Flame Grape

Scientific Binomial Name: Vitis labrusca

Selection Information

Usage:

This red table grape can be eaten fresh, in salads, as a snack or as a dessert.

Selection:

Good-quality grapes are well-colored, plump, firmly attached to the stem and are fairly large. (Some varieties of red grapes are supposed to be small.) Select grapes that are fairly firm, but not rock-hard. Red varieties are best when red coloring predominates on all or most of the berries. Grapes are always picked ripe, and do not ripen further once off the vine.

Avoid:

Avoid grapes that are soft, wrinkled, shriveled, shattered or that have bleached areas around the stem. Soft or wrinkled grapes means they are getting old or have not been kept cold.

Seasonal Information

Available year-round. Domestic production is available May through November.

The harvest of California table grapes begins in the spring with product from the Coachella Valley and continues throughout Central California.

Imports (mostly from Chile) arrive December through April.

Flame Grape Nutritional Information

Grapes are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They're also a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.

Tips & Trivia

• For a delicious summertime treat, spread individual grapes on a pan and freeze. Transfer to a freezer box to have available for kids to eat as a frosty snack ~ like little popsicles.
• Grapes are great to pack in lunch boxes. Grapes satisfy your child's sweet tooth without added sugar or fat, and they are an excellent way to get more fruit in a youngster's diet.
• The frosty look on grape varieties is called bloom and is a natural protection produced by grapes.
• There are seedless varieties of grapes in all colors - green, red and black - available throughout the year.