Grapes are the perfect snack when you are craving something sweet yet healthy, but it can be frustrating when they spoil quickly just after being brought home from the shops. Most people do not realise that grapes should never be stored in plastic and this material traps any excess moisture leaking from the fruit since they are mostly made up of water.
Plastic containers are the main reason grapes often go mouldy before their time, but Brittney Hanks, the founder of Home and Kind, has shared a simple way to keep them fresh is to wash them with a little white vinegar. Brittney said: “It’s always disheartening when you pick out nice crunchy grapes and a few days later they look more like raisins than grapes. I found that with grapes, washing them in the water and vinegar mixture made the biggest difference in keeping them fresh and crunchy.”
It might sound bizarre, but the simple white vinegar you use for salad dressing can greatly extend the shelf life of grapes as well as any other berries in your fridge.
White vinegar contains a substance called acetic acid, which can kill any bacteria or mould spores sitting on the surface of grapes without affecting their taste or texture.
Getting rid of any microbial growth is the key to keeping grapes fresh, and they can last up to 21 days longer if you wash them properly before storing them in the fridge
How to wash grapes so they stay fresh for longer
All you need to do is fill a glass mixing bowl with water and then add 120ml of white vinegar. If you do not have white vinegar it is fine to use apple cider instead as it works just as well.
Pick your grapes off the vines, drop them into the water and let them soak for roughly 10 minutes. It tends to be best to only let grapes soak for 10 to 15 minutes as that is all that is needed, and if you leave them for ages then they can develop a vinegary taste.
Once you have soaked the grapes then place them into a another bowl and rinse them under a tap of cold water to get rid of any excess vinegar.
Place the grapes onto a clean tea towel and leave them for 10 to 15 minutes to air dry. Make sure they are completely dry before storing them as any excess moisture will encourage mould growth.
Then, all you need to do is place the grapes in a container with a lid or a mason jar and place them on a shelf in your fridge.
This food storage technique is simple but a easy way to cut down on food waste so your grapes stay juicy and perfectly crisp for up to a month longer.
Not only does this method keep grapes fresh but it will also help other berries like blueberries and strawberries to help you save more money on your food shop.
