time of year, then I highly recommend trying it with the Holiday grapes. Even if you aren’t a fan of cold snacks, try the grapes fresh – they are worth it. [Warning: DO NOT GIVE GRAPES TO YOUR DOGS! Grapes and raisins are toxic for dogs and can result in terrible and painful renal failure!]
the best kind of grape popsicle
Frozen Grapes
[print recipe]
a bunch of grapes (seedless is probably best, but get holiday grapes if you can!)
You can pluck the grapes from their stems or leave them on the stems, whichever you prefer. Wash the grapes and blot them dry. Place the grapes in a vessel in the freezer. Freeze until hard (on the order of a couple of hours or more). Remove from freezer. Serve frozen.
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October 29th, 2013 at 11:57 pm
They *are* wonderful during the summer! I like to pop a few in a glass of white wine to help keep it cold, and then I get a squishy snack when the wine’s done.
October 30th, 2013 at 2:16 am
I loved doing this to the diamond muscat variety in the Summer! Like little champagne-y bursts of deliciousness!
October 30th, 2013 at 4:47 am
you know what frozen grapes are also good for? for chilling (or rather keeping it chilled) your wine in the glass in the warmer months without diluting it!
October 30th, 2013 at 7:21 am
I never thought of using it to cool the white wine. It’s an excellent idea b/c in Virginia, we have plenty of warm weather and we sure can use this easy technique.
October 30th, 2013 at 8:24 am
Oh man. I used to do this all the time at my friends house when we were kids, and I completely forgot about it until reading this. nostalgia
October 30th, 2013 at 8:31 am
My kid froze some this summer, perfect on a hot day. Now I’m going to make me some carrot soup. Thanks for the recipe.
October 30th, 2013 at 10:41 am
ooo! I’ve read that you can throw frozen grapes into a food processor and blend it to make grape sorbet too!
October 30th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
And now try this together with bittersweet chocolate and a glas of grapa…
:-)
October 31st, 2013 at 5:49 am
Oh I’m going to look for these!
October 31st, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Yes, I love the Holiday Grapes we had a week ago. I didn’t realize it was a short season variety though, so I will be getting more as soon as possible.
November 1st, 2013 at 4:55 pm
My dad used to always keep a bunch of grapes in the freezer during the summer. It was one of my favorite snacks when I was little. Of course, anything cold is welcome during summertime in Texas.
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:00 am
My small refrigerator was freezing my grapes….by accident….and I was amazed at the freshness since they had been in there about 2 1/2 weeks. Still plump, fresh and sweet. I don’t know what kind they were other than red, seedless large grapes from Sam’s Club.
I think we just found a great way to preserve grapes!
November 3rd, 2013 at 7:54 pm
I normally don’t go for grapes, but I currently have the worst sore throat I’ve ever had and these are fantastic!! I’m also enjoying the Holiday grapes more than other varieties.
November 3rd, 2013 at 9:39 pm
I also like to use these to throw in a glass of not quite chilled white wine.
November 11th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
Laurie – ah yes, great idea!
Yoojin – mmm, muscat!
Hande – :)
anita – wow, sounds like a great idea!
September 22nd, 2014 at 8:57 am
I use the deep blue colored organic concord grapes (the kind Welch’s grape juice is made with). Amazing frozen and FULL of antioxidents!!