How To Make A Simple Dessert With Frozen Grapes

People have always relied on plump, juicy grapes for a satisfying snack, or to round out a tasty goat cheese and walnut spread or colorful charcuterie board. Yet, freezing these delicious orbs and turning them into a delicious, worthwhile dessert is another great use for the fruit. While you could enjoy eating them straight from the freezer or add them to your favorite breakfast smoothie, have you ever whipped them into a grape sorbet? With just a small amount of preparation, you can have a unique and healthy dessert in no time. So, when fresh grapes at your grocery store look too good to pass up, grab an extra bag and store them for later.

The key to making grape sorbet involves washing and freezing the grapes ahead of time. Place freshly-washed grapes on a baking tray to keep them from sticking together and pop them in the freezer. After three to four hours, once they are completely frozen, add the grapes to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Once you add a little citrus juice or zest, and a bit of sugar or honey to taste, you're left with one ultra-refreshing snack. Even though this treat is pretty simple to make, keep in mind that the resulting flavor and consistency of your homemade sorbet is largely dependent on the variety of grapes you use.

Among the many types of grapes to know, seedless are best when you want to make fruity sorbet. For green grape sorbet, choose sultana or Thompson Seedless grapes, which have a thin and snappy skin as well as extra sweet flesh. Cotton candy grapes also make a remarkable frozen treat since they naturally taste sweeter. For red grape sorbet, crimson seedless or flame seedless grapes are your best bet — and, even better, both varieties are prevalent in most conventional supermarkets. To create a deep purple sorbet, seedless Concord grapes or Moon Drop grapes both have dark skin and give off a mellow sweetness with a hint of tart flavor.

Using seedless grapes also simplifies the sorbet-making-process since you don't have to worry about straining juice from unwanted seeds or thick skins. However, if you find yourself with extra time, feel free to experiment with non-seedless, wine-focused grapes like Primitivo aka zinfandel or muscat varieties. This will involve straining fresh blended grapes and using the puree to produce creamy results with an ice cream machine. Next time you're in the mood for a frozen dessert, instead of making another batch of 3-ingredient sorbet, use just one fruit and blend for an entirely new flavor experience.