Grapes are by far one of the hardest fruits to wash thoroughly, as they’re always coated with that white, waxy stuff that just doesn’t come off with a regular rinse. For other fruits and vegetables, I just spray them with a water/vinegar mixture, let sit, then rub and rinse clean. If I sat down to rub and rinse every single grape on the vine, I wouldn’t even want grapes anymore by the time I was finished!
In the past, I would just rinse them quickly under water, maybe rub them a little before I ate them, and that was it. The last time I picked up some beautiful red grapes from the store, I popped one in my mouth and was completely overwhelmed by the bitter taste of the waxy coating.
I stopped right there and went on a search for how to wash off this coating once and for all. Let me tell you, that search was not easy! I finally found a blog which suggested the use of salt, so I took it one step further and added some baking soda to the mix for extra scrubbing action, and I’m happy to say, it totally worked! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves 🙂
Here’s a before picture, just for reference. Look at all that wax!
So here’s what you do. First, remove the grapes from the stem, give them a quick rinse, and place them in a wide, shallow bowl.
Then sprinkle about 1-2 teaspoons of salt on the grapes.
Sprinkle another 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda on there.
Then grab the bowl and shake it vigorously from side to side and front to back, for about 30 seconds to a minute. You want to make sure they’re scrubbed nice and well by the salt and baking soda. Get your kids involved – I’m sure they’d love an opportunity to shake things up with you in the kitchen!
Finally, rinse very well under cold water. Lightly rub your hand over the top to help with the rinsing to remove all traces of salt.
That’s it! Enjoy your clean, tasty grapes! 🙂
NOTE: After more research, I found that the wax is actually produced by the grape itself to help prevent moisture loss. There’s also a layer of dirt and dust, as well as pesticide residue. So, the wax itself is not harmful, but the pesticide residue surely is! Only wash what you will eat right away, as the extra moisture from washing will speed up their decay.
How do you wash your grapes? I’d love to hear of other methods you’re using!
Thank you to tips. My grapes are soaking in the salt and soda now. I buy Cotton Candy grapes when in season, so, after cleaning and drying, I put in freezer containers . Let me freeze. Take out a few at a time . Yummy, yummy. Taste like Frozen Cotton Candy popscicles.
Yum, love frozen grapes!
My Chinese friends throw a handful of wheat flour into bowl of water and swish with grapes. Seems to clean them well. Easy!!
Interesting idea! Thanks for sharing!
I always hated the sulphur dioxide I would taste when eating grapes. I now wash them in HOT water first… helped get rid of that smell and taste.
Not sure how good that is for you either.
Thank you!! The grapes taste really good this method.
You’re very welcome! Enjoy 🙂
I use Castille soap to wash some fruits and veggies, like apples. The soap really gets that white stuffor off. I tried it on grapes but some of the soap solution absorbs into the grape from where I pulled it from the stem. It worked great but I don’t like soapy grapes. I will have to try this. Thanks for the information.
You’re welcome! Yeah, I’ve noticed sometimes if I don’t rinse them well enough, I can taste some of the salt from this method as well. So just remember to really rub them when you’re rinsing to get rid of any residue.
I washed the grapes like you said, but now the sweetness is gone. They taste a little salty. Maybe I used too much, but they sure look better than in the store.
YAY! Happy happy, it worked like a charm, thank you so much.
The “white waxy stuff” is actually a yeast fungi. It’s what causes the grapes to ferment into lovely, delicious wine. It’s not harmful, but I do agree grapes taste better when the yeast is rinsed off. I’m going to try your method, as I do the “individual wash” before eating grapes.