Grapes Galore

[Jared77]

Carol, what do you do with all of them? Do you ever make raisins? ( I have no idea how one does that...)

Something about "California sunshine" but after that I'm not sure....

 

[Jared77]

Are they good to eat or just a wine grape? I've been thinking of doing grapes one of these days and this is encouraging. How are they as a jelly grape?

 

[Carol Dee]

Are they good to eat or just a wine grape? I've been thinking of doing grapes one of these days and this is encouraging. How are they as a jelly grape?

Jared we have not had enough of these before for anything other than eating fresh (what the birds did not beat us to!) They are a pale colored grape. Not one I would use for Jellies. I was hoping the concord would do as well. But are still small and not enough to mess with. DH has made wine in the past with crab apples! Maybe he will have to try with these grapes.

 

[Carol Dee]

Do you know how easy grapes are to propagate? One year I gathered all the prunings, cut the top at an angle and the bottom straight, wrapped them in damp newspaper in an open plastic bag and left them in the refrigerator. The next spring I sent handfuls of each variety out to trading buddies. According to the recipients, every cutting rooted and grew -- instant vineyards.

Good to know~!

 

[Jared77]

Were they good fresh? And why not for jelly? I'm not trying to argue just curious on your reasons why. I have zero grape growing experience but have been wanting to make wine & enjoy fresh. Jelly is just bonus.

 

[Carol Dee]

H

Were they good fresh? And why not for jelly? I'm not trying to argue just curious on your reasons why. I have zero grape growing experience but have been wanting to make wine & enjoy fresh. Jelly is just bonus.

Hey Jared, I just like the dark concord grape Jelly. No reason why I could not make a pink grape jelly! I just may have to especially if DH is not interested in making wine. I think they taste a bit lighter and sweeter than the concord. A thinner skin, too.

 

[ninnymary]

I love how they look against the fence. I remember as a youngster picking grapes. We would lay fairly large sheets of paper between rows and place the grapes on them for the sun to dry and turn to raisins. I don't know how long they left them there or what they did if anything to them. My sister who is a "raisin inspector" says they add sulphur to them.

Mary

 

[Jared77]

Thank you Carol I appreciate the info. If you ever need to relocate some cutting keep me in mind please!

 

[Carol Dee]

Thank you Carol I appreciate the info. If you ever need to relocate some cutting keep me in mind please!

Now that @Smart Red showed us how easy it is I may have to save some of the next trimming to share.

 

[Smart Red]

I do know that if you use a dehydrator to make raisins, you should poke a few holes through the skin to get them to dry faster. I would suspect those grapes with thinner skin to make great raisins.