Grapes — season, tips, and recipes in Australia
Grapes is a fruit available in Queensland during February, March, April, peaking in March. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy grapes, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
The Sunraysia region (VIC/NSW) produces most of Australia's table grapes. Thompson Seedless (Sultana), Crimson Seedless, and Red Globe are the main varieties.
How to pick a good one
Stems should be green and flexible, not brown and brittle. Grapes don't ripen after picking.
How to store it
Fridge in a perforated bag. Don't wash until eating. Last about a week.
Goes well with
sharp cheese: Every cheese board has grapes for structural reasons. The water content of grapes cleans the palate between pieces of cheese. Their sweetness also contrasts with aged cheese's salt and funk.
walnut: Tannins in walnut skin and the slight tannic edge of grape skin are complementary rather than competing. The combination is drier and more interesting than grapes alone.
rosemary: Rosemary is one of the few herbs that works with fruit. Its resinous, piney notes contrast with grape sweetness in a way that's distinctly savoury. Used in focaccia with grapes.
prosciutto: Salt, fat, and sweetness. Prosciutto with grapes works for the same reason prosciutto with melon does -- the sweetness of the fruit and the salt of the cured meat create a back-and-forth that's more satisfying than either alone.
Recipes
Roasted Grape & Walnut Crostini
Sweet, savoury, perfect nibble.
Ingredients: 200g grapes, handful walnuts, 100g soft goat cheese, baguette slices, 1 tbsp olive oil, thyme
Method: Toss grapes with oil and thyme. Roast 200C for 15 min until burst. Toast bread. Spread goat cheese. Top with roasted grapes and walnuts.
Grape & Chicken Salad
Lunch. Sweet pops in every bite.
Ingredients: 200g cooked chicken (shredded), 150g grapes (halved), 2 stalks celery (sliced), 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp yoghurt, squeeze lemon
Method: Mix chicken, grapes, celery. Dress with mayo, yoghurt, lemon. Season. Serve in lettuce cups or on toast.
Frozen Grapes
The easiest snack. Tastes like sorbet.
Ingredients: A bunch of grapes
Method: Wash grapes. Pull from stems. Freeze in a single layer on a tray. Transfer to a bag. Eat from frozen.
Nutrition
One cup of grapes provides 27% of your daily vitamin K and 25% of your vitamin C. Red and black varieties contain resveratrol, the antioxidant also found in red wine. Green grapes have more of the antioxidant catechin. About 104 calories per cup. Frozen grapes have the same nutritional value as fresh.