Comments on: Grapes

By: uyster

uyster — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 10:34:43 +0000

In Toronto, somewhere near Niagara, there’s this wine cellar that sells ice wine. the grapes are intentionally left out in freezing weather and the grapes are harvested frozen. somehow, the freezing may have made the juice so concentrated in sugar that the wine is sweet. maybe, that’s why frozen grapes taste good =)

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:38:25 +0000

Doddie, look up dolmas, I think, on the internet, stuffed grape leaves with rice. Grape leaves also great for cheese and fruit platters, though they aren’t edible in this use…

By: Doddie from Korea

Doddie from Korea — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 11:48:02 +0000

MM,

Do you have any recipes for grape leaves? There are grape vineyards here in the town where I live.

By: Wilson Cariaga

Wilson Cariaga — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:41:02 +0000

our maid once mistakedly placed the grapes in the freezer. . . I was bursting mad. . . but actually frozen grapes really taste good hehehe. . . and liked it better than chilled. . . I peel my grapes when I put it in sauces like Port wine grape sauce, yummy for roast pork. . .

By: Marketman

Marketman — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:51:21 +0000

edee, my mom used to grow grapes in an arbor or trellis in our backyard in Makati in the 1970’s… never got edible fruit but the leaves were heathly. I wish we had some now so I would have a source of fresh grape leaves which is useful for some recipes. I did see some live grape seedlings at the market in Taguig recently. Katrina, sugared grapes are relatively easy I think. Take room termperature grapes, dry the skin with a paper towel, brush with egg white and sprinkle liberraly with caster sugar. They are decorative mainly, sometimes used as part of a dessert cornucopia… they aren’t typically edible as some folks are worried about raw egg white. Alternatively, you can use artificial egg white. They look great for dessert plate decor or centerpieces. My wife’s family used to do the 12 grape thing and I think you were supposed to swallow it whole. I always had visions of pooping 12 raisins the next day…heeheehee. Doddie, yes, concords typically not a table grape in the U.S.! cupcakediva, you are a gas… izang, I wouldn’t mind leaning back on soft cushions in a toga while some fair lady fed me with bunches of grapes…what did they do with the seeds? Just spit them out? Naz, I have to admit I haven’t eaten many persimmons in my lifetime at all…I have seen them in Manila in one or two places but it is extremely unusual still, I think.

By: edee

edee — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:05:11 +0000

i was suprised when my husband said that they used to grow grapes in their backyard in Vigan, i didn’t know then that you can grow them in the phils. …. he said that it was a pain to look after and that they’ve only got 3 fruit bearing seasons out of it…..and that after eating too many of them under the vines he felt drunk! :)

By: Katrina

Katrina — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 10:31:40 +0000

MM, do you know how to make frosted/sugared grapes? I first tried them in the US many years ago — they’re a pretty traditional dessert/decor there, right? I loved it! Have not had them since, though. :-(

It’s a family (Spanish, I think?) tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. My mom goes around and makes sure we ALL do it, even though it’s become a chore for some of us. We try to persuade her that the amount of wine we’ve drunk by that time is more than enough, but she won’t have it… ;-) Next time I’ll advice her to freeze them; I bet that’ll make it much easier to eat 12.

By: Lourdes

Lourdes — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 08:12:07 +0000

Same as Maria Clara grapes are synonymous with good luck in our family too. We can only eat them during Christmas and New Year. Every new year I have 12 kinds of rounded with lots of seeds fruits in my dining table. Eating grapes with the seeds is healthy… it is antioxidant.

By: Doddie from Korea

Doddie from Korea — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:38:10 +0000

MM,

Here in Korea, people eat concord grapes (yes the sour ones used to make jam and jelly. Koreans would take a grape, hold it halfway in their mouth and squeeze it between their thumb and forefinger. They would simultaneously suck in the sour morsel and get rid of the skin. It is still slightly sour and a little sweet.

The first time I was offered a concord grape, I ate the whole grape – skin and all. You could imagine the grimace and face contortion that I made. Then my korean friends laughingly told me how to do it.

I told them that concord grapes were not eaten at all in the US but instead are made into wine, jelly or jam. They were very surprised by this fact.

By: cupcakediva

cupcakediva — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:03:57 +0000

Oh, we do pre-cut the grapes in small bunches for easy serving using kitchen shears. I just thought Sandra meant one has to use ONLY grape scissors and use it ina way that you cut every piece of the grapes from the bunch before putting it into your mouth!! DUH!! =)