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Explore three easy methods in this guide showing you How To Preserve Grapes — choose between freezing, dehydrating, and canning to make your sweet harvest last longer!

A close-up of ripe purple grapes growing in clusters on a vine with large green leaves in sunlight, perfect for learning how to preserve grapes at their freshest.


 

Preserving Guide: How To Preserve Grapes

Nothing beats the sweet (or sour!) juicy burst of fresh grapes, but their short shelf life can be frustrating when you buy them in bulk. Learning how to preserve grapes transforms this perishable fruit into a long-lasting pantry staple!

Whether you want to freeze grapes for refreshing summer snacks, dehydrate them into chewy raisins, or can them for cooking, the right preservation techniques will help you enjoy grapes months after harvest season ends.

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When To Harvest Grapes

Use the taste test for table grapes. Don’t rely on color alone. When the color looks good, taste a few from the ends of the bunches. If they are sweet, they are ready. The seeds should be brown. 

How To Store Grapes

Store your fresh grapes in the refrigerator.

Dehydrating Grapes

CUTTING:

  • Seedless: Leave whole
  • With Seeds: Cut in half and remove seeds

DIPPING:

  • Whole: Dip in boiling water 30 seconds or more to check skins. Plunge in ice water to stop further cooking. Drain on paper.
  • Halves: No treatment necessary

DEHYDRATOR: 12-20 hours 

APPEARANCE WHEN DRY: pliable, leathery

Canning Grapes

QUANTITY: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9  pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A lug weighs 26 pounds and yields 12 to 14 quarts  of whole grapes – an average of 2 pounds per quart.

PREPARATION

Choose unripe, tight-skinned, preferably green seedless grapes harvested 2 weeks before they reach optimum eating quality. 

Stem, wash, and drain grapes.  

Prepare very light or light syrup.

HOT PACK  

  1. Blanch grapes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. 
  2. Fill jars with grapes and hot syrup, leaving 1-inch headspace. 
  3. Adjust lids and process in boiling water bath. 

PROCESS TIME: 10 minutes for pints or quarts

RAW PACK  

  1. Fill jars with grapes and hot syrup, leaving 1-inch headspace. 
  2. Adjust lids and process in boiling water bath.

PROCESS TIME: 15 minutes for pints; 20 minutes for quarts

Canning times chart for peaches by jar size, altitude, and pack style: Hot or Raw. Processing times increase with elevation, ranging from 10–35 minutes—great guidance if you’re learning how to preserve grapes or other fruits at home.

Freezing Grapes

PREPARING GRAPES

  • Choose fully ripe, firm, sweet grapes. 
  • Sort, stem and wash.  
  • Leave seedless grapes whole; cut table grapes with seeds in half and remove seeds. 

FREEZING GRAPES

  1. Pack into containers and cover with cold 40 percent syrup.  
  2. Leave some headspace.  
  3. Seal and freeze.

Expert Tips

  • Storage Time: The storage life varies by method: frozen grapes last 10-12 months, dehydrated grapes stay fresh for 6-12 months when properly stored, and canned grapes can last 1-2 years.
  • Preserving Nutritional Value: Frozen grapes retain nearly all their vitamins and antioxidants. Dehydrated grapes concentrate nutrients but lose some water-soluble vitamins. The key is using proper preservation techniques and not adding excess sugar or preservatives!
  • Choosing the Best Grapes: Not all grapes preserve equally well with every method. For freezing, choose firm, ripe grapes with good sugar content. For dehydrating, slightly underripe grapes work better as they hold their shape during drying. Red and purple varieties often preserve better than green grapes due to their higher antioxidant content.
A bowl of frozen grapes sits on a cloth above text reading how to preserve grapes. Below, a bunch of fresh grapes hangs from a vine with the web address blessthismessplease.com at the bottom.

More Tips For Preserving The Harvest

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