Grapes are a tasty, healthy fruit that makes a lovely snack to eat any time of the day or can be used in a wide range of recipes. After you’ve purchased them and brought them home, then you need to ensure that you store them correctly. Otherwise, they could spoil very quickly. If you store grapes properly, however, then they’ll stay fresh for a remarkably long time.
We’re going to have a look at how to keep grapes fresh, as well as answer the key questions that anyone new to storing grapes might ask.
Choosing Fresh Grapes
Before you can store your grapes, you need to ensure that you choose the right ones. Freshness is paramount. The fresher they are when you’ve purchased them, the longer they will last. If you buy grapes that have already passed their peak, then there’s a good chance that they’ll turn quickly, regardless of the method that you use to keep them.
When you’re at the fresh fruit area of your local supermarket, market, or whole foods store, and you’ve located the grapes section, then you need to look out for a few key visual clues for the status of their freshness.
First, you need to always look at the stems of the grapes. The color of the stems is a good indicator of their current freshness status. Brown stems suggest that the grapes were picked some time ago and are already starting to spoil. If you want to eat them right away when you get home, then that’s not an issue, as they are ready to eat, but if you intend to keep them for the next week or two, then you have to stay away from brown stems. You’ll often find that the grapes will easily fall away from the stem when they’re brown, and this is not a good sign.
Next, you need to study the color of the actual grapes. Standard green grapes shouldn’t be green, but actually, they should have a yellowish tinge to them or be a very pale green. Red and purple grapes should have a dark tone to them. If they’ve got a green tinge, then you should leave them well alone. Each variant of grape is different, though, so it can sometimes be hard to know if a grape is fresh by merely looking at them. In these cases, you should check online and find out what the natural color of that particular variety is.
What To Do When You Get Home
Once you get home, you should inspect the grapes that you’ve bought. If you can see any that are cracked or have started to break down in any way, then you should pop them straight into the bin.
If the grapes are unwashed, then you should leave them like that. It might seem counterintuitive, but if you wash your grapes this early, then you’re harming your chances of keeping them fresher for longer. Why? Because when you wash the grapes, then the water that you use can quicken the process of them becoming moldy. Even if it seems to go against your general understanding of how to deal with fruit, don’t wash them until just before you eat or cook them.
What to Use to Store Grapes?
Now that you’re at home with your grapes, and you’ve made the decision not to wash them, you need to transfer them to the right storage equipment.
You’re going to need something that creates a solid, impenetrable seal so that oxygen doesn’t get inside the storage unit and causes your grapes to spoil.
Rubbermaid Produce Container This is an excellent product that is just the right size to keep your fresh grapes inside.
It includes FreshVent technology, which means that your grapes won’t get spoiled by a poor storage environment, as it regulates the amount of oxygen and also carbon dioxide that comes inside and escapes the storage unit.
SPLF FDA Grade Reusable Storage Bags Another option to store your grapes is to use a simple refrigerator bag.
It’s important, however, for the bag that you use to be FDA approved so that it isn’t made from any harmful materials or chemicals that could damage the quality and safety of your grapes. There is a lot to like about these particular storage bags. Each bag is made from a leakproof silicone that’s extra thick. And, of course, each bag is also kind to the environment because you can easily wash them and reuse them.
Best Way To Store Grapes
Now you’ve got the right grapes, as well as the best equipment; it’s time to answer the most crucial question, which is how to store grapes.
First, you should put your fresh grapes inside either a storage bag or a produce container. Then you should take the grapes and put them inside your refrigerator. But you need to know that you can’t just keep them anywhere inside your fridge. Always remember that they should be placed inside a high humidity drawer inside your fridge. This is always the best place to keep them if you want them to last a long time.
But it isn’t always as simple as even putting the grapes inside the right storage container and area of your fridge. You also need to ensure that you keep the grapes away from any pungent foods. For example, vegetables like onions are the very worst things to be kept beside your fresh red, green, or purple grapes. The odor of these strong-smelling fruits can transfer to your tasty grapes. If you don’t want to eat an onion-flavored grape, then always keep an eye on where you’re placing the grapes in your fridge so that you don’t encounter this problem. The best area of your fridge is one that’s reserved, especially for your tasty grapes.
Remember, you should always leave your grapes in the same condition as when you bought them when you store them in your fridge, so don’t even remove them from the vine that they’re on when you buy them.
Serving Grapes
When you’re ready to eat your grapes, then remove them from the fridge. Now it is the best time to wash them. Once you’ve washed them, plucked them off the vine, then they’re ready to eat. A lot of people like to eat grapes precisely as they are, whereas others also use them in a smoothie or for different recipes. Regardless of how you want to serve them, if you keep grapes fresh with the method we have recommended, then you’ll get the best flavor out of them for a long time.
How Long Do Grapes Last?
It entirely depends on the freshness of the grapes when you purchase them, how recently they were picked, as well as the variety of the grapes that you’ve bought. But as long as you keep grapes fresh following the method we have laid out here, then you should be able to eat them for the next seven days after buying them, perhaps even as long as fourteen days.
What Are The Benefits of Eating Grapes?
It might surprise you, but grapes are an extremely healthy food to consume. These little fruits, which are technically berries, are packed full of amazing nutrients that can give you a huge amount of health benefits.
For example, a single cup of grapes will provide you with significant amounts of your recommended daily allowance of vitamins as diverse as Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B6. Grapes also contain potassium, copper, manganese, thiamine, and riboflavin. Considering their small size, it’s remarkable just how good grapes are for you.
Grapes are also antioxidants. That means that if you eat a regular, large portion of grapes, then you’re defending your body against chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Grapes offer another benefit concerning diabetes. Eating grapes helps to reduce your blood sugar level, as they have a very low GI index.
Conclusion
That’s it. Now you know the best way to store grapes. This healthy fruit is a wonderful snack, as well as a tasty ingredient for smoothies, fruit salads, and other lovely recipes. But freshness is always important to get the most out of your grapes, especially in terms of taste.
Whether they are red, green, or purple, when you know how to store grapes, then you can be ensured freshness for a long time. The last thing anyone wants is sour, spoiled grapes, so follow this method, which requires the correct storage equipment, the correct placement inside the refrigerator, and your tasty grapes will remain tasty for a good while.