Preserved Grape Leaves
May 28, 2011
Here in Sonoma County, California, we have more than our share of vineyards. For good or for bad, the apple orchards and more diversified crops have given way to hill after rolling hill of vineyards. Now that we are well into May, the vineyards are awash with green as the grape vines put out their leaves. So though the grape harvest is still months away, this is the ideal time to harvest grape leaves.
Harvest leaves from grape varieties that produce smooth and not fuzzy leaves. The leaves pictured are from a Thompson grape vine, but there are many, many possible varieties. Choose leaves that are large (the size of your hand) and not damaged by sun or insects. This time of year they are fresh, tender, and supple. Later in the season they will turn tough and not be as suitable for eating. Take care to ensure that you are not collecting leaves from vines that have been sprayed.
Preserving grape leaves could not be simpler. Trim the stem from the leaf. Blanch the leaves in salt water, roll them up in packs of 5 leaves, and pack them upright in a lemon and water solution. Jars can be processed for shelf storage or kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. I used mine to make dolmas! Here is the recipe.
Preserved Grape Leaves
adapted from Linda Ziedrich’s The Joy of Pickling
makes 1 pint
30 grape leaves (young and large)
1 quart water
2 teaspoons salt
Place leaves vein side up on a cutting board. Trim the stem from the leaf. I found kitchen shears to be the best tool for this job.
Bring 1 quart water and salt to a boil. Blanch the leaves for 30 seconds. Remove leaves from pot with tongs or a slotted spoon taking care not to rip them. Allow to cool in a bowl.
1 1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons lemon juice (do not use Meyer Lemons, they are not acidic enough)
Bring water and lemon juice to a boil. Stack leaves in piles of 5 and roll up from side to side. Place rolls upright in a sterile wide-mouth pint mason jar. Fold over tops to allow 1/2 headspace. Pour hot water/lemon juice mixture over the leaves leaving a 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rim of jar with a clean towel. Top with a lid and screw down lid. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath or keep in the refrigerator.
Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe: Preserved Grape Leaves
For more information on home canning see Home Canning Basics.
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My Pantry Shelf 
May 28, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Such a great idea! Although, I am jealous. To live that close to vineyards….
May 28, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Ah, there are many glorious benefits of living in Northern California, but we pay for it.
May 29, 2011 at 11:27 am
How long would you say these keep in the fridge? Also, I’m interested in putting a grape leaf in with my pickles this year (to help crisp them), should that be ‘raw’ or could I used one of these preserved ones?
May 29, 2011 at 12:23 pm
My guess is that they should keep a few months in the refrigerator. I referred to the Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich and she suggests using raw leaves as a firming agent. I have not tried this personally, but I am intrigued.
April 6, 2013 at 6:54 pm
[…] shocking and stuffing and rolling took care of maybe a fifth of our grape leaves. So I made my own water bath canned preserved grape leaves. But there were still more leaves. So I preserved them but skipped the canning and just kept them […]
June 3, 2014 at 8:55 am
Reblogged this on Urban Meliad and commented:
Thinking of using this as a base for a different kind of recipe – lacto-fermented grape-leaves and garlic-mustard leaves, done together with a few other shoots (like garlic chives) thrown in.
February 25, 2016 at 3:49 pm
[…] on a Google mission to research them and based my method and recipe on a few good articles from My Pantry Shelf, Mama’s Taverna, Ellen’s Kitchen and Food.com. Variations on dolma fillings are […]
May 31, 2016 at 3:00 am
[…] Read more>>>>> https://mypantryshelf.com/2011/05/28/preserved-grape-leaves/ […]
September 6, 2016 at 10:46 pm
[…] Preserved Grape Leaves | My Pantry Shelf – Here in Sonoma County, California, we have more than our share of vineyards. For good or for bad, the apple orchards and more diversified crops have given way to hill … […]
January 26, 2018 at 12:57 am
[…] https://mypantryshelf.com/2011/05/28/preserved-grape-leaves/ […]
February 22, 2018 at 8:37 pm
If I have a jar of canned grape leaves and I do not know when they were canned would they be ok to use If they look good.
December 16, 2018 at 8:06 pm
The rule of thumb is that home canned goods are good for 1 year. Not all spoilage is visible, so if you don’t know when the leaves were canned I would be hesitant to eat them.
November 14, 2022 at 3:09 am
[…] Grape Leaves and Preserved Grape Leaves and Fermented Wild Grape […]