{Update April 2, 2013) – Welcome Pintester readers! What can I say? Guess these just aren’t for everyone. If you think they’re gross, that’s OK. I think beets are gross. Tomato – tomahto, right? Anyway, if you try these and aren’t impressed, here’s a tip: put the grapes in a colander and rinse off the Jell-O powder and you’re left with plain grapes again. Also? If you use a different flavor of Jell-O (I used MELON, not lime), or sugar-free, they’re probably NOT going to taste like the original recipe. Just sayin’. And finally? Guys… it’s grapes and Jell-O. I think the expectations are a little too high, LOL…
{Update June 26, 2012} – I am completely overwhelmed by all the pins for this blog post! I am so glad that so many people are enjoying these. And thanks for all of your great suggestions in the comments. I am definitely trying them frozen this summer! Since originally posting this recipes, I have made the glitter grapes with a few different flavors, but my favorite is still either Melon Fusion or Watermelon (depending on what I find at the store). I still have not tried them with sugar-free Jell-O, but I will try to get to that. In the meantime… thanks for visiting!
Jake’s Pinewood Derby was a couple weeks ago and our den was asked to bring fruit to the event. While it is super great that they are encouraging more healthful snacks at scouting events, I was racking my brain for some way to make fruit more exciting. It couldn’t involve skewers because, well… all those crazy boys were going to be running around. I could just envision one going right through a Wolf scout’s eye or something. Shudder.
Then I remembered a link that Dara had posted on Facebook. It was for sparkly sweet grapes. Perfect! I’d had sugar frosted grapes before and enjoyed them, but I have never felt comfortable with the whole raw egg-wash thing. It’s one thing if I’m making them for a small group of people I know well, but not for a community event. There are too many people with egg allergies these days. I’d hate to be the person who made someone sick. Glitter Grapes, however, do not require anything questionable. All you need are grapes and Jell-O.
I went with green grapes and Melon Fusion Jell-O. I wasn’t sure how the color of the gelatin would effect the the overall color of the grapes, so I tried to keep it in the same family.
The first thing you do is thoroughly wash your grapes. Don’t skimp on the water. The grapes need to be wet in order for the Jell-O to stick to them.
Next, pour out about 1/3 of the Jell-O powder onto a plate.
Drop a handful of grapes into the powder and coat them on all sides.
You can use a spoon if it’s easier. The powder tends to gunk up on your fingers (yes, “gunk up” is the technical term).
Add more gelatin powder as needed and continue the process until all the grapes are covered. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
And that’s it! I am calling them “sour patch grapes” because quite a few people thought I got my hands on some of the sugar they use on Sour Patch Kids. This recipe was seriously easy and seriously good. Believe it or not, people were actually looking for me so I could tell them how I made the grapes, LOL! And Drew overheard two boys from the Webelos II den talking about how good the glitter grapes were. He said, “If they inspired a couple 5th grade boys to talk about them long after they’re gone, I think you’ve got a winner.” Ha! 🙂 This will probably be my go-to picnic/potluck dish this summer. I’m sure other flavors of Jell-O are good, too. But I’m sticking with the melon!
Sour Patch Grapes (a.k.a. Glitter Grapes)
1 pound of green seedless grapes, pulled from the stems and rinsed
1 3-oz. package of Melon Fusion Jell-O (NOT prepared)
Water
DirectionsRinse the grapes under water until all are clean and wet. Spread the gelatin mix on a plate, about 1/3 at a time. Place a handful of grapes on the plate and gently roll each grape in the gelatin powder until it is covered. Place the coated grapes into a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients until all of the grapes are covered. Place the bowl and let set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, until the gelatin is set. The colder these are, the better they taste!
Be sure to visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom to check out other delicious recipes!
