Food Shopping and Storing How to Store Grapes So They Stay Firm and Fresh Stretch the shelf-life of your grapes with these tips. By Ariel Klein Ariel Klein Ariel Klein is a freelance writer specializing in lifestyle, fashion, beauty, technology, home, cooking, and gardening topics. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Well+Good, Travel+Leisure, Better Homes and Gardens, and Food & Wine magazine. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 07, 2024 Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Kristy Del Coro is a registered dietitian nutritionist, RDN, and professionally trained chef with more than 10 years of experience in the field of culinary nutrition. Her strong background in nutrition science, sustainable food systems, and culinary education makes her exceptionally qualified to write about food that is good for us and the planet—while not sacrificing flavor. Learn More Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process In This Article View All In This Article Shopping Whole Grapes Cut Grapes Freezing Grapes Shelf-Life Understanding how to store grapes properly can add days to their lifespan. No matter the variety, grapes make for a delicious snack (especially when they’re spread across a beautiful charcuterie board). But they also happen to be a pricier produce item, and they can spoil quite quickly if not stored properly. Here's how. How to Choose Fresh Grapes Before we get into how to keep grapes fresher for longer, it's important that you the grapes are fresh in the first place. There are a few things to look out for when examining grapes at the grocery store. For example, it’s always important to make sure they’re firm, plump, and attached to the stem. If you pick up a bag with loose grapes rolling around at the bottom, that’s a good indicator that they may be quicker to spoil. While this may seem like common knowledge, you should also avoid grapes that are moldy, watery, and shriveled at the stem. However, if you see a whitish coating on a bunch of grapes, that’s totally fine. It’s called “bloom,” which is a naturally occurring substance that protects grapes from moisture loss. Larisa Davydova/Getty Images Now that you know how to pick out a stellar bunch, keep reading for tips on how to store grapes so you can enjoy them for weeks at a time. How to Store Whole Grapes Have you ever walked into someone’s kitchen and noticed a big, beautiful bowl of grapes on the counter? While grapes may make for a convenient grab-and-go snack when stored this way, this is the quickest way for grapes to lose their moisture and crispness.Instead, whole grapes should be washed, patted dry, and then stored in a well-ventilated container in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. This will allow them to last for up to three weeks. You’ll want to avoid putting them into an airtight container or plastic bag, since that prevents air circulation. You could also keep whole grapes in the bag they came in if you don’t have a proper food storage container. Grapes last longer when they remain on the stem because it provides a protective barrier against physical damage. Being in compact clusters also reduces their exposure to moisture, which can help keep them fresh longer. How to Store Cut Grapes If you have leftover cut up grapes, there’s no need to toss them just yet! Cut grapes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. If you notice the edges start to dry up and brown, that’s fine—they’re still safe to eat. Use any leftover cut grapes as a yogurt or oatmeal topping, or as a bite-sized snack. Grapes that have fallen off the stem, in particular, are good ones be store in airtight containers. The container can help protect them from physical damage, as well as from too much air and moisture—like the stem otherwise would. Can You Freeze Grapes? Yes, you can freeze grapes. And if you’ve never had frozen grapes, what are you waiting for? They make for such a quick and delicious snack or dessert—basically like an all-natural, bite-sized freeze pop. Here's what to do to freeze grapes. Rinse and dry your grapes, and spread them out on a lined baking sheet. (Just make sure that your grapes aren’t clumped together on the baking sheet; otherwise, they will freeze together.)Place the grapes in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.Once they’re frozen, you can put the grapes in a storage container so they’re easily accessible.If you’re feeling especially fancy, you can roll your frozen grapes in coarse sugar to add some extra sweetness. Just make sure you enjoy them immediately! How Long Do Grapes Last? The shelf life of grapes depends on various factors, including the variety and their ripeness when you purchased them. Of course, how you store them also affects how long they will last. If you purchased them when they were perfectly ripe and you store them properly, however, grapes can last anywhere between a few days and up to about three weeks. Once grapes start to wrinkle, lose their firm shape, or grow mold, you know it's past their prime. Frozen grapes can last even longer. When stored in an airtight storage container or freezer bag, they can last for upwards of 10 to 12 months. Just be sure that they are consistently frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below to prevent freezer burn. How to Wash Grapes So They Stay Fresh Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Indiana Yard and Garden -- Purdue Consumer Horticulture. Harvesting Grapes. Accessed March 14, 2023.