Lots of people eat grapes out of hand, but they don’t quite know what else to do with them. Well, I do. I use them to make sorbet. Though seedless grapes are great for snacking, they’re the least flavorful varieties. If you’re lucky enough to live near a farmers’ market, or if you can get your hands on grapes that are good for wine making, like Chardonnay, Merlot, or Zinfandel, you’ll find they make the most amazing sorbets. I have a few older Jewish aunts who swear that Concord grapes make good wine (that comes in a square bottle). I’m not so convinced about the wine, but Concord grapes do, indeed, make one of my favorite sorbets.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

　　2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) wine grapes or Concord grapes, stemmed (see Tip)

　　1/4 cup (60 ml) water

　　1 tablespoon sugar if using wine grapes or 1/4 cup sugar (50 g) if using Concord grapes

　　2 tablespoons (30 ml) light corn syrup or agave nectar

　　

Step 1

Put the stemmed grapes in a large saucepan with the water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the grapes are juicy and softened.

　　

Step 2

Remove the seeds and skins by passing the grapes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk or by pressing them through a mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Whisk the sugar and corn syrup or agave nectar into the still-warm grape juice until dissolved. (If the grape juice has cooled, rewarm it gently in a saucepan over low heat.) Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 3

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

Serving

Step 4

Because grapes have a lot of water, sorbet made from them tends to freeze very firmly. The sorbet is best eaten shortly after it’s made; otherwise, be sure to remove it from the freezer before serving to allow it to soften.

　　

Step 5

A pour of Champagne or other sparkling wine over each serving of sorbet is a nice touch. If you used Concord grapes, a spoonful of whipped cream (page 239) provides creamy contrast.

　　

Variations

Step 6

If you don’t have an ice cream machine, you can make GRAPE GRANITA. Pour the mixture into a shallow plastic container and place it in the freezer. Check periodically, and as the mixture freezes over the course of a few hours, stir and rake the mixture with a fork several times to create grainy crystals.

　　

Step 7

Instead of using fresh grapes, you can use 3 cups (750 ml) good-quality unsweetened grape juice. Warm 1 cup (250 ml) of it with the sugar and corn syrup or agave nectar until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the remaining grape juice.

　　

tip

Step 8

Grapes can be stemmed quickly in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook: Put the grapes in the bowl and run the mixer on the lowest speed. The hook will pull the grapes off the stems and crush them so they cook quicker; the stems will rise to the top and can be easily removed and discarded.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.