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Remove the stems from the grapes and rinse them.
Place sugar and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the apple geranium or vanilla pod and let it simmer for 5 minutes. If you are using vanillin you can add it towards the end of the boiling process.
Remove the geranium leaves/vanilla pod and add the grapes. Once they start boiling hard, reduce the heat to medium, as they will overflow. Remove any froth that appears on the surface. At this point you can let them boil for only 20 minutes, leave them in the syrup overnight and resume the boiling the next day.
Let the grapes boil/simmer for about 1 hour, until they turn a lovely golden colour (for white grapes) and the syrup is viscous (when you place a little bit on a plate and run your finger through it it leaves a trail). I use a candy thermometer for that to take away the guesswork. It needs to register 106-108oC.
Towards the end of the boiling add the lemon juice and let is simmer for 1 minute. This helps the syrup from crystallizing over time. Then add the almonds, give them a stir and you are ready to fill sterilized jars with the hot sweet and store them in a dry, cool place. Once opened they need to be refrigerated.
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