The Fruitguys News: Flames that quench

Flames that quench

Posted on July 27, 2008

Red Flames may not be what people want to hear about in a month of record wildfires but these are the delicious thirst-quenching kind. Red Flame Grapes are the first eating grapes of the season to arrive from Californian vineyards. Pert and bursting with sweet grape juice, they're a refreshing treat - especially chilled.

On any given Sunday drive in the United States, hills contoured with vineyards can be seen. Nationally, these combined rows equal almost a million acres. Most of what you see growing are wine grapes, only 20 percent are grown for table grapes, and another small portion for raisins and grape juice. California grows 98 percent of the fresh table grapes in the U.S., mostly in the Coachella and San Joaquin Valleys.

Blake Carlson of B&L Farm (you've been enjoying his peaches and nectarines) sends us his Red Flame grapes from Fresno, CA. Table grape season runs from July to November in an array of varieties. Red grapes like the Flames come in a succession of Cardinal, Ruby, and Crimson. The art to growing tender table grapes is in the pruning: vines are pruned so that the large grape leaves shade the baby grapes so they have delicate skins.

The FruitGuys select seedless varieties for our clients. We have found that most people prefer seedless grapes for snacking out of hand. But really these grapes are not truly seedless - they just have very teeny-tiny seeds. By definition fruit contains seeds, but these little pips are so delicate they'll melt in your mouth.

As an office treat, nothing beats the high-fiber, vitamin C and thiamin of grapes off the vine. Delicate and neat for meetings, they can be enjoyed in groups or solo. Eat them cool off your desk while you're putting out fires.