Pickled grapes and fermented tomatoes

As promised last week, here are two more fermentation recipes to try with the fruits and vegetables from your summer garden!

Pickled Grapes

Fermented Pickled Tomatoes

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Pickled seedless grapes

Fresh Thompson Seedless or Red Flame (seedless) grapes are the most tender for this recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups washed, stemmed, seedless grapes

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup white wine vinegar or white vinegar

3 3-inch sticks of cinnamon

1 tbsp whey (reserved from straining yogurt or kefir)

Directions:

Wash and stem the grapes before placing them in 3 very clean 1⁄2 pint canning jars.

Combine the sugar, vinegar and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring well to distribute the sugar and keep it from burning on the bottom. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour syrup and the whey over the grapes in the jars, placing 1 cinnamon stick in each jar. Stir, seal and let stand overnight.

Grapes are ready to serve the next day. They should be served cold, with the juices and cinnamon stick removed. They are great with meat, fish, poultry or game. They also make an unusual and delicious accompaniment to curried dishes. To preserve for future use, place the jars in a brown paper bag on a dark shelf in the pantry. Light causes the grapes to turn brown on top. Time causes the skins to darken and toughen so be sure to use within 1 year.

Fermented pickled tomatoes

Yield: 1 Quart

Ingredients:

5# chopped ripe tomatoes, drained

¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1T chopped garlic

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp mild paprika

*Starter Culture or ¼ cup liquid from previous ferment project

1 cup chopped green onions

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. black mustard seeds

Directions:

Drain the tomatoes and place in a large bowl with spices, starter culture or liquid from previous ferment, and green onions. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, heating until they begin to pop. Pour over the tomatoes and spices.

Heat to boiling:

1 cups rice vinegar

1/3 cups brown sugar

Pour over the tomatoes and mix to combine.

*if purchasing a commercial starter, follow directions on package for amount of starter culture to use for 5# of vegetables as products may vary.

If using brine from a previous ferment: The fermented vegetable juice from a previous batch can be added to a new batch as a starter. Add about ¼ cup brine per quart of vegetables.

Other Fermentation Liquids: Finished, unflavored water kefir or kombucha may be used as a starter culture for fermenting vegetables.

Coming next week: How to make a delicious and refreshing "Shrub"