ShelfLife
How long do grapes last?
Grapes keep about 1 week in the fridge from the day you buy them, but only about a day at room temperature. Whole frozen grapes keep for about 1 month.
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrapesFreezer time is for whole grapes. | 1 weekfrom purchase | 1 month | 1 dayfrom purchase |
Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.
How to tell if grapes have gone bad
- Mold, usually gray or white fuzz near the stem. Remove moldy grapes and any touching them.
- Soft, mushy, leaking or wrinkled grapes, and grapes that fall off the stem easily.
- A sour or fermented, wine-like smell.
- Brown or dark spots on the skin. A white, powdery coating is natural bloom, not mold: it rinses off.
How to store grapes
- Put grapes in the fridge as soon as you get home, in their vented bag or a container with some air flow.
- Don't wash them until you eat them: moisture makes them go moldy sooner.
- Keep them on the stem until you eat them, and pick out any damaged grapes first.
- Keep them in the coldest part of the fridge, away from strong-smelling foods like onions.
Can you freeze grapes?
Yes, whole, for about 1 month. Wash and dry them well, pull them off the stems and freeze them in a single layer on a tray, then bag them. Frozen grapes are a refreshing snack straight from the freezer and work well in smoothies or as ice cubes in drinks; they turn soft once thawed.
Questions
Should grapes be refrigerated?
Yes. Grapes don't ripen after picking and keep only about a day at room temperature, against about a week in the fridge.
Can you eat grapes if some are moldy?
Throw out the moldy grapes and those touching them. Firm grapes without mold elsewhere on the bunch are fine to eat once rinsed.
Is the white coating on grapes safe?
Yes. It's called bloom: a natural waxy layer that protects the fruit. It's harmless and rinses off with water.
Add grapes to ShelfLife, and get a reminder to eat them within their week.
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Storage times: USDA FoodKeeper (Food Safety and Inspection Service), public domain. Text by ShelfLife.