Concord grapes have always taken a soft spot in my heart. My grandfather grew them and I remember the scent of those sweet grapes when I visited my grandparents. Still to this day, I go in the fridge and open a box of grapes just to get the smell in my brain. They are available in late summer and fall so I buy them when I can. I wander down the aisles of my local farmers market with the hopes of smelling the intoxicating scent of those grapes in the fall.
Once I was at a restaurant where they had a sweet but tart Concord grape sorbet as a dessert. It had a spicy after bite that I loved. I asked the waiter if he could tell me what was the ingredient that provided this bite and I found out it was simple black peppercorns.
It seemed easy enough to duplicate this grape sorbet at home. I used my new blender to puree the grapes, a little sugar and a few black peppercorns. The blender's power is so good that it was all done in a matter of seconds.
Next I strained the mixture into a bowl. That was a little messy and time consuming but worth it the minute I took a sweet cold spoon of the sorbet. It went into my KitchenAid ice cream attachment and was ready to keep in the freezer.
I tried to savor the dessert as long as I could as I have not seen any Concord grapes in the market this late in the season. Next year I will remember to make a bigger batch!
RECIPE
Concord Grape Sorbet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Concord grapes cleaned and washed
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Add the grapes, sugar, peppercorns and water to a blender. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Strain the mixture using a strainer into a medium size bowl.
- Add the strained mixture to an ice cream maker and let churn to manufacturers directions. Freeze for at least two hours or until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nancy Buchanan says
Hi Lisa!! It was wonderful to meet you in person at Food, Fight, Write ... I think I am going to have to attend an east coast conference to meet more east coast bloggers! This sorbet sounds fantastic... a great dessert after a heavy meal and maybe even as a a palate cleanser for a fancier fall dinner!!!
Maria says
Very refreshing dessert. Concord grapes are my favorite.
Stacey | Kitchen Serendipity says
YUM that looks and sounds so good!
Joanne says
I love how you spiced up this sorbet with some peppercorns! Totally restaurant-worthy.
Lila Asnani says
This looks terrific! Grapes and peppercorns-what a great discovery! I am definitely going to have to give this recipe a try!