I couldn’t believe that I managed to grow grapes in this country and get them all the way to the ripe stage just before the weather turned cold. And then finally I got to enjoy them with such satisfaction!
I had been admiring them all the way through from flowers...
Then to green fruits...
To these!
I watched them darken into beautiful purple-red grapes.
I was holding off on picking them because grapes ripened on the vine are so much nicer!
Before the fruit could be spoiled by the changing weather, I decided it was time to harvest them.
As the leaves started turning yellow, I knew the vine was getting ready for dormancy so I picked some of the leaves too.
Grape leaves are rich in antioxidants and provide a range of nutrients including vitamins C, K and A, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium. I discovered last year that they are actually wonderful to cook with. They add a lovely tangy flavour to all sorts of dishes.
And as for the grapes themselves, I harvested them all too.
So I decided to preserve the leaves through fermentation, which I think will make the flavour even more delicious.
First, I washed the leaves briefly.
Then I put them into a jar and added water. I weighed the leaves and water together.
I used 2% salt based on the total weight of the leaves and water.
I poured the water back into a container and dissolved the salt in it.
And then poured the brine back into the jar with the grape leaves.
I added a weight to keep the leaves completely submerged under the brine.
Then I loosely placed the lid on the jar.
Now I just have to wait at least 10 days for the flavour to develop.
After that, I can use them in one of my favourite dishes.
Like these dolmas but this time with an extra layer of delicious fermented flavour!
All I need to do now is overwinter the vine and hopefully it will reward me with even more beautiful fruit and leaves next year.
Afterwards, I enjoyed the juicy grapes. I only realised that they had seeds but that didn’t matter at all. In fact, I could try growing some from the seeds
They were delicious, juicy and so satisfying especially knowing that I had grown them myself!
Have a lovely day.
Mariah 🍇
