How to Choose Best Grapes and Store Them at Home

Choosing grapes rightly is very important as they are very delicate and thin-skinned. They easily get damaged or bruised. They also shrivel up very quickly. Another thing is that grapes do not ripen once taken off the vine. So if you are looking for sweet and juicy grapes picking them rightly will pay off.

Grapes are a common and popular fruit. There is nothing better than a treat of sweet, fresh, and juicy grapes. You can have them whenever you want. They are a healthy choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They are also a great addition to smoothies or drinks.

Grapes are available in many varieties, colors, sizes, and degrees of sweetness.

Here, I am going to share a few tips on picking the best grapes and storing them properly at home so that they remain fresh and crisp for a long time.

How to Pick Ripe, Sweet and Fresh Grapes?

Once grapes have been picked up from the vines, they do not ripen further. So always buy ripe grapes if you want them to be juicy and sweet. Unripe grapes are tart and less flavourful.

Indications of fresh and ripe grapes are their color, skin, size, and the stem of the bunch.

Check for the color of grapes

• When grapes ripen, their color changes, so here are some points to keep in mind while buying them –
  • green varieties of grapes- go for light green translucent grapes with a yellowish hue. Avoid those with an opaque grass green color
  • red varieties of grapes- opt for those with a deep reddish-purple hue
  • black varieties of grapes- pick those with a deep violet hue (almost black)

Look at the skin and condition of the grapes

• Grapes should be plump, firm. Avoid grapes which are sunken or shriveled at the point where they meet the stem.
• Assess the size of the grapes- maturer grapes are large and firm. Avoid a bunch with lots of underdeveloped grapes.
• Inspect the bunch carefully for white or grey patches of mold, if visible, go for another bunch.

Inspect the stem

• A green and flexible stem indicates a recent harvest.
• Lift the bunch by holding the stem. In a fresh harvest most of the grapes will remain tightly attached to the stem or will not fall from it. This is the right choice.
• Avoid bunch with a brown or brittle stem as well as the grapes loosened from the stem.

Check for bloom

• Sometimes grapes are covered with a waxy, silver-white colored powdery coating. It is known as bloom. It is more visible on dark-colored grapes. It is nature’s mechanism for preventing moisture loss from grapes.
• Its presence is an important sign of freshness. Bloom will fade with time and on handling.

Check for the storage condition

• Prefer buying from a place where they are stored in a cool place.
• The bag in which the grapes are packaged should have ventilation holes. These holes will not allow accumulation of moisture inside the bag and prevent the growth of molds.

How to Store Grapes Correctly at Home?

After bringing home follow these steps to store them so that they remain fresh and do not spoil speedily.

• First, discard any withered, broken, shrivelled, sticky, soft, or moldy grapes.
• Always store grapes unwashed and without taking off the stem. They will remain fresh for a longer period. The reason is that the moisture added on washing will speed up the growth of molds and decay.
• Store grapes in a plastic bag with ventilation holes, an open bowl, or in a paper bag. It will allow for the circulation of air and evaporation of moisture.
• Grapes are highly perishable. So do not leave them on the kitchen counter unless you plan to consume them on the same day.
• Always keep them in the coolest section of the refrigerator or at the back of the fridge which is cooler than the front.
• Best storage conditions for grapes are a temperature of about 30 -32°F and a humidity of 90- 95 percent. Do not confuse humidity with moisture.
• But keep them away from the direct path of cool air from the freeze, else they will shrivel fast.
• Keep them away from strong-smelling foods like onions, garlic, etc. Grapes will pick up their smell.
• On proper storage in the refrigerator grapes will remain fresh for 1-2 weeks.
• Take the required quantity when you need it. Always wash before use.

How to Prepare Frozen Grapes at Home?

Frozen grapes are very refreshing. They are a healthy alternative of popsicles for kids during summer. They can also be used in place of ice cubes in smoothies. It is pretty easy to prepare at home.

First, wash and pat dry grapes. Then remove the stem.

Place them singly on a tray lined with wax paper and freeze overnight. Do not put all grapes together for freezing, you will end up with a rock-solid lump of grapes stuck together.

Then, transfer them in a zip lock freezer bag or airtight container and return to the freezer. It is better to store the grapes in multiple smaller bags rather than storing all of them together.

Just take the required quantity when you need and immediately return the rest to the fridge.

Do not thaw the frozen grapes, they will become mushy.

Whole grapes in a frozen state can be stored for about a year or even longer.

Take away:

The best way to pick sweet grapes is to go for plump, firm grapes with a silvery-white bloom, firmly attached to moist and flexible stems. Store them without washing in the refrigerator for keeping them fresh and crisp. Do not forget to wash before eating.

I hope you found this blog post useful.

What other tips can you add to this list?

I look forward to hearing from you!!!