In Season: 3 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Concord Grapes

Concord grapes are a popular choice for home gardeners who want to make their own jams and jellies or enjoy table grapes in all simplicity. Cultivated throughout all the United States, their robust flavor recalls the grape jam and juice many of us enjoyed as kids (and still do!). The Concord grape is a “slip-skin” variety of grape, meaning you can easily separate its skin from the flesh.

To enjoy Concord grapes choose them with a deep bluish-purple color and a pronounced dusty bloom. Remove grape seeds with a toothpick, skewer, or paring knife, if using the grape whole. If you purée grapes in a blender or food processor, then strain out the skins and seeds. Cook Concord grapes with their skins to heighten color, but after cooking, strain out the skins and seeds using a food mill or a fine sieve or a Chinese strainer.

Try this: 3 delicious ways to eat concord grape

1. Garnish a salad of frisée, arugula, and radicchio with Concord grapes, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
2. Combine Concord grape juice with agave and a dash of salt and vodka, and process in an ice cream maker for a sorbet.
3. Mix Concord grapes with maple syrup, lemon zest, and vanilla in a baking dish; top with a rolled oat–pecan crumble for a fruit crisp.

Delicious link featuring Concord grapes recipes

• Concord Grape Focaccia
• Concord Grapes Jam
• A Tartlet and The Decline of Summer
• Concord Grape Juice

(Headline picture: Michael from Verses from my Kitchen)