I Love Vinegar -- It's Weird, I Know

I am newly obsessed with canning. Really, it's only a matter of time before I make myself sick, right? We all know I'm not so good with details, like not touching lids after they've been disinfected and the like.

The grapes mark my first foray into pickling, which is a good step for me because I absolutely love vinegar. It's gross to say, but I would probably drink it plain if it weren't for the intense kick at the end. I confess I tried it once--not good. But I'll take it mixed with olive oil and Italian seasonings in a dressing and with dill and pickled cucumbers and I'll dowse French fries with it at the Dundee Dell. I realize most people don't have the same affinity toward the fermented juice, so I'm probably the only one who likes these grapes, which taste exactly like grapes but with a kick. Everybody thought it was weird.

It was probably the first thing I made that Megan didn't care for--don't worry, she made up for it by espousing on the greatness of my soup. Katy brought Cordell over in his Halloween costume; he liked to try the grapes as if it were rebellious, like how someone would smell a dirty sock over and over again just because it's so bad. So it looks like I'll be enjoying all six jars of pickled grapes myself. I think I'm up to the challenge; I really liked them.

Mustard-flavored Pickled Grapes: from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

1 pound grapes (preferrably seedless)
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick

Wash the grapes. Pull the stems off, cut off just the belly-button end of the grapes and place in a large bowl. Meanwhile, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a small pot. Pour over grapes and let cool. Follow canning procedures to sterilize and can the grapes. Let sit for eight hours before eating.