I have something of a problem when it comes to vintage cookbooks. I can’t walk by a used bookstore or thrift store without stopping in to scan for some interesting new title. Some I buy just for their kitsch factor, but I find that many older cookbooks I pick up haven’t lost their utility to age and have quite a lot to offer, particularly for a girl who’s interesting in reviving the waning art of canning.
One of my favorite volumes is the New York Times Heritage Cookbook. It was originally published in 1972 and was written by long-time NYT food writer Jean Hewitt (she also wrote the New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook, which was a staple of my childhood). It’s an unembellished book, but it manages to capture the many distinct faces of regional food that were once present in this country (fast food, national grocery brands and TV have homogenized us in so many ways).
I pulled it off the shelf a couple of nights ago, in my search for pickled lime recipes. While it didn’t yield any helpful recipes in that direction, I discovered a very intriguing recipe for something called Grape Catchup (yes, spelled just like that) in the Mountain/Northern Plains section (the book is organized by region of the country). It seemed both easy, calling for nothing more than grapes, apple cider vinegar, sugar and spices, and strangely appealing.
I made it last night, filling the apartment with the pungent smell of hot, fruity vinegar (sounds like the name of a band made up of pickle makers). What came out was a really tangy, sweet/sour condiment that would make a great dipping sauce (I also think it would be amazing on baked chicken or roasted pork – oh god, a pulled pork sandwich with this instead of bbq sauce would be amazing). It has sort of a runny consistency, as the recipe doesn’t call for any pectin or thickener beyond the grape skins (which do contain some natural pectins).
Being that I now have four pints of this grape catchup in seven separate jars, I’m giving away two half-pint jars to a couple of lucky readers. If you want to try this tasty condiment that you absolutely won’t be able to find on your grocery store shelves, leave a comment by Sunday at 5 pm. And, if you want to make a batch yourself, the recipe is after the jump.
Grape Catchup
adapted from The New York Times Heritage Cookbook, by Jean Hewitt
6 cups of red grapes*
4 cups apple cider vinegar
6 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons cloves
In a large pot, combine the grapes, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the temperature so that it’s at a bare simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. When the cooking time has elapsed, check on the grapes and if there are some that have not broken down, smash them against the side of pot with a wooden spoon.
Add the spices and cook for another ten minutes. The mixture will be a dark purple color and syrupy.
Ladle the catchup into sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Store in a dark, cool place.
Makes four pints.
*I used conventional, seedless grapes to make this recipe. However, it did originally call for wild grapes with seeds. If you use that style of grape, you will need to remove the seeds prior to cooking.
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[...] and more than good enough to be turned into something wonderful. Back when I made that batch of grape catchup (has anyone tried that recipe? It’s okay if you haven’t, it is sort of a weird one), I [...]
Food in Jars » Rhubarb Chutney added these pithy words on Jul 14 09 at 11:09 pmOkay, I’m intrigued. I’d love to experiment with this condiment.
1. Livia added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
1:32 am
My grandmother used to make this when I was a kid and use it on grilled chicken. I would love the chance to try it again. I could never find her recipe.
Aaron, I’m so happy to be bringing back memories for you! Sounds like a homemade batch of grape catchup should be in your future! -Marisa
2. Aaron added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
9:15 am
I think that using seeded grapes would probably result in a thickened catchup, because the skins tend to be more substantial. That said, this recipe sounds delicious!
Liz, you’re probably right. If I can get my hands on some seeded grapes this summer, I might make this one again. -Marisa
3. Liz added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
10:22 am
4. Dan added these pithy words on OMG…I love trying all different flavors of condiments…especially ketchups and mustards…I probably have at least 10 different mustards in my fridge…LOL! Would love to try this ketchup!
Stephanie, I do think you’d like this one (and it’s a super easy recipe for beginners). -Marisa
5. Stephanie added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
11:17 am
6. Big John added these pithy words on Oooh this sounds awesome. My fiance is obsessed with ketchup, so I’d love to surprise him with this—something a little different!
Mel, this would definitely be a good one for the ketchup obsessed. -Marisa
7. Mel added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
1:24 pm
I’m thinking…baby greens, grilled chicken breast, a few small chunks of sharp white cheddar, mushrooms and some dried cranberries- all topped with a vinagrette made with this grape catchup and some excellent extra virgin olive oil. And now I’m hungry.
Michelle, you managed to make me hungry as well! -Marisa
8. michelle added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
2:19 pm
9. Very interesting and tasty sounding! I have always passed up cookbooks at antique stores and such because they tend to mainly be ones where every recipe contains “cream of something” soup, and that kind of grosses me out. I will have to start checking them out again with new eyes.
Tara, I agree that some of those older cookbooks are unredeemingly awful. However, there are some that offer wonderful, reasonable, down-to-earth food that make them well worth the couple of bucks that they cost. All the older NYT cookbooks are terrific, as are the More-With-Less volumes. -Marisa
10. Tara added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
3:39 pm
I am also intrigued…my “no cook” dinner of this week is rice with a fried egg and hoisin sauce on top…this would be very tasty.
11. Sarah added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
3:50 pm
My ‘Pickles And Relishes’ booklet from Agriculture Canada 1982 is one of my favourites. The old cookbooks are gems.
I still have a big bag of concord grapes in the freezer from last summer…maybe they will become catchup!Mary, that sounds like a wonderful cookbooklet. I haven’t delved into relishes yet, but they’re on my list for this summer. Do you have any favorites? -Marisa
12. Mary added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
4:00 pm
You are like a little jam making/ canning machine
You make it seem sooo simple. I need to build up some courage and try canning. Hopefully, I won’t make anyone sick- Do you have any suggestions for newbies (books, websites, small-batch recipes)???
Tea Kay, the thing about canning is that it actually is simple. I’ve been meaning to put together a sidebar of resources, I’ll try to do it this weekend. -Marisa
13. Tea Kay added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
4:15 pm
Not only am I quite curious about the grape catchup, I now also want to get my hands on the New York Times Heritage Cookbook. I’m wondering how the grape catchup would work with some of our local Georgia grapes like muscadines and scuppernongs. I’ll have to try it out this summer.
Jennifer, the NYT Heritage Cookbook is definitely worth owning. It was reissued in the 1990′s, so there are plenty of inexpensive copies out there to be had. And, I think that this catchup would be *amazing* with local, less commercial grapes. I bet the would lend deeper flavor and, as Liz suggested earlier, they would probably make it gel better. The one problem with using those grapes would be deseeding without losing the skins. However, I’m certain it could be done, as those are the grapes that the recipe was originally written for. -Marisa
14. Jennifer added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
4:18 pm
I am intrigued by this condiment. I would like to try it!
15. Tim M added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
6:23 pm
I am so interested. I think if you add some red pepper flakes or some other heat it would be good on a stir fry. Thoughts?
16. Marcy added these pithy words on
May 08 09 at
8:59 pm
Chili sauce is my favourite annual relish, but maybe that’s a Canadian thing.
If you want to use grapes with seeds, it’s fiddly but I’ve done it for concord grape jam which is delicious. Wash grapes, squeeze each one to separate skins from pulp and seeds. Simmer pulp and seeds for a bit to soften then strain to remove seeds. Add skins back to pulp and continue with recipe.
17. Mary added these pithy words on
May 09 09 at
7:22 am
I would love yo try this on the Trader Joe’s Masala burgers we have in the freezer! I would never think to try making this myself!
18. Fran added these pithy words on
May 09 09 at
10:48 am
19. Ann P. added these pithy words on That’s a new one for me, Marisa, and I would love to try it on grilled chicken or salmon.
And I love the unusual products you force me to research!
20. Pat added these pithy words on
May 09 09 at
3:33 pm
I don’t understand the use of the word “problem” in this context.
I was wondering what type of grapes the original recipe called for until I got to the end of the post. Wild grape around here are all skin (and tough skin at that) and seeds – not way to remove the seeds easily. But, what flavor! I make an extraordinary deep-purple and intensely perfumed jelly from it. To get rid of the seeds, I cook the grape with a tiny bit of water and then pass the whole ting through a jelly bag. I probably would do the same for that catchup. Sound very intriguing. Thank you.
21. Sylvie, Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener added these pithy words on
May 09 09 at
6:22 pm
wow, i can’t imagine seeding that many grapes. i would love to just try this instead
22. lauren added these pithy words on
May 09 09 at
8:39 pm
It sounds like a great condiment to have around!
23. pam added these pithy words on
May 09 09 at
10:58 pm
I’ve seen fruity catsup’s before in old cookbooks. This definitely looks intriguing!
Kickpleat, don’t you just love those old cookbooks! Such a wealth of interesting ideas. -Marisa
24. kickpleat added these pithy words on
May 10 09 at
2:21 pm
That sounds delicious! I originally got into canning in order to use up the large harvest of concord grapes we had one year. Sadly, we no longer live there, but I think concords would work well for this recipe.
Marisa, I think concords would be wonderful in this recipe. I must admit, my conventional seedless grapes don’t pack quite the flavor punch that a homegrown concord has. -Marisa
25. Another Marisa added these pithy words on
May 10 09 at
5:46 pm
I recently bought some red grapes, but when I got them home I was disappointed to discover that they were rather sour. I thought I might try making this with them. Do you have any advice in terms of adding pectin to make it thicken a bit better? I’ll let you know how it turns out!
27. Sheila added these pithy words on
Feb 01 10 at
1:32 am
