There’s nothing like biting into a sweet, crunchy grape on a warm day. Grapes make for excellent snacks, or as added bursts of flavor in salads and chicken dishes. Always be ready to eat grapes when you buy them because they are only harvested when fully ripe. When choosing grapes, use color as your guide. Red grape should be a deep crimson, not a milky or pale red. As well as choosing the grapes by their color, make sure the stem is a green color: the greener the stem, the fresher the grapes. They should also be firmly attached to the stems. Keep grape bunches in the refrigerator, and they will stay fresh for a week to ten days. Washing and removing grapes from their stems is about all that is needed to prepare grapes before you’re ready to eat them. Grapes are excellent in cold salads, especially chicken, turkey, or tuna salads. They’re also perfect to add to your kid’s lunches for a sweet treat during school time.
You can learn more about grapes in this month’s Fresh Ideas Magazine in your local Safeway store.