Munching on juicy, sweet, and chilled grapes is a refreshing summer treat. Grapes are berries widely consumed, considering they are loaded with essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Although these berries are highly perishable, fresh grapes stored in the fridge have an extended shelf-life.
This fruit does best in the cold, and your crisper fridge drawer provides the ideal storage provision. Grapes are known to:
- Boost your immune system
- Lower cholesterol levels
- Strengthen your bones
- Provide relief from migraines, indigestion, and constipation
- Improve your brain function
- Prevent macular degeneration
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
Correct Storage
Keeping store-bought grapes in an optimal environment ensures you can relish them for over ten days. Retain the freshness of your grapes by exposing them to the right temperature (30 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity level (90 to 95%). Preferably do not keep them at room temperature for long.
The grapes must be dry and unwashed when you refrigerate them as excess moisture lessens their lifespan. Also, stacking too many in one bag restricts air circulation, causing them to spoil sooner. Keep your grapes independently in their breathable original plastic packaging towards the rear end of the fridge shelf.
Avoid squashing or smashing delicate grapes under heavier items. Ideally, store them away from food with overpowering odors to prevent unpleasant absorption. Do not place grapes in the direct air path of your cooling unit as it hastens their dehydration process and causes them to shrivel up.
Before popping the chilled fruit into your mouth, rinse it in cold water.
Signs of Deterioration
When exposed to warm air for long, fresh grapes typically display wrinkled skin and release a sour odor. As they begin to rot, traces of mold also make an appearance. Consuming spoiled fruit is unhealthy, so always check even the fresh grapes stored in the fridge before you take a bite.
Put your senses of touch, sight, and smell to the test when inspecting your fruit. The listed signs indicate the chilled grape is not fit for your direct consumption:
- Abnormally soft, wrinkled, and mushy texture with leaking juices
- Noticeable brownish discoloration on the exterior
- Distinctively strong, sour, and fermented odor
- Traces of mold on account of rotting
Slightly old grapes can be dehydrated to make raisins or oven-dried to pair them with grains and salads subsequently. Rotten grapes beyond retrieval must be immediately discarded to safeguard the good ones.
Factors to Consider
On pulling out chilled grapes from your refrigerator, adopt the following approach to make sure you are consuming the best:
Examine the Color
If your grapes are dark green, they are not fully ripe. As they begin to turn yellowy-green, it is time to feast on these sweet and juicy bites. A brown tinge indicates that the grapes are going bad, while a visible mold is a sign of rotting.
The entire bunch of grapes must reflect a uniform color. When nutrients are not evenly distributed across the same bunch, there are color variations in the fruit. Your grapes are not of the best quality in such instances.
Assess the Firmness
As the grapes age, they tend to lose their firmness. Fresh grapes are always firm and spring back on lightly pressing them. When soft to the touch, your fruit is overripe. The skin will then often reflect bruises and wrinkles.
From extremely soft and mushy grapes, fluids begin to leak out at the slightest provocation. You will notice that grapes when they deteriorate, start shrinking and developing wrinkles. Their small and withered appearance may be in stark contrast to their original appeal when you purchased the grapes.
Conduct a Taste Test
Sometimes the grapes may still look inviting, but taste-wise may be sour or even bitter. Tasting one grape from a bunch gives you an assessment of what the rest will taste like. Any strange taste or unappealing scent points to a spoilt bunch.
Source the Freshest Produce
Always buy the healthiest grapes from the many varieties being sold in the market. When they are firm, plump, wrinkle-free, and securely attached to supple stems, you can make the most of their natural goodness. The point where the grape and stem meet must be fresh and green instead of brown and dry.
White grapes have a greenish tint, while the red variety displays a dark and vibrant color. When they smell fresh and sweet, you can be sure the grapes are not overripe. Touched and rotten grapes break away from the stem faster.
Follow the best eating practices by relying on the experiences of a passionate food blogger.
