The Colors To Look For When Buying Fresh Grapes
Grapes are a wonderful fruit to include in your diet if you haven't already. According to the University of Missouri, 72 million tons of grapes are produced yearly around the globe, and it's believed that grapes have been grown as far back as 6500 B.C.
Grapes are also incredibly nutritious, with Healthline explaining the fruit is packed full of incredibly beneficial vitamins and minerals. They're believed to help lower blood pressure, increase heart health, reduce cholesterol, decrease the likelihood of cancer, prevent diabetes, help with memory retention, support bone health, and more. They're also high in antioxidants, which help control blood sugar levels.
Different grapes are grown for different purposes, including wine making, of course. At the grocery store, you'll likely find at least a couple different types of grapes, from green to red to black. When looking through the various bags of grapes in the produce aisle, there are a few colors to look for aside from simply green or red to ensure the freshest and most flavorful grapes.
Color indicates flavor
Few things are as refreshing and delicious as good, plump, ripe grapes. On the other hand, though, few things are as disgusting as a rotted, soft, or squishy, overripe grape. Luckily, there are a lot of physical indicators to show when a grape isn't ideal, including it being wet-looking, shriveled, or the stem being brittle and unyielding, according to Sun World.
Another great indicator of ripeness is color. Each color of grape has its own ideal shade that indicates a perfectly fresh and sweet fruit. For example, per Kitchn, green grapes should be a yellow-green shade when you purchase them. Red grapes, though, shouldn't have any trace of green, and should be a full purple-red color. And, despite their name, black grapes shouldn't actually be black, but instead a deep, saturated purple.
White powder on the skin of your grapes is another good sign: This is called bloom and it keeps the grapes from rotting quicker than they may otherwise, explains Kitchn.