We Love Black Grapes

Jared and I have an deep love for black seedless grapes. With a "tender skin and a fantastic blend of just the right amount of sweet-tart balance" they are the only grapes for us. If you have never sampled a black grape it is not too late to start. I did a little background research on the wonderfulness of these grapes and here are a few facts.

• An exceptionally attractive variety, black seedless grapes offer a very juicy delicate flavor. Picked at their peak of sweetness measured by the Brix scale of sugar content, the average size is medium to large.
• Sodium free, grapes contain 85 calories per one-and-one-half cup, 24 grams carbohydrates, and 9 per cent of the RDA for vitamin C
• Delicious eaten out of hand, black seedless grapes make delicious jam, jelly and fine wine.
• Requiring cold conditions for a dormant period, black seedless grapes flourish in the spring when the climate warms to 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Loving California, the fertile San Joaquin Valley provides this grape's optimum growing conditions. Popular especially with chefs, black seedless grapes were introduced into the United States in the 1800s.

The last couple weeks these grapes have been on sale for $0.78 lb. Quite the steal. One of our favorite ways to eat these grapes is frozen. It is like eating a mini-Popsicle that our dentist will approve of. I was so excited about the grapes this season I bought about ten pounds worth of them. My only regret is that I didn't buy more.

Black grapes are truly black. The only real grape in this
picture is the one in the middle. The two on each side are
really black olives.

Black grapes come in a variety of shapes. These are a
samplingof the unusual ones found in this season's crop.

Our stash of black grapes, ready to be frozen into grape
popsicles. (The middle bag is already frozen.)

*Information from http://www.specialtyproduce.com