Sweet and Salty Frozen Grapes
Updated August 6, 2025
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus 6 hours’ freezing
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes, plus 6 hours’ freezing
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 ½ pounds red or green seedless grapes off the stem, washed and dried
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (optional), plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Aleppo chile flakes or other mild chile flakes like Urfa (See Tip)
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
23 grams carbs; 86 calories; 1 gram fiber; 282 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 19 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Add grapes to 1-gallon zip-top bag (1 ½ pounds of loose grapes fit perfectly in a gallon-sized zip-top bag, allowing them to freeze in a single, even layer—no need to transfer them from a baking sheet to a storage container).
- Step 2
In a small bowl, combine lemon zest (if using), lemon juice, sugar, chile flakes and 1 teaspoon salt, and whisk very well to combine.
- Step 3
Pour the lemon mixture over grapes, seal the bag, and shake well to thoroughly coat each grape.
- Step 4
Lay the zip-top bag flat in the freezer and freeze for at least 6 hours (ideally overnight), until grapes are frozen solid. Remove from the freezer and toss around to loosen them in the bag before tipping them into a bowl. Serve immediately. (Frozen grapes can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.)
For a sharper heat, use ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon Italian crushed red pepper in place of the mild chile flakes.
Private Notes
Comments
serving these in an ice bowl might be a good idea...get two bowls, make sure one is a little smaller...fill the bigger bowl (if they're clear bowls you can throw in some flowers) and carefully place the smaller bowl into the water...you might have some overflow so be careful...center the bowl and secure it with two large rubber bands...putting pie weights in the top bowl helps too...let it freeze and you'll have a nice serving bowl for the grapes. (I make an ice bowl to hold hard boiled eggs for our Seder each year)
Can one use Tajin seasoning instead? Tajin is a combination of ground chiles de árbol, guajillo chili, pasilla chili, sea salt and dehydrated lime
@33rdjuly Thanks for sharing this idea. one hint: Put a plate under the bowl before placing it on the serving table if the temperature is warm. I forgot to do that once and I regretted that!
I have long been a fan of frozen grapes. I sprinkle black cherry jello on the freshly washed grapes before freezing.
I just wash mine really well and into a ziplock and in the freezer they go. Better than fresh and last so much longer.
This is very nostalgic for me. We grew up in the 60s and 70s with an Aunt and Uncle who were incredible cooks. After every huge, delicious Holiday meal, when my sisters and I were stuffed to the gills, my Uncle (Uncie) would serve a big bowl of frozen grapes. Just the grapes. He always told us it helped with digestion. We loved them and now carry that tradition on. They would think it a hoot that there’s a ‘recipe’ in the NYT for frozen grapes! Thanks for this!