Knowing how to store grapes is just as important as knowing how to pick them and prepare their juice or wine. Fortunately, over the past few thousand years of grape cultivation, the best storage techniques are well known.
How to Choose Grapes?
Before deciding how to store grapes, you need to choose the right kind of grapes, and depending on the color you want, you will want to look for different characteristics.
- Step 1: Check the color of the grapes; green grapes should be slightly yellow-green when you pick them. Red grapes should be mostly red when harvested, while black grapes should have a deep and rich color before they’re picked.
- Step 2: Once the grapes are picked, the best ones will be firm and plump, and should not be separated from the stems. Also, the stems shouldn’t be woody or brittle; choose those grapes that still have flexible or green stems.
- Step 3: The light white dust you often see on grapes is completely natural, and is a sign that the grapes are developing nicely.
- Step 4: Once you choose the best grapes and bring them home, don’t wash them as excess water will speed the shriveling process.
Learn how to select and store grapes in the correct way. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
How to Store Grapes?
After you choose the healthiest and ripest grapes for your juice, wine, or snacking pleasure, storing them in a way that will help them stay fresh and plump is crucial. Improper storage will cause your grapes to shrivel up and get moldy relatively soon, while proper storage can help keep the grapes fresh for up to 2 months. [1]
- Step 1: Store your grapes in the refrigerator’s crisper, which should be set between 30 and 32 degrees.
- Step 2: Be sure that the crisper has a high humidity setting; set it at 90% or above.
- Step 3: Avoid placing the grapes in the path of a ventilation system in the fridge.
- Step 4: Keep the grapes in the plastic packaging, which typically has holes in the bag for ventilation.
- Step 5: Rinse them thoroughly in cold water before eating.
To summarise the process in a few lines, we can say that check the color of the grapes and make sure they are firm and plump, and they should not be separated from the stems. Store the grapes in the refrigerator and rinse in cold water before eating.
