The Cottage Smallholder
stumbling self sufficiency in a small space
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
4:17 am
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
Offline
Silly question, but it needs asking (on my part anyway).
Don't know why I am awake at 4:00 in the morning, but am doing something I really enjoy which is planning some meals ahead for next week as I am visitorized.
Fancy getting some Sole from my fish man and doing this maybe for Tuesday but how the heck does one peel grapes !!!
I fancy the easiest way for a ham fisted male will be to blanche them for a few seconds in boiling water, am I right please ??
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
6:03 am
Councillor
New members
Fri 10-Sep-10
Offline
Grape on table hit with mallet you have the skin grape shared round the room QED 
Seed catalogues are responsible for more unfulfilled fantasies than the web and playboy combined . (after Michael Perry)
6:44 am
Supreme Being
New members
Mon 7-Jun-10
Offline
Don't you have yourself a 'person' to do it?¦You know the one¦stands there fanning you at the same time.
Sorry, I forgot, it's winter. You could have 'borrowed' mine but they only work in the summer¦¦. 
Try Seth's suggestion first but have a few round the room with fishing nets to catch the pips 
¦
Now the sensible response...from Google
"To peel grapes (if you want to use them in fruit salad, for example), drop them into boiling water for a couple of seconds, then drain them and immerse them in cold water. The skins should rub off."
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
7:39 am
Sat 12-Aug-06
Offline
Personally, I highly recommend Seth's approach, Chris. But do please post piccies before/after
Never knowingly underfed
7:53 am
Supreme Being
New members
Sun 30-Jan-11
Offline
This is what I love about this forum.....everyone's so willing to wade in and help with the humour
(and some pearls of wisdom thrown in.....unusual that it was Elsa who provided them this time! 
)
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
8:12 am
Supreme Being
New members
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
Hi Chris,
It is a long time since I had Sole Veronique but I don't ever remember it with skinned grapes, they were usually halved but had the skin on.
So I asked Google (my ever-helpful friend) & found this video.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-sole-veronique
Then I asked for a video of grape peeling techniques & came up with this.
http://www.ehow.com/video_5361562_peel-grapes.html
Personally I don't have an objection to the skins being on but maybe you or your guests do. Just allow stacks of time & have a very sharp knife.......Good luck....
PS. These sites are so useful for finding how to do the various cooking techniques, etc.
You can study these if you have more sleepless nights.....!!
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
8:34 am
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
Offline
Sue, you are very brave. I always think Elsa's responses are, well, thought provoking !!
Sadly Elsa my French Maid is a warm blooded little thing and doesn't do for me in the winter when she leaves for sunnier climbs.
I think Seth got confused between Grapes and Nuts and I am not putting any nuts on the table!!
Hattie many thanks, I think I prefer the look of the recipe I have in mind, presentation wise, but will probably chicken out from peeling the grapes which is what my recipe suggests although may have a practice after blanching them and see how that turns out before ditching the idea.
Regarding pics Danny what did you have in mind, the splattered walls after Setherisation ?
Morning all, I am going back to bed for an hour, it feels like mid-day!!!
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
8:48 am
Supreme Being
New members
Sun 30-Jan-11
Offline
Want us to give you an alarm call in an hour or so, Chris? 
(and it's easy to be brave from the safety of a computer in another country )
Erm, to get back to the actual topic of peeling a grape....personally, I wouldn't bother, I don't find grape skins particularly irksome (unlike pepper skins, eg, which I can't abide). Some people might, of course, although perhaps peeling the grapes is to allow more of the sauce and flavour to permeate the fruit? I don't know, only a guess.
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
9:02 am
Supreme Being
New members
Mon 7-Jun-10
Offline
Sooliz said:
(and it's easy to be brave from the safety of a computer in another country
Take care my loverly....
I do come back to the UK occasionally Sue, but if I want 'work done'....there is normally someone to oblige....be warned...Mrs Tickles arms like Mr Tickles arms (children's books), they reach far and wide....
.......
and thanks Chris...I do like to be thought provoking....I speak in pictures....
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
9:50 am
Supreme Being
New members
Sun 30-Jan-11
Offline
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
4:31 pm
Expert
New members
Sun 17-Jan-10
Offline
In the interests of science I have experimented with some of the grapes I've been snacking on this afternoon:
* Picking the skin off with your fingernails does indeed produce a naked grape, but it's not a pretty grape and there's a fair bit of juice lost.
* Blanching the grape (in a mug of boiled water) seems to make the skin come off slightly easier, but it's still fiddly.
*Slicing round the skin with a knife and picking at it seems to work better than the above two methods.
Have to say, none of the methods seemed to beat simply slicing the grapes in half. And the skin, on these little red grapes at least, doesn't seem thick enough to get in the way of any recipe.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go wash my hands and wipe my keyboard.
11:28 am
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
Offline
Well, we had this last night. I 'chickened out' of trying to skin the grapes and simply washed and cut them in half.
Had my usual problem getting rid of the lumps in the roux but otherwise it was really good for a first attempt.
I used Plaice rather than Sole as the Sole wasn't big enough to produce good size fillets.
Recommended, and thanks for the advice both helpful and humourous...
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
12:18 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
Glad to hear that it went well, you do like to experiment don't you? Have you been away?
I'll try that again!
3:51 pm
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
Offline
Not been away TA but have been busy, had public meeting on Saturday in Sax Market Hall about the Town Plan and we had over 100 people (I had expected maybe 25 or 30 moaners!) and have been fairly committed following up on that. Also have Anne here this week so have been entertaining - actually have hardly stopped laughing so in all honesty I am the one who has been entertained - so whilst I may have been quiet on the forum I have been keeping an eye on it, I thought retirement was supposed to be restful !! Great fun...
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
Most Users Ever Online: 767
Currently Online:
26 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
brightspark: 10532
danast: 10232
Aly: 9516
Sooliz: 8084
Hattie: 6920
Ambersparkle: 6699
JoannaS: 4800
Terrier: 4518
eileen54: 4424
Hannah: 4231
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 10
Members: 16171
Moderators: 2
Admins: 2
Forum Stats:
Groups: 6
Forums: 25
Topics: 2295
Posts: 123081
Newest Members:
Doublesden, naoum, brunorogers, Weismart, renesmith97, KarenFields21Moderators: Toffeeapple: 16337, AdminTA: 10
Administrators: fn: 333, Danny: 5516
Copyright © 2006-2012 Cottage Smallholder Our Privacy Policy Advertise on Cottage Smallholder
