Welcome to a recipe that beautifully marries the sweet and the savory! Pickled tomatoes with grapes is a delightful and unexpected combination that will surprise your taste buds. This Eastern European-inspired preserve takes the familiar comfort of pickled cherry tomatoes and elevates it with the juicy burst of sweet grapes. The result is a sophisticated, gourmet appetizer that's perfect for holiday platters, cheese boards, or as a unique side dish. Get ready to create a jar of sunshine to enjoy all winter long!
Tomatoes with grapes for winter
Ingredients for Tomatoes with Grapes for Winter (for a 500 ml jar)
- 170 g cherry tomatoes
- 150 g pink grapes
- 1 chili pepper pod
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cloves
- 1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
- 5 allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 5 ml balsamic vinegar
- 10 ml apple cider vinegar
- 20 g sugar
- 10 g salt
- filtered or spring water
How to Make Tomatoes with Grapes for Winter
Cocktail cherry tomatoes are the perfect choice for this kind of preserve. Head to the market or your garden and pick the smallest tomatoes you can find to minimize empty space in the jar. Fill the jar about halfway with cherry tomatoes to estimate the amount you’ll need—weighing them is a thankless task unless you have a precision scale.
Cocktail cherry tomatoes are the perfect choice for such preserves.
Pluck the grapes from the bunch so they pack more compactly.
Put everything in a bowl, add warm water, and wash.
Next, eyeball the amount of grapes needed—they should also fill about half the jar. Pluck the grapes from the bunch so they pack more compactly.
Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes and grapes, place them in a bowl, cover with warm water, and wash thoroughly. Then, transfer them to a colander and rinse under running water.
Pack the cherry tomatoes and grapes tightly into the jar.
Wash the jar in warm water with baking soda, then rinse with boiling water. There’s no need to sterilize it, as the fruits and vegetables aren’t sterile, making jar sterilization pointless in this case. Pack the cherry tomatoes and grapes tightly into the jar.
Boil filtered or spring water.
Drain the water into a saucepan.
Add a hot chili pepper pod and a bay leaf to the saucepan.
Boil filtered or spring water, pour it into the jar, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Drain the water into a saucepan, and pour a fresh batch of boiling water into the jar.
To the saucepan with the drained water, add a hot chili pepper pod and a bay leaf. Add the salt, sugar, mustard seeds, mixed peppercorns, cloves, and allspice berries. Stir the brine to completely dissolve the salt and sugar, then bring it to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes.
Pour in the apple cider and balsamic vinegars.
Pour the boiling brine with the spices.
Seal tightly with a boiled lid.
Pour out the hot water from the jar and immediately add the apple cider and balsamic vinegars. In total, you’ll need about one tablespoon of 9% vinegar, but you can adjust the amount to your taste.
Pour the boiling brine, along with all the spices, into the jar, filling it almost to the top.
Seal the jar tightly with a pre-boiled lid, turn it upside down, wrap it in a warm blanket, and leave it to cool completely.
Store in a cool, dark place. Enjoy your meal!
Store in a cool, dark place.
And there you have it—a jar of beautifully preserved tomatoes and grapes, ready to brighten up your winter pantry! Once cooled, store them in a cool, dark place for at least a couple of weeks to allow the flavors to fully meld and mature. Serve these gems alongside roasted meats, as part of an antipasto platter, or simply enjoy them straight from the jar. We hope this unique recipe inspires you to get creative with your canning. Happy pickling, and enjoy the delicious results of your work!
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