Use

Grapes are a popular baking ingredient, without which many a pastry would be unimaginable. Not everyone likes them, but those who like them would never do without grapes. Stollen, plait, fruit bread are probably the best-known pastries in which the sweet grapes must not be missing. But grape berries are also a popular ingredient in biscuits. They belong in student food as well as in muesli and taste as a snack pure from the hand. But grapes also have a savory note. In meat dishes they create a coveted contrast. Raisins go well with pilaws and other rice dishes, round off the savory taste of lentils and give salads a natural sweetness. Grape berries with cheese are just as good as the fruity grapes. Organic grape berries are also a suitable bird food, which is just as popular with the birds kept in the house as it is with wild birds. One should only pay attention to dog and cat if the bag of grapes remains on the table: For these two housemates raisins are poisonous, with sometimes life-threatening consequences.

Production

Wine is said to have flowered in our regions by St John’s Day (24 June) if a good harvest is to be expected. This also applies to producer countries, because the yield is strongly dependent on the weather. In good years, the grape harvest in warm countries begins in August and continues until the first night frosts. Only a few varieties – and grapes – remain on the vine to produce ice wine.

Grapes are both cut by hand and harvested mechanically and transported in bulk to the transport trolley. Damaged or overripe grapes are sorted out by hand in order to be able to produce flawless goods.

Different types of grapes are suitable for production. Dark seedless grapes provide the savory currants, which appear almost black. Other grapes are medium brown in colour. Sultanas are large, pale yellow grapes from a single variety. Traditionally, raisins with stems were sold, but they must be plucked by hand if they are not liked in food.

Origin

Grapes thrive above all in the Mediterranean region, the USA, South Africa and the Black Sea region. Our organic grapes come from our trading partners in California. They benefit from the mild climate of the region until harvest time.

Sustainability

Careful handling of resources has long become a matter of course in organic farming. Due to the climate in California, water consumption for cultivation is also lower than in other regions. Vineyards contribute to improving the microclimate. They provide a home and refuge for endangered plant and animal species, especially in organic farming. What used to be called weeds between vines is now part of a sustainable concept. Intentional underplanting and mixed crops naturally increase yields.

Harvest

For the production of grapes, fully ripe table grapes are harvested. Sugar-rich varieties that are too sweet for wine production are particularly suitable. After the harvest, the harvested grapes are hung as a whole fruit stand over tensioned wires. There they are dried in the sun. With sufficient air circulation, the grapes dry evenly. If the weather continues to be bad during the dry period, the grapes must be dried in heated places so that they have a long shelf life.

Flavor

In a natural, pleasant way, sweet and spicy, grapes are indispensable in the kitchen and bakery.

Yield

The published figures practice the world annual yield fluctuate. This is due both to the different harvests and to insufficient statistics. Around one million tonnes are expected in 2019. The main producer is the USA, with Turkey leading the list of producing countries in Europe.

Special feature

The currants that belong to the grape berries have their names from the historical city. Sultanas, on the other hand, are named after sultana grapes.