Ingredients

  • 2 lbs seedless red grapes
  • 1 & 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
  • 3 star anise pods
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 3 "coins" fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon grains of paradise (or substitute 1/2 coriander seeds and 1/2 black peppercorns)

Method

  • Pick grapes from stems, rinse well and drain. Place grapes into a large clean jar. (I used a 61-oz jar and it was about 2/3 filled by the grapes.)
  • Put remaining ingredients into a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Carefully pour vinegar mixture over the grapes. There should be enough liquid to cover the grapes, though the grapes do float. Cover jar and allow to come to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Once cooled store tightly covered in refrigerator. Wait at least 8 hours before serving, though it's okay to snack on one periodically to test their readiness.
  • Note: if you want to put this into smaller jars you may need a different volume of pickling liquid. Fill jars with grapes, then pour in measured quantities of water to determine how much you will need to cover the grapes. Then drain the grapes and proceed, scaling the recipe to fit.