How to store your grapes?

Nature is sometimes generous and suddenly you find yourself buried under clusters of grapes in the garden. Besides, don't grapes symbolise abundance? These small sweet, sometimes tangy fruits are often eaten fresh, but do not keep very long in open air. However, there are several methods of preservation and processing to enjoy them year-round. Discover how to preserve your grapes.

Before you begin

We all know pesticides are bad for health. Therefore favour grapes grown without pesticidal products, organically or from your own vines.

Keeping grapes in the fridge

Storage time : 5 days.

Method :

Place your clusters of grapes in the vegetable drawer of your fridge. To protect them from moisture, place them on an absorbent paper or a clean cloth in a zero-waste approach. If you do not have a drawer, opt for an airtight box. Check your cluster from time to time, removing any damaged grapes. Take your grapes out of the fridge one hour before eating to release their flavour and aroma.

Keeping grapes in a bottle

Storage time : 1–4 months

Method :

A simple method for long-term storage from a few weeks to several months.

1- Harvest grapes in middle of a sunny day, leaving a piece of their woody climbing stem (branch).

2- Remove any damaged grapes with scissors, then take away a few more here and there to improve air circulation within the cluster.

3- Pour water into a glass bottle with a piece of activated charcoal.

4- Immerse the end of the woody climbing stem in the water, a bit like a bouquet of flowers, and let the cluster hang against the bottle. Storage will be even better if the cluster is free-hanging.

5- Then place the bottle and grapes away from light, in a cool room (between 9 and 13 °C), but without excess humidity to avoid encouraging rot.

6- Remove damaged grapes regularly. You will then be able to enjoy your grapes after several weeks and even up to Christmas with good storage conditions.

Note: to limit mould formation, wash the grape cluster only just before eating.

Preserving grapes in jars

Storage time : several months

Method :

This involves making a sterilised grape preserve in syrup, much like you would preserve a fruit salad.

1- Wash grapes and detach them from clusters, then dry them in the sun or on a clean cloth.

2- Put the grapes into a glass preserve jar (the ones with a rubber seal). Don't forget to sterilise the jar and rubber seal before starting.

3- In a saucepan over the heat, bring 1 litre of water to the boil, dissolving 50 g of caster sugar in it.

4- Pour this boiling syrup directly over the grapes in the jars.

5- Then close the jars and sterilise them by placing them in a large pot or steriliser filled with water. The water should boil for 20 minutes.

6- Your grapes will keep for several months unopened, and for about a week in the fridge after opening.

Make raisins

Storage time : several months

Seedless grape varieties keep very well and for a long time when the berries are dried. Moreover, raisins enhance yoghurts and cereals, but are also enjoyed as an aperitif, at breakfast or for dessert. There are countless recipes and dishes where they add flavour and indulgence: salads, tagines, couscous, cakes and other tasty pastries! So, tempted?

→ Find our tutorial : How to make raisins?

Other preservation ideas

There are many recipes to make with grapes to vary tastes and pleasures, such as grape jam, grape juice or even grape vinegar! And how could we not think of delicious fruit pastes, flavoursome cakes, confectionery and jellies, etc? Let your desires and creativity speak! You can also simply leave clusters on the vine and pick them as you wish over about a month. When the berries start to become overripe, birds will take their turn to enjoy the flavours.