The Easy Way To Tell If Grapes Are Fresh At The Grocery Store

When buying grapes, you of course want to buy the freshest batch possible. And, as it turns out, there's actually an easy way to tell if a certain batch of grapes is worth buying — and all you have to do is look to the stem. Forgetting to look at the stem is one of the most common mistakes people make when buying grapes, which is unfortunate because the stem can tell you a lot about how healthy the grapes are.

Fresh and healthy grapes will have a green stem that has a bendable flexibility. On the other hand, not-so-fresh grapes will have a brown stem that may look dry. Additionally, the stem will snap really easily if the grapes have gone bad. Unhealthy grapes also won't be as closely attached to the stem as fresh grapes will, giving you one more indication of whether or not those grapes are worth buying.

If for some reason the stem isn't giving you the answer that you need, you can also look to the color and the smell. Red and purple grapes should be free of any brown or green spots — and they should be either deep red or deep purple in hue. Meanwhile, green grapes will have a yellowish-green color. Finally, if the smell seems a little bit off — specifically if you catch a whiff of a vinegar or sour smell — then skip those grapes. Odor is one of the best ways to tell if foods, including grapes, have gone bad.

Grapes are full of health benefits — especially when you eat grapes every day, or often — so it's important to know how to keep them healthy and fresh. If you've bought grapes at their freshest, then they should last about two weeks in your fridge (which is why it's so important to examine the stem).

Firstly, you want to take advantage of the crisper drawer in your fridge. For anyone unfamiliar, the crisper drawer is the drawer at the bottom of the fridge; it's designed to keep produce fresh by controlling the levels of humidity. Secondly, grapes are one instance where you want to avoid airtight containers. This is because grapes need air circulation, so leave them in the container that they come in (which is typically a plastic container or a bag with holes in it).

You can also store them in the freezer, where they'll last for up to a full year before they start losing flavor. The storage method for freezing is quite different than how you would store them in the fridge. For the freezer, start by washing, then drying, the grapes. Spread them out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer; pop that sheet in the freezer for a few hours so that they freeze solid. Then, transfer to a zip-top plastic bag, seal it up, and store it in the freezer until you're ready to use those frozen grapes.