Living in Sunny Queensland, we are lucky to enjoy the warm season pretty much all year round and there’s a great variety of produce we can enjoy all year round thanks to road freight providers and fruit and veggie growers around the state. Grapes are no exception, although if you want to get the best of them, fresh and in season, look for them from November to May. In this post, we share some of the health benefits of Grapes and share some ideas on how you can get the most out of this delicious superfood.

Origins

Native to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, they easily adapt to Aussie conditions – warm, dry summers and deep, rich soil. They grow in clusters on a woody vine and come in many colours. Red/purple and green being the most popular.

The Main Health Benefits of Grapes

• General profile – They’re rich sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B7 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium and selenium.
• Resveratrol – It’s an effective agent for cancer chemoprevention due to it ability to block many steps in the carcinogenesis processes. It’s shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis and influence interlukin-6 (anti-inflammatory functions). So, in short, why do eople love the fact the resveratrol? Perhaps the evidence of many studies showing it’s down regulation of inflammatory responses.
• Anthocyanins and Proanthocyanidins – Best found when you have grape juice, the fruit is abundance. in both of these substances. They’ve been found to show cancer preventive and anti-proliferative properties and can detoxify the activity of some cancer-causing substances. Grape juice was found to suppress the growth and development of breast cancer cells in laboratory animals given chemically induced tumors. The grape juice reduced both the mammary tumor size and number of tumors per animal. The pigment in grape juice also improve immune responsiveness.

Selecting, Storing and Serving

• When buying grapes, reach for firm, plump clusters that are securely attached to their stems – which would be brightly coloured, not brown.
• They should be intact, firmly attached to a health looking stem and not leaking juice.
• Also, look for a silvery coating on red and black varieties. This is a natural bloom (don’t worry it’s not dust) and it protects the fruit’s freshness.
• When stored properly in an airtight container, grapes should stay fresh for up to a few weeks if refrigerated at very cool temperature.
• Grapes should be washed under cold running water right before eating them or using in a recipe. If you don’t think you can eat the whole bunch in one sitting, use scissors to separate small clusters of grapes from the stem instead of removing individual grapes. This helps to keep remaining grapes fresher by preventing the stem from drying out.
• Enjoy it as a healthy snack, a superfood packed juice or as an integral part of a flavourful sauce, there are many ways to enjoy grapes. They can be eaten fresh or dried (raised) and can also be used for making jam, jelly and wine.