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Are home grown grapes worth drying?

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Madame Cholet

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Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« on: September 22, 2014, 21:41 »
Cut in 1/2 or better as a leather.
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LotuSeed

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2014, 00:53 »
I think I remember reading somewhere that if you dry them whole you should crack the skin first by dipping them in boiling water for 30 secs or so. If you cut them in half I think it was suggested that they be soaked in water with lemon juice or ascorbic acid in it for 10 minutes. 

The closest thing to grapes that I've dehydrated has been blueberries (if you can call that close!). I wasn't sure if they were a bit too tough for my liking. I think I would go with fruit leather for grapes.
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tosca100

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2014, 03:03 »
We have grape vines as most people make their own wine and spirits here. They are not really eating grapes but although it's been a very bad year we have had a few grapes and have dried them in the dehydrator. They have a lovely flavour but the skins are chewy so l chop them and add them to other fruit.
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Madame Cholet

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2014, 19:00 »
thank you
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LotuSeed

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2014, 01:58 »
Out of curiosity, what did you decide to do with them?
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Madame Cholet

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2014, 08:30 »
I dried a few in halves, but found it very fiddly, so I cooked them down with damsons passed through colander and made fruit leather.
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catllar

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2014, 11:08 »
You can for another time take the whole bunch and just hang it up in a cool airy place. They gradually dry out and become raisins.
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tosca100

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2014, 12:13 »
We have a problem with air drying here, not because we don't have the climate, but because it is incredibly dusty. In the summer the soil is incredibly fine and dry and most Bulgarians have fires outside to do their preserving, and in the winter we all have at least one woodburner. Not good for the houseproud....which I most definitely am not! But I have dried herbs and not been able to use them so have to use the dehydrator or freeze them.
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catllar

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2014, 12:52 »
Quote from: tosca100 on October 06, 2014, 12:13
We have a problem with air drying here, not because we don't have the climate, but because it is incredibly dusty. In the summer the soil is incredibly fine and dry and most Bulgarians have fires outside to do their preserving, and in the winter we all have at least one woodburner. Not good for the houseproud....which I most definitely am not! But I have dried herbs and not been able to use them so have to use the dehydrator or freeze them.

That is interesting - I'd thought about humidity in relation to air drying, but never dust!!
I forgot to add that another little trick they use here is to seal the cut end of the bunch with wax and then the grapes will usually stay plump and juicy to be eaten over the  festive season.
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LotuSeed

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2014, 18:05 »
Madame Cholet- since you grow your own, have you thought of getting a steam juicer to make juice out of them?
Tosca- I love in an old house that gets very very dusty very quickly. I dry my herbs in the oven just for that reason.
Catilar- Sealing the stem end with wax? That sounds really really neat!
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Madame Cholet

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2014, 19:50 »
they were given to me by 2 friends who had gluts
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catllar

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2014, 13:00 »
Quote from: LotuSeed on October 06, 2014, 18:05
Madame Cholet- since you grow your own, have you thought of getting a steam juicer to make juice out of them?
Tosca- I love in an old house that gets very very dusty very quickly. I dry my herbs in the oven just for that reason.
Catilar- Sealing the stem end with wax? That sounds really really neat!

I could hardly believe my eyes the first time I went into my farmer neighbour's back kitchen to be greeted by all these bunches of grapes - in December! They use the red sealing wax that's used on the ends of vine cuttings and rose cuttings.
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snowdrops

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2014, 16:39 »
If they will air dry & your herbs too could you put them in a paper bag & hang them up to dry like i do with flower seed heads
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Madame Cholet

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2014, 21:04 »
just been given another carrier bag full so I've frozen them for after my holiday.
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LotuSeed

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Re: Are home grown grapes worth drying?
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2014, 23:11 »
Quote from: Madame Cholet on October 08, 2014, 21:04
just been given another carrier bag full so I've frozen them for after my holiday.

That's so awesome :)
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