Grape Juice Pudding / Pepecura
The crown of Isabella grapes
PEPECURA is one of the best ways to enjoy Isabella grapes!! It is a fruit pudding and especially famous in the shores of eastern Black Sea. Pepecura is cooked with Isabella grapes that are distinguished with their heavenly aroma and well known as one of the healthiest foods highs in antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals.
Pepecura is also a nutrition-rich and tasty dessert for children who are older than 2 years old. It's advisable to avoid grape juice for babies under 2 years old, as grape juice may cause allergies.
Enjoy the health benefits of PEPECURA while swallowing its fascinating aroma, amazing taste, and colour!
PEPECURA: The grape juice pudding
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Ingredients
1 kg black (İsabella) grapes
2 cups water
½ cup (~110 g) sugar
½ cup (~60 g) corn starch
1 cup heavy cream (%35) or 50 g butter
Notes from the Kitchen
Isabella grapes are native to Black Sea Region, Turkiye. They have dark purple colour, very distinct aroma and slightly tart taste. Traditional Pepecura recipe uses Isabella grapes; you can choose your favourite grapes to alternate the taste.
*To achieve a clear extract, do not crush or puree the grapes.
**Using butter rather than heavy cream may seem heavy, but makes the colour of pudding brighter while the taste still creamy.
Directions
PREPARATION
Soak the grapes for 10-15 minutes then wash and drain the excess water Discard the stems and place the grapes into a pot
PRE-COOKING
Add 2 cups of water and boil the grapes on medium heat for 15 minutes. Then let them cool down to room temperature
EXTRACT
Pre-cooked grapes have cooled down, gently strain the water to separate the extract.*
COOKING
Pour the grape extract into the pot. We need a total of 5 cups of liquid for the dessert. If the extract is less than this, then add water to fulfill the liquid requirement.
Add ½ cup of sugar, ½ cup of corn starch, and 1 cup of heavy cream (or 50 g butter)**.
Whisk the ingredients until achieving a lump free solution. Then, set the stove to medium heat and cook the pudding while stirring continuously.
The consistency of the pudding slowly thickens within 15 minutes. Once the mixture boils, lower the heat and cook for 4-5 more minutes.
Turn off the stove and immediately transfer the pudding into serving bowls. This way pudding will have a very smooth and glistening surface once solidifies
SERVING
Chill the PEPECURA before serving.
Pepecura is especially famous in the eastern Black Sea region of Anatolia. In some regions, it is also cooked with corn flour or with the additions of beans and wheat grains. Traditionally, Pepecura is cooked using Isabella grapes and used as a natural source of antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals. However, you can use any black grape with some aroma.
PEPECURA is a unique dessert with its mildly sour taste, fascinating aroma, and amazing colour. It is one of the best ways to enjoy Isabella grapes!!
Enjoy the intensity!
