How to Wash and Store Grapes So They Stay Fresh (2024)

Spreading out our grocery shopping trips is one of the things I do in order to help my family staywithin our grocery budget. That means I have to think about how long our food will last. I’ve found that by following my washing and storing techniques, I canstore grapesin my fridge for up to six weeks!

Grapes make the perfect crunchy snack so they’re something that we always have in hand. By taking just a few minutes to wash them when you get home from thegrocery store, you can prolong how long they stay fresh. This means you won’t waste any of those delicious grapes you just spent your hard-earned money on!

Washing Grapes

To wash your grapes, begin bycuttingthebunches of grapesinto smaller portions while leaving them on the stem. I call this a “grape cluster”. Cutting them into smaller clusters creates easy grab-and-go size portions for when you want a quick snack or for serving them to your family. When you leave the grapes on the stems they last longer. This is because the oxygen doesn’t get inside of the grapes and cause them to go bad.

Once your grapes are cut into clusters, place them in alarge bowland fill it with cool water. Next you will add ¼ cup of 5% Distilled White Vinegar to the bowl.

This next step is key, set a timer for two minutes and let the grapes soak until the timer goes off. When the timer goes off, drain the grape clusters using acolanderand give them a good rinse. This helps to get rid of any extra pieces of stems that were in the water.

Lay the grapes in a single layer on aclean towelat room temperature to dry. They need to lay out for a few hours or until they are bone dry.

It is important tostore grapesin a glassairtight containerwhen they are completely dry. I prefer apaper towelat the bottom of a gallon sized glass jar,like this one. Put the lid on and place it in your refrigerator.

It is normal for some condensation to build up inside of yourairtight container. You can simply remove the lid and wipe out the excess moisture with apaper towelorclean towel.

How To Store Grapes That Fall Off The Stems

When you have grapes that have fallen off the stems, place them in a separate small bowl. They will go bad faster and you don’t want them mixing with the grapes in the glass jar. Leave the bowl in the front of your fridge, or if it is only a few, on the counter where it’s easy to see. I have taught my family to eat the fruit in bowls first which prevents us from having any waste.

Follow these directions and take a few minutes when you get home from thegrocery storeto make your grapes last in the fridge for weeks!

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