its that simple

These super sour, slushy frozen grapes take only 4 ingredients to make and are ready to make your mouth pucker in only 2 hours.

DIY Sour Frozen Grapes

Seedless grapes, lemon juice, sugar, citric acid or TrueLemon

It’s That Simple is our series about recipes so easy, you can make them with your eyes closed. Think tiny ingredient lists, laid-back techniques, and results so delicious, you’ll text home about them.
TikTok has led me down some interesting rabbit holes—intricate nail art, water “recipes,” gummy bear chandeliers—but none has been more fruitful than the one I fell through when my feed was suddenly filled with video after video of people seeking the same sold-out snack: Fruit Riot’s sour candy-coated frozen grapes. Slushy, juicy, and tart enough to make your lips pucker. I needed them.
After visits to several grocery stores left me empty-handed, the purveyors of the elusive treat kindly came through with samples of their frozen grapes, along with some pineapple and mango. Our team promptly devoured them in the test kitchen. But when the bags were empty, my craving had only been amplified, and I wondered if I could make more on my own.
Delightfully, the answer is yes. I played with a few ingredients to see what could deliver a wince-worthy sourness and found two great options: food-grade citric acid (available online) and TrueLemon packets (also available online, and at stores like Target and Walmart). After a few rounds in the test kitchen, the citric acid ended up as my favorite. It’s profoundly sour, but you can play with the amount to amp up or mellow out the punchiness. TrueLemon is powdered, crystalized lemon, so it naturally contains citric acid along with lemon oil and lemon juice. It has a more subtle bite along with a floral fruitiness that makes the grapes taste like candy.
To make yours intensely sweet, buy Cotton Candy grapes and opt for TrueLemon powder to mix with the sugar. But if you won the Warhead Challenge in elementary school, green grapes plus the full 3 tsp. citric acid will delight your blown-out taste buds like little else.
After biting into one, our associate director of cooking Emma Laperruque said, “I want a gallon of these in my freezer at all times.” Test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin was equally gleeful: “As a candy lover, I am often looking for ways to scratch that itch in a way that involves actual fruit, and this method hits.”
Sometimes the algorithm really does deliver. (No offense to WaterTok.) My freezer is now well-stocked with an easily replenished supply of my new favorite snack—and I plan to keep it that way all summer long.

Bon Appétit

In a large bowl, combine 4 cups seedless grapes with the juice of 3 lemons (about 6 Tbsp.). Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup sugar with 2–3 tsp. food-grade citric acid or 12–16 packets TrueLemon. Roll each grape, one at a time, in the sugar-citric acid mixture until evenly coated. Freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet for at least 2 hours. You can enjoy them right away, or transfer them to an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.

A few staples—tangy Greek yogurt, tongue-tingling chili crisp, and a box of spaghetti—turn into this fantastic 15-minute dinner.

Creamy Chili Crisp Pasta

Spaghetti, Greek yogurt, chili crisp, salt

It’s That Simple is our series about recipes so easy, you can make them with your eyes closed. Think tiny ingredient lists, laid-back techniques, and results so delicious, you’ll text home about them.
Even when I’m long overdue for a grocery trip, my fridge reliably has a tub of Greek yogurt and a jar of chili crisp. The former usually turns into granola-studded breakfasts. The latter is such a go-to condiment for my roommates and me that we go through a container a week (they’re small, okay?). But combine these two dependable ingredients and you get a complex savory sauce.
I’ve brought chili crisp yogurt to a test kitchen Hanukkah celebration, where my coworkers dunked scalding latkes into it, and to a brunch with friends, where I slathered it on toast topped with soft scrambled eggs. Lately, I’ve been pairing these staples with spaghetti for a speedy weeknight dinner.
Tangy Greek yogurt, married with starchy pasta water, hugs the noodles and coats them in a glossy sauce. Chili crisp delivers tongue-tingling heat with zero effort. (I like the Lao Gan Ma brand for its funky fermented soybeans.) One bite and you’ll see why this dish has entered my rotation of weeknight hits. Maybe it’s time my roommates and I upgrade to a family-size jar of chili crisp after all.

Cook 1 lb. spaghetti in a large pot of generously salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to warm pot, add 1¼ cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, and toss with tongs to thoroughly coat. Add about ½ cup pasta cooking liquid and toss, adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time as needed, until a creamy sauce forms. (It should look similar to Alfredo sauce. The yogurt has a tendency to thicken up as it sits and the pasta will continue to absorb some of the excess, so no need to hold back on the pasta cooking liquid.) Taste pasta and season with kosher salt if needed. Divide pasta among shallow bowls or plates and top with as much chili crisp as your heart desires. (If your chili crisp looks dry, thin it out with a bit of grapeseed or other neutral oil before spooning over the pasta.)

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