Grapes, the king of the fruit basket

Grape ID card

Cultivated vines (Vitis vinifera) is a bush SarmenteuseLike Liana, the family Vitaceae. Its ancestor, the wild vine, is one of the oldest plants. Domesticated very early, the first cultivated vines appeared in the Caucasus around 6,000 BC. They then reached Egypt and Greece before spreading to the Mediterranean basin, but also to Switzerland and Germany. Between -1,000 and -500 BC, France’s turn came.

The first occupation of the vine is to produce wine. It wasn’t until the 16th century that people started talking about table grapes.

Today, about 30% of the table grapes on our shelves are produced in France (mainly Vaucluse and Turn-et-Garonne). Being the main caste Chacellus, Muscat of Hamburg (from Ventux) And Alphonse Lavallee.

Grape varieties

There are many varieties of grapes that differ in their purpose (table or vat), grain color and their ears, among other things.

Table grape varieties have thicker skins, crisper, firmer and less acidic pulp than wine grapes.

Some examples of table grapes:

white grapes

• Chasela Golden: Crispy, fragrant and sweet round grains with thin skin. Maturity: Early.

• Italy: Large oval grains, slightly musky and juicy. Maturity: Late

• Centenary: diversity Recent, seedless, with ovoid seeds. Maturity: Early.

• etc.

black grapes

• Ventux Mascot: Small fragrant and sweet grain. Maturity: Late.

• Alphonse Lavallee: Round, fleshy, thick-skinned seeds. Maturity: Seasonal.

• Primary: Large, round, juicy kernels with thin skin. Maturity: Early.

• etc.

pink grapes

• Royal Pink Chasselas: Beans with delicate pink skin, very sweet. Maturity: Early.

• Italy Ruby: Large seeds turn almost red when ripe. Maturity: Late.

• Fundamentals: Large red/pink oval seeds, very sweet, slightly fleshy, brittle but excellent flavor. Maturity: Early.

• etc.

PDO varieties: Muscat du Ventoux, Muscat du Cap Corse, Chasselas de Moissac.

Several wine grape varieties

• Black: Artaban, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah…

• White: Viognier, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Macabeu, Riesling, Gewurztraminer…

Table grape season

As far as outdoor vines are concerned, the harvest season starts in July for the first variety and ends in October for the last variety.

To know: There are greenhouse crops that start earlier (mid-June).

How to choose a bunch of grapes?

Grapes must be firm, not shriveled, and the stems flexible when brittle. A bloom (white veil) present in some varieties is normal.

How to store grapes?

Grapes do not keep long: 3 days at room temperature or less or 5 days in the refrigerator in a box or paper bag. But take out the bunches at least an hour and a half before eating.

Suggestion: Take care to systematically remove all damaged grapes from the bunches.

Nutritional value of grapes*

Red grapes are one of the fruits rich in polyphenols (106 mg/100 g, mainly present in the skin); Associated with carotenoids (β-carotene and lutein), the antioxidant properties of grapes are undeniable. White grapes also have it, but in lesser amounts.

Mineral-wise, 100 grams of black grapes cover 12% of the NRVs** for copper and 10.50% of the NRVs for potassium (slightly less for white grapes). Berries also contain many vitamins but in smaller amounts (E, K1, B9, B1, B6…). However, despite a modest content, vitamin C (4.14 mg for white grapes and 3.11 mg for black grapes) is potentiated by the presence of polyphenols.

Note ***: breed” Muscat » Contains high concentration of monoterpenol. Responsible for the characteristic floral aroma, they also have antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer and antispasmodic properties.

How to eat grapes?

Grapes are peeled, raw, bunches just rinsed under one net cold water But it can add a sweet touch to your recipes, cooked as an accompaniment for breakfast, as a framage blanc or for dinner. Poultry.

If fresh grapes are out of season, choose raisins. They are usually rehydrated either in cooking juices or previously in tea, rum or just water. Then you use them, a variant Far BretonA milk riceA Tabbouleh or jokingly (Christmas pie with foie gras and duck breast)

*Source: ANSES 2020 (Nutrient Composition Table of Secular Foods) / aprifel.com.

**NRV: Nutrient Reference Value, previously Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), per 100 g.

*** CTIFL