Frozen Grapes: A Healthy and Cooling Summer Snack

When I was a little girl, I knew grape season had arrived by the way the air looked in the grocery store parking lot. If it hung there still and sleepy above the asphalt, that meant I had to wait a little longer. When it shimmered with heat like a desert mirage, it was time! 

I practically vibrated with joy as my dad loaded four or five bags of grapes into our cart. Then, at home, I transformed them into my favorite summer snack: Grab-and-go frozen grapes. 

Why Eat Frozen Grapes?

Frozen grapes are a simple pleasure, but there’s nothing better to lift your mood or cool your body on a hot day. I used to eat them by the handful during breaks from pulling weeds in the garden or jumping on the trampoline. Now that I’m older, I like to grab a container as a workday treat. I let the frosty fruits gradually thaw on my desk as I eat them one by one. 

Grapes are a sweet, healthy, low-calorie snack. And since we lucked into an extra-long grape season this year, there are plenty to go around! 

How Do You Make Frozen Grapes?

I’ve used the same quick and easy method to make frozen grapes since I was barely old enough to reach the counter. You only need a few things: Grapes, a colander or bowl, two towels, a 1-cup measuring cup, and a bunch of small, freezer-safe containers. 

Grab-and-Go Frozen Grapes

Recipe by Lex Flamm for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS

1 2-pound bag of grapes (red, green, or black)

PREPARATION

• Lay a towel on the counter beside the sink. 
• Add your grapes to a bowl or colander, then rinse them under cold water.
• Spread the clean grapes out on the towel. 
• Use a second towel to dry the bowl/colander and pat the grapes dry. 
• Remove all of the grapes from their stems, adding the fruits back to the bowl/colander as you go.  
• Using a measuring cup, scoop up 1 cup of grapes from the bowl/colander. Add the cup of grapes to a small, freezer-safe container. 
• Repeat until you run out of grapes or containers, whichever comes first. 
• Place your containers of grapes in the freezer. 
• Freeze them for at least 2 hours. For firmer grapes, leave them in the freezer for 6–8 hours or overnight. 

Serves 4–6. Prep time, 15 minutes; freeze time, 2–12 hours.

Cook’s note: I prefer to use seedless grapes for this recipe. It’s much harder to spit out the seeds in a frozen grape! Red seedless grape varieties like Flame and Ruby are my favorites, but green and black grapes also freeze beautifully. 

To read up on more snacks that will help you beat the heat like frozen grapes, check out our “Foods That Cool” blog post. It’s an oldie, but a goodie.