Grocery prices have hit an all-time high these days, and you want to get the most out of your favorite produce with minimal waste. So if you have too many grapes, don’t toss them out! Make the most of your bounty by freezing them!
In this article, you’ll learn how to freeze grapes, use them for different recipes, and save them from getting tossed into the bin.
Why Would You Want To Freeze Grapes?
So you may be wondering what the purpose of freezing grapes would even be? Let’s say your local grocery store had a fantastic sale on your favorite grapes, and you bought a huge bunch. And, it happens to the best of us; we let them sit in the fridge and go bad. Sound familiar?
Now let’s say instead of wasting our favorite grapes, we pop them into the freezer and save them for another day. Freezing grapes give us zero waste, and once frozen, they can be used in many different recipes.
Using Frozen Grapes
Smoothies
This banana grape smoothie is as tempting as it sounds and can be prepped ahead of time so you can blend and go! You are going to love adding these frozen grapes to your morning smoothies. They add just the right amount of sweetness to the drink while adding valuable vitamins and nutrients.
Weightloss
One of our biggest downfalls can be all of the sweet treats you find in your freezer section at your favorite grocery store when trying to stay fit and healthy. Freezing grapes can cure that sweet tooth if you are craving a frozen snack.
Grabbing a bowl of frozen grapes can aid in your weight loss journey by offering you an excellent healthy snack that you won’t feel guilty enjoying.
You could even make a delicious “candy” grape with this recipe – Sour Candy Frozen Grapes.
Cocktail Add-Ins
If you enjoy a nice cold glass of white wine on a sultry summer day, keep your wine chilled without diluting the flavor by adding some of your favorite frozen grapes.
Using grapes as ice cubes keeps the integrity of the wine, but it also looks gorgeous. Perfect for a late summer lunch drink or a day by the pool.
You can add frozen grapes to any type of cocktail for the same reason. They won’t water down your drink as ice can, especially on a hot day.
Health Benefits of Grapes
Grapes are very beneficial for your health in more ways than one! Grapes are a great source of antioxidants. They support heart health, eye health, boost brain power, and help manage blood sugars. If you want more of a deep dive into the health benefits of grapes, you can read our article to learn even more.
What Type Of Grapes Can I Freeze?
You can freeze any type of grape! Green grapes produce a bit of a more tart flavor, and red gives a slightly sweeter taste, but whatever variety of grape you have in your fridge today can be frozen.
What About Seeded Grapes?
Seedless grapes work better if you want to enjoy them as a quick snack, but you can indeed freeze seeded grapes. If you’re going to use seeded grapes for snacking, I suggest removing the seeds before freezing because biting down on a frozen seed wouldn’t be the best idea. You could easily cut them in half, remove the seeds, and place them into the freezer for later.
Now, if your want to only use these as add-ins to your smoothies, you do not have to remove the seeds since you’ll be blending everything up, but because the seeds can be a bit bitter, just note it may affect the flavors slightly.
How To Freeze Grapes – Step By Step
It is so easy to freeze grapes and takes about 5 minutes. All you need is your grapes, a kitchen towel or paper towels, a small baking sheet, your freezer, and a freezer-safe bag or container.
Here are the simple steps to follow on how to freeze grapes:
- Remove the grapes from the stems.
- Thoroughly rinse your grapes by hand or toss them into a colander.
- Place the grapes on an absorbent kitchen towel or paper towel and allow them to dry.
- Once the grapes have dried, place them onto a small baking sheet that can fit inside your freezer and let them freeze until they are solid.
- Transfer the frozen grapes into a freezer-safe bag or container for storage.
There you have it, a quick and painless process of freezing grapes!
An even more straightforward way to freeze grapes would be to follow the above 1 – 3 steps, remove the stems, wash and dry them, and then toss them straight into a freezer-safe bag or container.
This process would only benefit you if you plan to defrost the grapes to make them into any of the recipe ideas coming up later in this article.
If you plan to use these grapes for snacking or adding a handful to your smoothies, it would be beneficial to take the extra step of freezing them on the baking sheet.
How To Defrost Grapes
Since we went through the fantastic ways to utilize frozen grapes, what about using them defrosted? Once the grapes have been frozen, defrosting them won’t bring them back to their natural state, but the flavors remain the same, opening the door to more cooking opportunities.
To defrost the grapes is very simple. Transfer your freezer-safe bag or container to the fridge and let them thaw slowly. This process helps to keep them as intact as possible, so they are easier to use.
Some fantastic ways to use these defrosted grapes are jams, purees, jellies, and juices.
If you are curious about these types of recipes, here are some great ones to try out!
Perfect when baking turnovers!
Try adding this to create fresh and fun cocktails or serve atop a bowl of shaved ice!
A super simple recipe and requires no juicer!
Perfect for your morning toast and a fresh cup of coffee!
Wrapping Up How To Freeze Grapes & Tips And Tricks To Using Them
Who knew frozen grapes could be such a tasty treat? Plus, the fact of the matter is you won’t ever have to waste one single grape again. Now, that’s a big perk! There are many opportunities to use frozen grapes, whether you’re looking into some weight loss snacks, adding something healthy to your diet, or chilling your cocktails the fancy way.
Plus, it is easier than ever to make your homemade jams, jellies, and syrups when deciding to freeze and defrost! With endless options, I am sure the next time you have extra grapes sitting in your fridge. You are going to freeze them before thinking of tossing them away!
Excited for more grape content? Next, check out my grape vine page for more growing tips, care guides, recipes, and more!
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Lauren has three main passions: her family, writing, and gardening! Lauren has spent countless hours in her garden tending to different plants, whether those be beautiful flowers, vegetables, or different perennials.
Rest assured that if it concerns plants and gardens, Lauren has got you covered. So, when needing advice or looking for the best new gardening gadget, you have come to the right place and the right author.