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Frozen!

Grapes were a favorite fruit of my boys as they were growing up. We always had grapes. About 6 years ago I decided to plant a couple of vines and grow my own grapes! I did my research and selected two seedless table grape varieties. They were dormant, bare-root vines that I planted in the early spring after I could work the ground. To support my vines I put up four green T-posts and strung welded wire fencing. My grape trellis is about 5’6” tall and about 8’ long.  I didn’t really expect any grapes the first year, but I didn’t expect one of the plants to die either! The following spring I planted a champagne table grape. It is a smaller grape and pretty sweet. They make very tasty raisins.
 
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The third summer I finally noticed some tiny grapes on my vines. I watched them grow and anticipated their ripening. Summer progressed and so did my grapes. They were taking on a hint of red coloring. They would soon be ripe. Then the whiteflies invaded and so did the birds! I believe that I enjoyed a handful of almost ripe grapes before they were gone. The whiteflies ruined the grape leaves, so I couldn’t even feed those to my animals. I don’t like to use a lot of pesticides on my garden because I do share with my animals, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. This year, mid-summer I used a mild pesticide spray on my grape vines. I also put bird netting over the top. The pesticide did a fantastic job of keeping those pesky whiteflies at bay and the netting was a definite deterrent for hungry birds. It’s September and I have a great crop of wonderful, sweet grapes and a host of grape leaves to share with my goats and bunnies. It’s been almost 2 months since I sprayed. With several rain storms and hose washings, I feel safe feeding the leaves and grapes to my animals. A definite win, win for all…except the whiteflies!   (Please leave a comment if you know of any other ways to deal with the whiteflies that uses animal safe pesticides, or better yet no pesticides at all!)   One of the ways my family enjoys grapes is frozen. If you have never tried a frozen grape, you are missing out on a delicious, sweet snack. Very satisfying on a hot summer day. They are even enjoyable on a cool fall day! Pick your grapes and wash them.  

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  While you let them drip dry for a minute, cover the bottom of a shallow pan with a piece of wax paper. Remove your grapes from the stem and place them on the pan in a single layer and put in the freezer.  

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  The grapes will freeze separated from each other and within a few hours you will be able to transfer them to a freezer safe container or freezer bag. Enjoy them while they’re frozen! Or try them in a smoothie. I really don’t know how long they will keep in the freezer because at my house, they don’t last more than a week or two!  

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  Even your chickens will enjoy them on a warm afternoon!  

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  (Be sure to keep an eye on small children eating frozen grapes.)

3 Replies to “Frozen!”

  1. Sweet frozen grapes are the best!! When Kyle was a tiny kid we called him ‘the Grape-o-lator’. Sounds like all the Fuller boys were also Grape o lators 🤣

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