# Foragers, now is time to pick grape leaves



## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

If you are a fan of greek and lebanese cuisine, now is the time to harvest grape leaves to preserve for use throughout the year. You want them about the size of your palm. We stuff ours with ground lamb or lean beef (or a mixture),rice, lemon juice, salt and pepper

here is a good link on how to pickle them
http://honest-food.net/veggie-recipes/pickle-recipes/preserved-grape-leaves/

yum yum yum!!


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## Illini (Apr 13, 2009)

Awesome tip, beaglebiz - thanks!

Kathy


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Thanks for the tip!


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I think my grape vines are big enough this year I can pick a few to try. Thanks for the tip!


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Here in my corner of the PNW the Grape leaves are nibs about the size of a dime.
I'll keep an eye on them.


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## Betho (Dec 27, 2006)

Mine haven't even come out yet! lol... good to know though!


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## Spatula (Feb 10, 2010)

Supposedly they also keep cucumber pickles crisper, although to date I haven't noticed significant differences between batches where I do, or do not, include them...of course those are picked a month or so down the road, in the midst of pickling season...


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Marinemom...watch them close, they grow quickly
Spatula...never knew that about pickles, I will have to try it!!
we pick them now as they are still growing, so they will be tender
I dont pick the leaves with the white backs. The ones I stuff are all green.
At Wegman's, a jar of these is $10. Later when I speak to my MIL, I will get her recipe (and the lebanese name for them) and post it for you


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Just spoke to Mama (she is an import, so the recipe is traditional to her area)

Stuffed Grape Leaves 
(wata adeesh)
1 large jar grape leaves
4 lbs ground beef or lamb
1 cup rice
salt
pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
(mix...this is the filling)
take the grape leaves out of the jar, rinse and separate by size. use the broken or too small leaves to line the bottom of the pot (just in case the bottom does burn, this will protect your little stuffed grape leaves, i do this with cabbage too when I make piggies). 
put a blob of the filling on the grape leave, fold the sides in and roll up like a cabbage roll or a cigar (they kind of look like cigars). place them in the pot. after the pot is filled, add another 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the pot and place a plate on top to keep them submerged simmer for about an hour (cook slow so they dont fall apart).
We serve them with lemon wedges and lebanese flatbread (pitas are good if you cant find the flatbread...the flatbread is like huge flat thin sheets)


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

My cousin puts a thick layer of grape leaves on top of his corned venison while it is pickling. He swears it make the best corned meat you ever tasted.
Ohio Rusty ><>


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## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

OK, I love stuffed grape leaves but have never done my own. So, I have a question or 2. How big is a large jar? And is the rice cooked or raw? I am guessing raw because of the long cooking time but if I'm wrong... ick


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Not quite time here yet, another week maybe. I did this last year and found plenty of others foraging them too, especially by the train tracks.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

rice is raw...a large jar is barrel shaped, like a quart...Im guessing a hundred leaves.
Please, if you make it, let me know what you think (it is one of my favorite things, MIL makes for my birthday)


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Hmmmmmmm! I was just looking at my grapevines today.
I think I might try this.
Thanks!!!


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I picked about 15 leaves from my grapes last night, since that's all that I thought they could spare. They weren't all that big, either, only about the size of the palm of my hand (4"x4") I boiled them for about a minute each and drained them, then put a small amount of the lamb filling in them and rolled them up. They were tiny, and so cute! I steamed mine just for 5 minutes since I had precooked the rice and mixed it with the lamb and spices (I put just a little bit of allspice in it). Everyone loved them and we're going out to find some wild grape leaves this weekend to try preserving them. Has anyone tried this with collard leaves? Hubby thought the texture of the leaves would be similar so we might try that. Lord knows we have enough collards!

Thanks for the original idea, Beaglebiz! I hadn't thought of grape leaves since we planted the grapes a two years ago. If they'd been a snake.... :smack


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## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

wow, thanks we have all kinds of wild and tame grape leaves. i never thought about doing this. i was getting ready to take the weedeater to the wild ones.


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

I was just looking at my vines last evening thinking about the same thing.


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## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

I just munched a delicious sassafras leaf (think mild lemon flavor) while walking my goats as they browsed on weeds. I think I will gather, dry and powder up some sassafras leaves to thicken ...it's called fil'e. Used in creole/gumbo recipes..

-scrt crk


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I dont know about the collards, but it sounds like a good idea!!
Im hunting for wild ones too!! I was driving through town and noticed a vine growing in a vacant overgrown lot...thought I check it out!!


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

If they'd been a snake.... 

Yeah, me too! Just printed off the recipes for preserving them and for making the "Wata Adeesh". Thanks a lot!


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Make sure you TRY the leaves for taste and texture before you can up a bunch. I have two varieties of grape, one makes the most delicious leaves which I make stuffed and also put a leaf in with my pickled things--that grape is a small white table grape that is very sweet. The other grape is some red table grape, those leaves, no matter how young/"tender"ly picked just taste awful and are tough. So just saying, experiment a little first.

PS, my leaf picking vines keeps on putting out new leaves through the summer, there are plenty for pickling when I get around to it.


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## Lilbitof4 (Mar 2, 2011)

I would like to try this. The in laws have 10 vines. How do you preserve the leaves for later?


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## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

beaglebiz said:


> rice is raw...a large jar is barrel shaped, like a quart...Im guessing a hundred leaves.
> Please, if you make it, let me know what you think (it is one of my favorite things, MIL makes for my birthday)


 Thanks you! And I am heading over to my sil and little brothers house to get some leaves. I think Iwill use lamb for the as I love it.


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

As Beaglebiz said, the grape leaves that are white on the underside are not used, they are 'furry' is how I can explain them. The ones used are slick front and back. There is a grape vine that doesn't even make grapes that is preferred for making stuffed grape leaves, so says my MIL from the 'old country'. She used to cook them in a pot on the stove but now she bakes them in a roaster pan in the oven. She actually made us some yesterday, they were amazing. Mil freezes the leaves for later use.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

RECIPE EDIT!!!!!!
after you fill the pot with the stuffed grape leaves, fill the pot with water, and add the lemon juice. We put a plate on top to keep the little yummies submerged.
(I forgot to mention the water)


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

What a great thread, I was looking at my very healthy and huge grape vine just a few days ago pondering if I could use some of the leaves.

I have Muscadine grapes, can I use these leaves? Also, the grapes have already formed so would this affect the grapes if I pick the leaves? It is big, lots of leaves, only a few bunches of grapes, this is my first harvest


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I wouldnt mess with the leaves closest to the grape clusters. the leaves will keep coming. We dont have muscadine in the north, so I suggest just checking to see if the underside is white or green. If its white, dont use them. I have never had trouble with young, green leaves. Im off to pick some more now, Id like to get a large enough batch to pickle for MIL and me. good luck!!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Never considered using grapes leaves. Thanks for the ideas. Love threads like this one.

We have both tame and wild grapes; so will take a walk and see what I can gather.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

Trixters_muse said:


> What a great thread, I was looking at my very healthy and huge grape vine just a few days ago pondering if I could use some of the leaves.
> 
> I have Muscadine grapes, can I use these leaves? Also, the grapes have already formed so would this affect the grapes if I pick the leaves? It is big, lots of leaves, only a few bunches of grapes, this is my first harvest


Evidently so...

http://hollirichey.com/2010/08/15/super-antioxidants-found-in-local-muscadines/

My mother has a couple of real nice wild muscadine grape vines she never even messes with.. They had a great crop last year, and it's loaded wit grapes this year.. I need to learn how to propagate them to my place as they are about the best wild grapes I have tasted.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

*Foragers, now is time to pick grape leaves *is the title of this thread,
but I see it as

*Folgers, now is the time to pick grape leaves* then I wonder why coffee needs to pick grape leaves, or is it the price of coffee going up and we need to dry and grind grape leaves to make a coffee substitute.

so while crazy - at least it is a Prep based crazy.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

AngieM2 said:


> *Foragers, now is time to pick grape leaves *is the title of this thread,
> but I see it as
> 
> *Folgers, now is the time to pick grape leaves* then I wonder why coffee needs to pick grape leaves, or is it the price of coffee going up and we need to dry and grind grape leaves to make a coffee substitute.
> ...


Ha ha...folgers and foragers are both prep topics


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

I was speaking to the elderly lady that has a lebanese bakery...she has a huge grapevine out back, LOADED. She said the grapes are lousy, but she keeps the vine just for leaves. I took a small bag of leaves (dont want to appear greedy) and a few cuttings. Will these root in water??


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Txrider said:


> Evidently so...
> 
> http://hollirichey.com/2010/08/15/super-antioxidants-found-in-local-muscadines/
> 
> My mother has a couple of real nice wild muscadine grape vines she never even messes with.. They had a great crop last year, and it's loaded wit grapes this year.. I need to learn how to propagate them to my place as they are about the best wild grapes I have tasted.


Thank you! I love to make Muscadine jelly, I want to try juice this year too. My grandpa has tons of vines and gets huge harvests,this is my third year having my vines and my first harvest which looks like it is gonna be pretty abundant for the size/age of my little arbor. Mine are the bronze Scuppernong.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

We've got two Muscadines, two Concords and two...hmm, forgot what they are. Seedless, green table grapes. We haven't gotten grapes yet since the plants are young, but they're thriving.

I found a bunch of wild grapevines on the edge of our woods today (looked underneath the leavs and they were green!) and I'm going back in a few weeks to pick. They're not quite big enough but there were LOTS of them. Yay!


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

Around here it's the time of year to harvest the Sweet Anise plants by the Labanese and Syrian community. They grow wild in places. A dish is made by chopping the tops and the tender stem part, sauteing with chopped onion. Then stuff in the flat bread.


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## jessepona (Sep 7, 2005)

I love stuffed grape leaves, we usually use ground deer in place of lamb and it tastes great. The grape leaves aren't quite ready here yet either, but I've got both eyes one them waiting.


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

LOL, Angie! There is a thread on another board..."Humane Butchering". I saw it as "Human Butchering". Or slaughter, or something...anywho....


I wish I had grapes, now! I wonder if they grow here...but I doubt it, lol.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Shrarvrs88 said:


> I wish I had grapes, now! I wonder if they grow here...but I doubt it, lol.


Keep your eyes open...seems wild grapes are everywhere...they tend to choke out trees


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## starlady (Sep 9, 2009)

beaglebiz said:


> I was speaking to the elderly lady that has a lebanese bakery...she has a huge grapevine out back, LOADED. She said the grapes are lousy, but she keeps the vine just for leaves. I took a small bag of leaves (dont want to appear greedy) and a few cuttings. Will these root in water??


For my cuttings, I started with these instructions and modified them somewhat. I did cover them with sand, but checked on them every few weeks. When they had calloused and were just starting to put out root ends - or when I saw the leaf buds starting to swell - I dipped them in rooting hormone and potted them up. So far about half of mine have rooted, and I haven't given up on the other half.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Dolmas are another take on stuffed grape leaves.

Google "Dolma recipes" and see what pops up.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

http://www.food.com/recipe/dolma-stuffed-grape-leaves-198071


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

I will keep my eyes open! I would LOVE if some of that grew here! I could plant it along my fence!


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Has anyone tried this with collard leaves? Hubby thought the texture of the leaves would be similar so we might try that. Lord knows we have enough collards!


Yes, you can use collards. Click this link and go to "Variants".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolma




Lilbitof4 said:


> I would like to try this. The in laws have 10 vines. How do you preserve the leaves for later?


Go back and read the OP post (#1).


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