What you need to know to pick the perfect bunch
Best to buy
Choose bunches that are somewhat tight, with fresh stems, grapes firmly attached, and skins intact and without mushy spots. Avoid mold-spotted, wrinkled, raisin-like, or sticky grapes.
Cut & clean
Keep grapes refrigerated, as they are ripe when they are picked and warmer temperatures will cause them to wither or ferment. Under refrigeration, grapes will keep for up to two weeks. Keep grapes on their stems, washing right before serving.
Power food
Grapes are an excellent source of vitamin C.
Also indexed as: Cardinal Grapes, Catawba Grapes, Concord Grapes, Emperor Grapes, Flame Seedless Grapes, Green Grapes, Niagara Grapes, Red Grapes, Ribier Grapes, Thompson Seedless Grapes
Varieties
Grapes are often classified according to their use as table or wine grapes. Vitis vinifera, grown in Europe and considered the ideal grape for wine production, encompasses thousands of types. Vitis labrusca and Vitis rotundifolia are primarily found in North America and include the Concord (dark purple to black) grape, which is used both as a table grape and to make juice, jellies, and wine. Another popular grape variety in U.S. markets is the pale green Thompson seedless grape, a variety that accounts for half of the table grapes grown in California, and that is also used to make over 90 percent of the raisins in the United States. Other popular table grape varieties include Cardinal (red), Emperor (bright red), Flame seedless (red), Niagara (green), Catawba (red), and Ribier (jet black).
Preparation, uses, and tips
Grapes can be attractive additions or centers of attention in fruit salads, tarts, curries, and jams. When carefully dried, they become raisins. Grapes can be crushed as a dessert topping. They can also be juiced for a refreshing treat.
Nutritional Highlights
Grapes (red or green), 1 cup, with seeds (approx. 26 grapes)
Calories: 109
Protein: 1.0g
Carbohydrate: 27.4g
Total Fat: 0.89g
Fiber: 1.5g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (16.6mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
