How to make the most of past-their-best grapes – recipe | Food

If your grapes are trying drained and slightly wrinkly, don’t chuck them – they are often saved! If I haven’t bought by means of my weekend bunch of grapes by the tip of the week, I’ll often incorporate them right into a meal: they’re scrumptious chopped uncooked into salads, and work nicely cooked in each candy and savoury dishes.

Strive baking them right into a traybake similar to Claire Ptak’s American-style grape slab pie or Nigel Slater’s black grape focaccia, or bake them complete on the vine to make use of in all types of dishes. Roast grapes have an intense, sweet-and-sour flavour, and make an awesome granita (freeze, then pulse mix), or serve them alongside cheese or with baked ricotta.

Retailer uncooked grapes in an open container within the coldest a part of the fridge (ie almost certainly the crisper drawer) or wash and freeze them complete – they’re surprisingly pretty eaten chilly simply as they’re; in any other case, use as ice cubes or in baking. Grapes additionally make a scrumptious lacto-fermented soda: merely steep them in twice the quantity of water, seasoned to style with a contact of sugar and a pinch of salt, for just a few days, till the combo begins to bubble, then pressure or, for a thicker texture, mix and refrigerate.

Roast grapes on the vine

Roast grapes are a stunning deal with that may rework even a fairly drained bunch right into a delicacy worthy of the best banquet. (For those who don’t fancy powering up the oven, they’re additionally scrumptious fried or grilled, although they gained’t have fairly the identical depth of a sluggish roast.) Retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days, or freeze to make use of as wanted. I really like them tossed by means of roast veg, blended into smoothies or served with baked ricotta.

1 bunch grapes on the vine

To serve (optionally available)
Baked ricotta
Grated lemon zest
Additional-virgin olive oil
Honey

Put the grapes on a baking tray and roast in a 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6 oven for 50-60 minutes, till the grapes have began to shrivel and caramelise however nonetheless have some physique (save vitality and make greatest use of the oven by roasting greens or cooking your night meal alongside the grapes).

Function a part of a cheeseboard or with a ricotta that’s been baked alongside them. To complete, costume with optionally available lemon zest, olive oil and honey.