pickled grapes

I made some pickled grapes yesterday. There is still time to do this for Christmas. They only need to sit for a couple of weeks. This is what you need:

500gms of seedless black grapes
500ml of white wine vinegar
500gms of brown sugar
The rind of one lemon
three cloves
two star anises
one vanilla pod
one stick of cinnamon
three juniper berries

And a 1 litre kilner jar, or other sealable jar to store the grapes in.

Wash and pat dry the grapes. Leave them on the stalks, but cut them into small bunches of four or five grapes. Place the grapes in the jar. Put all the other ingredients into a pot and bring to the boil. Boil for a couple of minutes, and then remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod. Pour the syrup into the jar, over the grapes, and seal.

The grapes can be eaten the next day, but they will be better if you store them in a cool place for a couple of weeks. They will last unopened for about 6 months, but once you open them you must eat them within four weeks. The perfect accompaniment to cheese.