By Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD
We couldn’t help but notice that, next to the generic “red” and “green” grapes often seen in markets, there are many new varieties of grapes being offered for our eating pleasure. Why are there suddenly so many new varieties? According to the Fresh Produce Association of America, table grapes aren’t just competing with each other; they’re battling apples, strawberries, blueberries, and every other fruit for a spot in the shopping basket. According to the California Table Grape Commission, new, sweeter table grapes are growing in popularity to the point that many growers are removing or supplementing their traditional vines to make room for the new varieties.
Some of the more intriguing varieties we have seen include:
Autumncrisp®: Huge, crispy green grapes with a “pop” when eaten, and have a mild and sweet Muscat flavor (flowery, peachy).
Cotton Candy™: Green-to-yellow grapes possessing a strong, distinct flavor mimicking carnival cotton candy.
Sweet Sapphire®: Elongated, dark blue/black grapes with a crisp bite and very sweet, juicy flavor.
Ruby Rush®: Early-season brilliantly red grapes bred to have a highly juicy crunch and sweet, neutral flavor.
Many of newer varieties come from major international companies, such as US-based SunWorld, which holds more than 200 table grape patents, and Bloom Fresh, which holds the license for Cotton Candy™ grapes. Developing a new grape variety can take more than a decade, and up to fifteen years before reaching supermarket shelves, factoring in time required for breeding, testing, and quarantine procedures.
From the new to the traditional, let’s talk about Concord grapes! Who knew, that, in addition to being delicious, that they were considered a “dark purple superfruit?” Do you know that there are many varieties of Concord? These can include:
Standard Concord: The classic slippery skin grape with a deep purple color, thick skin, and large seeds. It became popular for its use in jams, jellies, and commercial juices like Welch’s.
Concord Seedless: A direct genetic mutation of the traditional Concord. It retains the signature sweet flavor but is easier to eat fresh since it lacks large seeds.
Fredonia: Often called an “early Concord.” It ripens several weeks earlier than the standard variety and has a very similar flavor profile, but with larger berries.
Niagara: A direct white-grape cross of Concord and Cassady. It has the same thick, slippery skin texture with pale-green to yellow color, but offers a milder, sweeter taste.
Moon Drops (also called Sweet Sapphire): A dark, oblong grape that many describe as having an intensely sweet, Concord-like or grape-gum flavor.
Delaware: Another American hybrid with a slippery skin. It is smaller and red in color but shares the classic qualities of a Concord.
No matter which type of grape you choose, you can obtain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and hydration from them. And although it is a little early in the year–keep in mind: The “12 grapes rule,” traditionally known as Las doce uvas de la suerte (The Twelve Grapes of Luck), Spanish New Year’s Eve custom. It requires eating exactly 12 grapes at midnight—one with each chime of the clock—to secure 12 months of good luck and prosperity.