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Grape Spoon Sweet (Stafili Gliko) — Traditional Greek Dessert Recipe

I’m swamped with work, but these candied grapes in syrup are a quick, easy confection to prepare, so I made them.

Mixing grapes and other ingredients for greek spoon sweet stafyli gliko.

Ingredients

2 lb grapes (use seedless if you want seedless candied grapes)
1 lb sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a few cloves (optional)

Method

Remove stems and rinse the grapes. Place them in a pot with the sugar, salt, water, and orange juice.

Stir ingredients for greek spoon sweet recipe for stafyli gliko.

Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and prevent sticking.

Heating grapes for greek spoon sweet recipe stafyli gliko.

Boiling grapes for greek spoon sweet recipe stafyli gliko.

Let the grapes sit in the syrup overnight so they absorb the flavors. The next day, return the pot to a gentle simmer and cook until the syrup thickens, about 45 minutes to an hour. Avoid vigorous boiling; a gentle simmer helps the grapes keep their shape.

Adding lemon juice to the grapes for greek spoon sweet recipe stafyli gliko.

Stir in the lemon juice near the end of cooking, then remove from heat. Allow the grapes to cool to room temperature, then add the vanilla and stir gently.

Pack the candied grapes and syrup into sterilized jars. If you like, add a clove or two to each jar for a warm aromatic note. Traditionally these preserves may be stored at room temperature, but refrigerating them is a safe choice and will extend shelf life.

The candied grapes are done, greek spoon sweet recipe for stafyli gliko.

Serving suggestion: spoon the grapes and syrup over yogurt, ice cream, or toast, or enjoy them straight from the jar as a sweet treat.