What Is the Shelf Life of Grapes? And How to Keep Them

Grapes are an excellent snack, particularly if you have a sweet craving. Table grapes are an excellent snacking option since they are juicy, sweet, and high in antioxidants.

Table grapes are now available in a variety of forms, sizes, and tastes. From basic red concord or green grapes to newer types like cotton candy, bebop, or witch fingers, the produce area now has more grapes than I can remember ever having!

Although each grape has a somewhat varied shelf life, if you’re asking, “How long do grapes last?” When kept properly, the answer is anything from 3-5 days, and occasionally up to a week if perfect storage conditions are satisfied.

How long do grapes last in the refrigerator?

Outside of extreme measures such as freezing or dehydrating, storing grapes in the refrigerator is the greatest approach to extend their shelf life. Grapes will survive an average of 3-5 days in the refrigerator before displaying any symptoms of quality loss. This might take up to 7 days depending on how fresh the grapes were when bought.

Another advantage of keeping grapes in the refrigerator is that they are cold when you eat them. The combination of cool, sweet grapes on a hot summer day is quite unique, and it would be less pleasant if the grapes were maintained at room temperature. Therefore store your grapes in the refrigerator, particularly if you want to keep them for more than a few days.

Where to store your grapes in the refrigerator?

While keeping grapes in your refrigerator, two crucial things to consider are air movement and humidity.

In general, storing grapes in airtight containers such as a zip lock bag or Tupperware creates an unfavorable environment for grape storage. When you buy grapes at the grocery store, they usually arrive in a plastic bag with little vent holes around the bottom. They let excess moisture to drain away from the grapes while also allowing air to flow around them, keeping them fresher for longer.

Personally, I store my grapes and fruits in the bag they came in, inside my crisper drawer. Most current refrigerators include a humidity selector on the crisper drawer, which may help your grapes last as long as possible. I keep my humidity selection set to medium, but experiment with other settings to see which works best for your grapes or fruits in general.

What is the shelf life of grapes at room temperature?

Although I like frozen grapes for their taste and refreshing properties, other individuals prefer room-temperature grapes and will keep them on their kitchen counter. This works perfectly, but it will reduce the total longevity of your grapes. Due of the warmer temperature and increased water content of grapes, they may begin to break down and mildew faster at room temperature.

This will not be an issue if you intend on eating your grapes rapidly. On the other hand, if you want your grapes to last as long as possible, I suggest putting them in the refrigerator.

How to tell if grapes have gone bad.

When grapes mature, their skin wrinkles and the fruit loses its firmness. Your grapes will still be edible, but not as tasty as they were when they were fresh. If you see white mold forming between the grape clusters, it’s time to put the grapes in the garbage or compost heap.

You may use a variety of techniques to increase the shelf life of your grapes before they go bad. If you grab the grapes before they begin to lose taste,

3 Ways to use up your excess grapes.

Now that we know how long grapes last, let’s look at some methods to use up any excess grapes you may have laying around the home.

When using up excess grapes, consider how soon you’ll be able to eat whatever product you’re preparing and pick which way is ideal for you. If you can consume the grapes right away, a fruit salad or sauce would be the best alternative. If you aren’t sure you’ll be able to consume the grapes before they go bad, freezing them or preparing jelly may be a better option.

1. Put Those Grapes in the Freezer! Frozen grapes make excellent ice cubes for iced tea or drinks, particularly in the summer. Although I wouldn’t use frozen grapes as an ingredient in anything other than jam or sauce, they do make an excellent cocktail garnish. To freeze grapes, separate the berries from the stems, then lay the individual berries on a cookie sheet and freeze until frozen. After frozen, transfer the grapes to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
2. Prepare a Fruit Salad! Fruit salad is a tasty way to use up leftover grapes. If you have school-aged children, it makes an excellent breakfast alternative or a tasty lunch box side. For a great heart-healthy meal in the summer, I create a light salad with arugula, lemon dressing, grilled shrimp, and fresh fruit salad with grapes.
3. Prepare some grape jam. Grape jelly or jam is relatively simple to produce and can keep for months if kept properly. Just select a recipe from a reliable source, follow the directions, and you’ll be enjoying homemade peanut butter and jelly in no time!
4. Make Grape Juice of Them. Making wonderful cold-pressed grape juice is a terrific way to use up surplus grapes if you have access to a masticating juicer. If you want to preserve the grape juice for more than a day or two, add a little lemon juice to help keep the taste fresher for longer.

Final Thoughts

Whether you like traditional red seedless grapes or newer, more unique types such as witch fingers or cotton candy, knowing how long grapes last is critical to getting the most out of your fruits at home.

When kept refrigerated, grapes may be stored for up to 5 days, however when left at room temperature on your kitchen counter, the number is closer to 3 days. Follow these techniques to get the most life out of your grapes!

1. Store your grapes in the refrigerator.
2. Grapes should be stored in an airtight container.
3. Refrigerate grapes in the crisper drawer.
4. Grapes should not be stored in an airtight container.
5. Watch careful for mold or wrinkled berry skin.