Black Emerald Grapes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Black Emerald grapes are medium to large in size and round to oval in shape, averaging about the size of a dime, sixteen millimeters in diameter and seventeen millimeters in length. The jet-black to blue grapes have medium-thick skin with a slightly waxy finish. The translucent flesh is firm and contains 2-4 very small, underdeveloped seeds which are usually undetectable. Black Emerald grapes grow on prolific vines in compact clusters that are conical in shape, and each vine can produce up to fifty bunches of grapes. Black Emerald grapes are crisp, juicy, and sweet with moderate acidity and are considered a neutral tasting grape.
Seasons/Availability
Black Emerald grapes are available in the late spring and summer.
Current Facts
Black Emerald grapes, botanically classified as Vitis vinifera, are an early ripening, black variety that was developed by cultivators David Ramming and Ron Tarailo in Fresno, California. Black Emerald grapes are the result of six years of research and seven generations of selected breeding and hybridization of numerous parents including blackrose, muscat of alexandria, sultanina, flame seedless, perlette, and calmeria. Black Emerald grapes have improved flavor and are an excellent table grape that can be used in desserts, drinks, sauces, and jams.
Nutritional Value
Black Emerald grapes contain antioxidants, flavonoids, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Applications
Black Emerald grapes can be used in both raw and cooked applications such as boiling, sautéing, and roasting. They are most often eaten raw out-of-hand, but they are also suitable for making sauces, compotes, desserts, and jams. Black Emerald grapes are sweet and can be used in pancakes, crumbles, pies, and sorbets. They can also be sautéed in Moroccan spiced chicken, lightly roasted and put in salsa, stuffed in peppers with feta, mixed in salads greens with blue cheese and walnuts, and even used as a natural sweetener for cocktails. Black Emerald grapes pair well with meats such as salmon, chicken, and duck, asparagus, fennel, rosemary, mint, lemon juice, crème fraiche, goat cheese, blue cheese, feta, cognac, and nuts such as walnut, hazelnut, and pistachio. They will keep up to a week when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Black Emerald grapes were created to meet market demand for a black grape that could be offered early in the season. With California leading the United States in grape production, and farmers markets becoming an increasingly popular shopping destination for diverse produce, Black Emerald grapes were created with an improved, more interesting flavor and the ability to ripen in mid-May or June. Other black grape varieties typically ripen later in the season, so there is little competition for the Black Emerald.
Geography/History
Black Emerald grapes were released in 1994 and were bred by David Ramming and Ron Tarailo at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Horticultural Crops Research Lab in Fresno, California. They are a public cultivar with no restrictions on propagation. Today Black Emerald grapes are largely found at farmers markets in the United States, specifically California.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Black Emerald Grapes. One
is easiest, three is harder.| The View from Great Island |
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Black Grape and Cognac Sorbet |
