How to Know if Grapes Have Gone Bad
Grapes are very popular fruits probably due to their ease of preparation and their sweet and fresh taste. You can either eat them raw, or use them in making a variety of dishes including desserts, salads, wines, juices, jellies, jams and others. They are high in vitamins C and K, and low in fat. But how long they will last depend on how the grapes are stored and how they were picked. Before you buy a bunch of grapes or before you use some in your next recipe, make sure that they have not yet gone bad. Read this oneHOWTO article to find out how to know if grapes have gone bad.
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Look at the color of the grapes
Good quality ripe grapes are blue, light green or red in color. Dark green grapes are not yet ripe to be consumed. The variety of grapes that we call ‘green’ is actually white grapes. Ripe grapes are yellow-green in color. If your grapes have turned brown, they are going bad or they are not healthy enough. Make sure that the entire bunch of the grapes has a uniform color all across. If different grapes in the same bunch are different in color, it means that nutrients are not uniformly distributed throughout the bunch, and it may indicate low quality. If mold has started growing on even a single grape in the bunch, it’s best to throw it out and get a new one.
Check the firmness
Grapes are firm when fresh, but they tend to loose their firmness as they get old. To know if grapes have gone bad, make sure that the grapes that you are using are firm, and should spring back when you press them lightly. The grapes that are soft and do not spring back are overripe and they are going bad. The skin of the grapes should be wrinkle free, and should be free from any bruises and cuts. Also look for soft spots on the grapes. If they have any, they have started going bad and you should consume them quickly. If they are extremely soft and mushy to touch, and if fluids leak from them without cutting them, then it’s best to stay away from them and get a new bunch. As grapes go bad, you will notice they will start shrinking in size and getting wrinkly too.
Taste them
You can check the quality of grapes to a great extend just by tasting them. Even if some grapes look good, they may be of bad quality or may be going bad. Some grapes grow fine and look good, but their taste may not be as sweet as it should be. Some of them may even be sour or bitter. If your grapes have a strange taste, they are bad and may not have the required nutrients. Tasting a single grape from an entire bunch can give an idea about the whole lot.
If you find tasting them too horrid, another sign to know if grapes have gone bad is their smell. As they start to ferment, you will notice a kind of vinegary scent on them, which will warn you they are going sour.
Best tricks to buy grapes
When you go to the market to buy grapes, hold the stem of a bunch and shake it gently. If some grapes leave the stem and drop off, they are stored and will not last for long. But if the grapes remain firmly attached with their stem, they are fresh. Also check the point where the grapes and the stem meet. They should not be brown and dry, but green and fresh. Once you have brought them home, it’s advisable to wash them before eating, but you should never store grapes after washing them. Let them dry and then keep them in the refrigerator.
Best way to store grapes
Grapes last long if you store them in ventilated plastic bags. IF you don't want grapes to go bad, you may also keep them in airtight containers in the fridge, but make sure that they do not trap any moisture in them. The grapes should be completely dry before you close the lid. Because grapes are treated with high pesticide levels, you should always rinse them thoroughly before eating. Keep them in a container and store them in the coolest part of your refrigerator.
If stored properly, they can last from five to ten days, whereas leaving the at room temperature will make them last three to five days. Another option is to freeze your grapes, which will keep them intact from three to five months in total.
You may also be interested to know how to know if other fruits and veggies have gone bad such as lettuce, mushrooms or broccoli.
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