I have made this a number of times and it always disappears.
- Carbohydrate 45.594205 g
- Cholesterol 27.3233333333333 mg
- Fat 15.640845 g
- Fiber 0.872000034650167 g
- Protein 3.30458833333333 g
- Saturated Fat 5.831573 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (90g)
- Sodium 84.0338333333333 mg
- Sugar 44.7222049653498 g
- Trans Fat 1.38042083333333 g
- Calories 326 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash and stem grapes.
- Set aside.
- Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.
- Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
- For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
- Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
- Chill overnight.
Cream cheese does the structural heavy lifting in this dish. Soften the block to 65 degrees Fahrenheit before mixing to prevent lumps in the dairy base. Whip the sour cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and softened cream cheese by hand until the texture is completely uniform. Electric mixers can whip too much air into the mixture, which alters the dense, coating consistency required to hold heavy fruit. Fold the washed red and green seedless grapes directly into this base. Ensure the grapes are thoroughly dried on paper towels before mixing. Excess water on the skin will dilute the dairy coating and cause separation during the resting period. Grape salad belongs to a broad category of Midwestern potluck dishes that paired fresh local fruit with rich, stabilized dairy bases. This particular formula relies on a high fat content to prevent moisture release from the fruit. Chill the assembled bowl for a minimum of eight hours before serving. This extended refrigeration window allows the sugars in the fruit to firm slightly while the dairy sets around each grape. Apply the crushed pecan and packed brown sugar topping just prior to serving. Adding the brown sugar too early draws moisture out of the pecans and dissolves the crystals into a sticky syrup. Store leftovers in a sealed container at 38 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three days. Freezing is not recommended because the high water content of whole grapes causes cellular rupture upon thawing, turning the crisp texture mushy.
