Can you Freeze Grapes

Do you love grapes? Freeze them in your freezer, and they will last much longer than in the fruit bowl. Freeze grapes to use when making cheese plates, fruit salads, or after-dinner drinks and you can also freeze grapes for children to snack on during the school year when the fresh grapes are unavailable. Eating frozen grapes can be a delicious way to stay healthy!

Freezing grapes is very straightforward! To start with, you need a delicious batch of fresh grapes that you need to wash thoroughly. Once cleaned, dry and flash-freeze the grapes until they are frozen solid. You are then ready to freeze the grapes in your freeze for long-term storage! Easy!

How to Buy Grapes

Now that you know the synopsis let’s start with the first chapter – which grapes to buy for freezing and how to identify the best grapes in the market. While you can freeze any variety of grapes you like, you might want to lean towards seedless grapes for freezing as you don’t want to crunch through frozen grape seeds. Here are a few tips that will help you buy the best grapes next time at the grocery store:

• When you buy grapes, look for plump grapes firmly attached to the stem. Avoid any grape bunches where the grapes look limp and wrinkly.
• You want all the grapes to be evenly colored. If you are buying green grapes, look for ones that have a yellow hue and if buying purple grapes, look for completely purple grapes without any traces of green in them.
• If you are not planning to eat or freeze the grapes immediately after purchase, don’t wash them. Store them in a perforated plastic bag that will allow the air to circulate and store them in the refrigerator. Stored this way, you’ll have 3 – 5 days to either eat the grapes or then start to freeze them for long-term storage.
• Green grapes are a little more tart when compared to purple grapes, so consider that when you are purchasing the grapes for freezing.

Freezing Grapes

Preparing the Grapes

When you are ready to freeze the grapes, separate them from the stems and add the grapes to a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water and let the grapes soak in the water for a few minutes. Drain the water from the bowl and rinse the grapes again using some clean water.

You can use a trick to wash the grapes by adding them to a salad spinner and spinning them multiple times using new water to clean them thoroughly. The salad spinner will also help you dry the grapes if you spin them without adding any water.

While grapes are a great source of nutrients, they regularly feature on the Dirty Dozen food list, making it important to thoroughly clean before consumption.  The Dirty Dozen are the 12 topmost fruits and vegetables with the highest percentage of pesticide residue. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) curated the Dirty Dozen list to educate people on food safety.

Flash Freeze

Once the grapes are clean, drain the grapes using a colander. You must dry the grapes entirely before you freeze them. Spread the grapes on some paper towels to dry them off. The next step is to flash freeze the grapes. Line a baking tray with parchment paper to flash freeze the grapes before spreading out the grapes on the tray. An important thing to note when freezing grapes is that you must handle them carefully when preparing them to freeze because they are pretty delicate. Any unnecessary bruises or punctures can cause the entire bag of frozen grapes to go bad.

Another way to flash freeze is by adding the grapes to ice cube trays to freeze them. However, in this case, the capacity is quite limited, and you will have to do this step in batches to accommodate all the grapes. Load your prepared trays into the freezer and freeze the grapes for 2 – 3 hours or until they have frozen solid.

Freeze

Once the grapes have frozen solid, you can move them into freezer-safe bags for long-term storage. Add the grapes to freezer-safe bags and remove as much air from the bags before you seal them. If possible, you can use a vacuum sealer to seal the bags, or if you don’t have a vacuum sealer on hand, you can use a simple straw to make your own makeshift vacuum sealer. Push out as much air as you can before sealing the bag almost completely, leaving just enough space for a straw to pass through. Insert the straw through the opening and suck out as much air as possible before sealing the bag completely.

Long-Term Storage

Once your freeze bags are all sealed, label each bag with the freezing date so that it will be easier for you to keep track of. You can stack your prepared grape bags in the freezer and pull them out as and when you are ready to enjoy them!

How to Use Frozen Grapes

When it comes to using your frozen grapes, your imagination is the limit.

Frozen Grape Slushie

Add one cup of frozen grapes and ¾ cup of chilled water or coconut water to the blender pot and blend at high speed to reach that slushie consistency. Pour it into a glass and enjoy!

Frozen Grape Jam

You can use your frozen grapes to make jam like you would make it with fresh grapes. To use the grapes, simply move them from the freezer to the fridge for a couple of hours to thaw them before you use them to make your jam.

Add your frozen grapes to your morning smoothie to give a flavor boost! You can also add your frozen grapes to your frozen yogurt, desserts, and even to just snack on in the middle of summer!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do frozen grapes last?

Frozen grapes can easily last in your freezer for 10 – 12 months but can remain safe to eat beyond that. This timeframe is only valid if the grapes are frozen and stored correctly. Always keep an eye on your frozen grapes considering their freezing date. In case of any freezer burn or mold, discard them. Remember that food safety is not something that should ever be taken lightly, so if at any point you are not sure if the grapes are safe to eat or you are not sure how long they have been in the freezer, it is best to toss them. This is where labeling and dating the bags become important. Always remember if you are ever in doubt, throw it out.

How to freeze dry grapes?

Freeze drying is a new way of preserving food that has gained popularity in recent days. While there is specialized equipment you can use to freeze dry, you can also try out the technique using your freezer if you are just getting started on this journey. To freeze dry your grapes in the freezer, start by cutting the grapes in half. Place the grapes on a freezer tray and load them in the freezer for 2 – 3 weeks until the grapes have frozen solid. Once the grapes have frozen solid, you can transfer them to freezer bags for long-term storage. Remember to label and date these grapes as well!

How to tell if grapes are going bad?

Freezing grapes can help preserve your grapes really well; however, you must know how to identify if they are going bad. If the grapes are turning brown or are soft and mushy, the grapes are going bad. If the grapes release their juices or give off a sour vinegar-like smell, the grapes are going bad. It is best to discard the bad batch entirely in any of these scenarios.

Conclusion

Grapes make a delicious and refreshing snack. Freezing the grapes makes it really simple to preserve this fruit so that you and your family can enjoy it throughout the year. Given how simple it is to freeze some grapes and enjoy their refreshing taste throughout the year, you should definitely give freezing them a try. We are sure you will be freezing grapes every year for years to come! If you liked this freezing guide, you might also like some of our other freezing guides that you can find here.