Freshest Grapes: Look For Bright Color, Crisp Texture Spring And SummerBring The Year’s Best (NAPSA)—AII varieties of table grapes—green, red or black—are delicious, especially when they’re 2% fresh. And, as many shoppers are discovering, now is the timeof year to find the freshest grapes. During the long winter and early spring months, many table grapes spend weeks in cold storage before they arrive in stores. During the sunny months, fresh grapes from new harvests in the Mexican state of Sonora start popping up in grocery stores. Sonora provides almost 60 percent of the fresh table grapes sold in the United States from Mayto July. The quality of these fresh grapes is notably higher than that of storage grapes—they’re sweet and juicy, with lots of crunch. The freshest ones havebrightly colored skin, a crisp texture anda full flavor. They’re tasty either as a snack or an ingredient. So, sample the latest Sonoran harvest with these Mexican-inspired recipes. Chipotle-Grape Sauce This sweet and spicy sauce complements grilled chicken or pork. 3 cups orange-pineapple juice % cup white wine vinegar 4 cups red grapes such as Flame Seedless or Red Globe, or the black Fantasy, seededif necessary 3 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers, or to taste 2 tablespoons cumin Juice of one lime Salt to taste Process juice, vinegar, grapes and peppersin a blenderuntil smooth. Heat andstir cumin in a medium saucepan until fragrant; add grape puree, stir, andbringto a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat andstir in lime and salt. Makes about 3 cups. Green Grape Margarita 3 dozen green seedless grapes suchas Perlette, Sugraone or Thompson, divided 1 lime, quartered Salt % cup tequila 2 tablespoons orange liqueur 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice Place 2 dozen grapes in a single layer in a shallow pan, and freeze at least 30 minutes. Squeeze lime quarters over the rims of 4 glasses. Dip rim into a bowl of salt. Drop a lime quarter and 6 frozen grapes in each glass. Combine tequila, liqueur and lime juice in a shaker with ice; strain into glasses. Garnish with toothpicks, each speared with 3 grapes. Makes4.
