How To Store Grapes To Last Longer

Once you have purchased the perfect bunch of grapes from the mart or the local farmer’s store, some preparations need to be made before you can proceed any further.

Some misconceptions need to be addressed regarding this process so continue reading to properly extend your grape’s shelf-life.

1. Remove Bad Grapes

 Not everyone can purchase the perfect bunch of grapes from the market and certainly not every day, perhaps maybe you forgot to check the undersides of the grape branch, or it was hiding some nasty grapes underneath.

These things happen and well, there’s nothing wrong with that. Simply be thorough this time and look through all the grapes, even those hidden underneath, and remove all the ones that look bad, withered, or moldy. A single berry of grape can ruin the whole thing.

2. Fallen Stem Grapes

While you certainly shouldn’t store withered, fermented, or damaged grapes with broken skin, some grapes have simply fallen off the stem and are still perfectly fine to eat. Gather them all together in a separate bowl.

While these grapes are perfectly acceptable for eating and storing, they won’t store as long as other grapes and release ethylene gas which can spoil the surrounding grapes. Therefore, eat these grapes first, and if not, store them separately from other perfect grapes.

3. Make Smaller Grape Clusters

Using a kitchen scissor, snip the branch of the grapes carefully to turn them into smaller clusters. Ensure that you do not remove any grapes from the branches. Grapes removed from the branches will be oxygenated through the stem area and spoil quickly.

Turning the grapes into smaller clusters makes them easier to clean and work, furthermore, it also promotes better air circulation between the various bunch of grapes and reduces the rate of spoilage.

We have tested various ways and methods of storing grapes each having its pros and cons and provided you with the best of them. They all have their varying degrees of complexity and preparation time needed to be prepared for storage.

Feel free to first read through and understand the nuances and differences of various methods and choose the method that best your complete needs for storing the grapes. They have been categorized by their simplicity and the additional shelf-life that they add to the grapes.

1. In Food Wrap

• Self-Life: 2-4 days
• Spoiled %: 15%
• Location: Anywhere

If the grapes are to be consumed soon but not immediately, you can consider placing the unwashed grapes in a bowl wrapped in plastic food wrap. While 15% spoilage might seem high, an unwrapped bunch would have spoiled completely after a day.

No method can perfectly preserve all grapes so it’s about having a low spoilage rate rather than zero spoilt grapes. Now that you understand why this is an upgrade, this method saves you from doing lengthy preparation work for something that’s to be consumed soon such as unstemmed grapes.

2. Original Packaging Unwashed

• Self-Life: 1-2 weeks
• Spoiled %: 12%
• Location: Fridge Crisper Drawer

Placing the original packaging directly into the crisper drawer is a great time saver as you don’t need to do any of the preparation work mentioned above and yet still preserves most of the grapes for 2 weeks which saves you a lot of time.

However, this method isn't without trade-offs since it has the highest spoilage rate in this list which is still better than the 19-21 spoil % when not placed in the crisper. This technique requires the original packaging to be well-ventilated as air-tight packages trap moisture and prevent air circulation. 

3. Ventilated Container Washed 

• Self-Life: 2-3 weeks
• Spoiled %: 10%
• Location: Fridge Crisper Drawer

Wash the grapes thoroughly under running water without de-stemming them and allow them to air dry for several hours. Afterward, pat them dry with a kitchen towel and place them in a ventilated container such as a food preserver box or a colander.

While moisture on grapes can encourage spoilage and mold growth which speeds up the decaying process, completely drying them after washing prevents this while also reducing the risk of mold greater than on unwashed grapes ensuring lesser spoilage %.

Bonus: Ethylene Gas Absorber Packs

When fruits such as grapes, apples, and bananas ripen, they release ethylene gas which can cause any fruits they come into contact with to ripen or overripen in case of already ripe fruits.

The absorber satchels such as blue apple packs neutralize the ethylene gas before they get the chance to spoil the fruits by about a week. While this method is useful, it can’t be used alone so we recommend combining it with the above methods.

4. Ventilated Container Washed With Vinegar

• Self-Life: 3-6 weeks
• Spoiled %: 0%
• Location: Refrigerator Crisper Drawer

This is the best method if you want to preserve the original crisp, texture, and freshness of the grapes on the list. Unfortunately, its preparation process is also the most time-consuming. Once you have prepared the grapes for storage, you need to wash them in vinegar.

Place your branched grape clusters in a bowl filled with water and ¼ cup of 5% concentrated white vinegar solution. Wait for 2 minutes and rinse the grapes in running water. Air dry for several hours and place them in a ventilated container after patting dry completely with a towel.

5. Freezer

• Self-Life: 11-12 months
• Spoiled %: 0%
• Location: Freezer

Freezing the grapes allows you to preserve and store them for the longest duration on the list. Unfortunately, this method isn’t for everyone as it can alter the taste and texture of the grape and the freezing process makes the grape incomparably sweet with no tart to balance.

Freeze a small batch of grapes, if you like their taste then you can freeze the entire bunch. Frozen grapes are best enjoyed cold as they become alarmingly squishy once thawed. Use them as ice cubes or blend them into smoothies and sorbets.

6. Dehydrate Grapes

• Self-Life: 6-12 months
• Spoiled %: 0%
• Location: Dark Location

Lastly, dehydrate the grapes and turn them into raisins. While this method severely transforms the grapes from their original state, it is also a better alternative than losing the grapes that have already been stored in crisper for several weeks.

Rinse the grapes thoroughly and break their skin with a toothpick to better facilitate the escaping of moisture. Then after placing them in a food dehydrator, dry them at 135°F (57°C) temperature for 18-48 hours, the loss of moisture concentrates the sugar and makes them sweeter. Store them in an airtight container in a dark location.

For your store-bought grapes to last for as long as possible, the most important thing that you can do is to select the best ones available from the store or the farmer’s market right at the start. Unfortunately, if all the grapes look the same to you then don’t worry, we have your back covered.

Because everyone has to learn from someone else there’s no shame in admitting your shortcomings with our help, you’ll be choosing the best grapes in no time after some practice.

Look For:

• Color: The best grapes are vibrant and have an overall consistent color scheme. Also, contrary to their names ripe and sweet green grapes should look light yellow-green, red grapes should be red with a purplish hue while black grapes should have an intense rich blueish-purple hue.
• Firmness: Ripe grapes should be plump, round, and firm to the touch. While they should be soft, they shouldn’t be extremely soft to the point of oozing juice from a light squeeze.
• Stems: Check the stem attachment. The stems shouldn’t be dry and brittle as it indicates age. Instead, you should be looking at stems that are flexible and pliable which indicates freshness. Grapes fall off easily and go bad quicker on older stems.

Avoid:

• Browning: Grapes become overripe and rotten quickly so while green grapes should have a certain level of yellowing, they shouldn’t overpower the greenish aspect. A heavy brown color indicates bruised or rotten grapes which shouldn’t be brought.
• Wrinkles: Wrinkled grapes have lost their moisture and are in the process of spoiling. Even if their skins were thinner or lightly damaged, it still indicates that the grapes are likely not fresh. 
  If you want raisins, do not buy wrinkly grapes, raisins are produced in a bacteria-free environment after a microbial bath. Wrinkling over time is hardly safe or sanitary.
• Leaks: If the grapes are leaking juice, it either indicates that their skin has been bruised or damaged in some way or they have fermented and become overripe which caused their skin to be overly soft. Either way, the grapes will become a host for a bacteria biome if they haven’t already.

Bloom:

Sometimes you may see a thin white film-like layer on the grapes. Don’t worry even if this is the case because chances it’s just a bloom. Having blooms on your grapes is good because it’s a natural waxy layer produced by some cultivars designed for hotter regions to protect themselves.

The "bloomed” grapes stay fresh for longer and will also wash off easily. To tell the difference between bloom and mold, look closely if all the grapes in the bunch are evenly coated then it’s a bloom while mold is spread unevenly with a protruding texture.

You may have read that washing the grapes before storing them in the refrigerator can spoil them. That’s because moisture can rot and encourage mold growth on the grapes. So why do some of our instructions involve washing them?

If you dry them thoroughly after rinsing you greatly reduce the chances of spoilage by removing bacteria and mold spores present on the grapes. White vinegar also plays the same role but is more effective as they are 98% anti-microbial.

Grapes are highly perishable fruits that can be spoiled prematurely leading to loss of flavor, and texture, and become a danger to your health if handled and stored improperly even in refrigerators. Plus the grapes are pretty expensive so nobody wants to have to throw them away.

Ideally, the grapes should be stored at a temperature between 30 to 32 °F(-1 to 0 °C) with 90-95% humidity levels. Also avoid storing grapes next to smelly items such as fish, seafood, onions, or leek since they tend to absorb neighboring odors.

Why Do Crisper Drawers Make A Difference?

Crisper drawers are included in all refrigerators including yours. Do crispers even make a difference? Crispers are the best place to store many fruits and vegetables including grapes since it is the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Furthermore, grapes also require 90-95% relative humidity which is also provided by the crisper drawers and also facilitates good air circulation and prevents spoilage. Make sure the air circulates around them and not onto them.

Proper Ventilation

As previously explained, proper ventilation provided by a crisper is paramount for ensuring the longevity of your stored grapes. Without a humid environment and good air circulation, grapes slowly release their moisture which results in condensation that can encourage mold and fermentation.

If you have washed the grapes thoroughly, without good ventilation it may not result in mold, but it will still cause them to wrinkle and decay. You can use the original packaging if they have perforated ventilation holes, otherwise use a colander or a plastic ventilation container.

By storing the grapes correctly, you can extend their shelf life, reduce expensive food waste, and always have a healthy snack on hand.