Pickled Grapes

The Experienced English Housekeeper · Elizabeth Raffald · 1784
Source
The Experienced English Housekeeper
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (15)
for pickling the grapes
for the grapes
for covering
alternative pickling liquid
Instructions (20)
  1. Get your grapes when they are pretty large, but not too ripe.
  2. Put a layer of grapes into a stone jar, then a layer of vine leaves, then grapes and vine leaves as before, till your jar is full.
  3. Boil two quarts of water, half a pound of bay salt, and half a pound of common salt for half an hour.
  4. Skim the brine well, and let it settle.
  5. When the brine is milk warm, pour the clean liquor upon the grapes.
  6. Lay a good deal of vine leaves on the top.
  7. Cover the jar close up with a cloth and set it upon the hearth for two days.
  8. Take your grapes out of the jar and lay them upon a cloth to drain.
  9. Cover them with a flannel till they are quite dry.
  10. Lay the dried grapes in flat-bottomed stone jars, in layers, with fresh vine leaves between every layer.
  11. Add a large handful of vine leaves on the top of the grapes.
  12. Boil a quart of hard water and one pound of loaf sugar for a quarter of an hour.
  13. Skim the sugar syrup well.
  14. Add three blades of mace, a large nutmeg sliced, and two quarts of white wine vinegar to the syrup.
  15. Boil these ingredients together.
  16. Take the syrup off the heat and let it cool completely.
  17. Pour the cold syrup over the grapes in the jars.
  18. Ensure the grapes are well covered with the syrup.
  19. Put a bladder on top of the syrup and tie a leather over it.
  20. Keep the jars in a dry place for use.
Original Text
GET your grapes when they are pretty large, but not too ripe, then put a layer into a stone jar, then a layer of vine leaves, then grapes and vine leaves as before, till your jar is full; then take two quarts of water, half a pound of bay salt, the same of common salt, boil it half an hour, skim it well, and take it off to settle, when it is milk warm, pour the clean liquor upon the grapes, and lay a good deal of vine leaves upon the top, and cover it close up with a cloth, and set it upon the hearth for two days, then take your grapes out of the jar, and lay them upon a cloth to drain, and cover them with a flannel till they are quite dry; then lay them in flat bottomed stone jars, in layers, and put fresh vine leaves betwixt every layer, and a large handful on the top of the grapes, then boil a quart of hard water, and one pound of loaf sugar, a quarter of an hour, skim it well, and put to it three blades of mace, a large nutmeg sliced, and two quarts of white wine vinegar, give them all a boil together, then take it off, and when it is quite cold, pour it upon your grapes, and cover them very well with it; put a bladder upon the top, and tie a leather over it, and keep them in a dry place for use.—N. B. You may pickle them in cold distilled vinegar.
Notes