pickled grapes is about the natiest thing i ever heard that doesn't involve weird animal parts

grapes are mushy, how do they stand up to the pickeling process? i'm just imagining a slurry of grapes and vinegar!

I'm curious! I've never tried this. Beets, carrots, onions, beans... things like that to be sure, but GRAPES??

The brine is sweet (equal parts white wine vinegar and sugar). I put vinegar, sugar, a cinnamon stick, some black peppercorns, mustard seeds, anise seeds, and orange zest.

The grapes are pretty resilient. I cool the brine in the fridge before putting the grapes in. The recipe calls for pouring hot brine over the grapes, but I don't like withered grapes. Cooling the brine first keeps the grapes firm but it means it takes a while for the flavor to come around.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/pickled-grapes-with-cinnamon-and-black-pepper/

oooh those look great! I get smittenkitchen in rss, but I've got a lot of catching up to do!

@nomi I have a little crush on the woman who writes SmittenKitchen. And yes, it has a lot to do with the writing, and the photos, and her awesome taste in recipes.