Grapes: harvest, storage and recipes
The grape harvest is the high point of autumn — table grapes at a pick-your-own, wine grapes as a paid day in the vineyard.
📅 Season: Late August (Dalmatia) to October (inland).
How to tell it's ripe
- The berries are sweet and the pips are brown and come away from the flesh easily.
- The bunch stem starts to turn woody and brown where it meets the vine.
- Colour is even across the bunch and the berries are juicy and slightly softer.
How to pick
- Cut above the bunch with secateurs or a knife — don't pull it off by hand.
- Hold the bunch by its stem, not the berries, to keep the bloom.
- Lay bunches in one or two layers in the crate and remove damaged berries straight away.
- On a harvest job: gloves, a hat, water and sturdy shoes — vines scratch and the sun is strong.
Storage
- Unwashed table grapes keep 1–2 weeks in a perforated bag in the fridge.
- Wash just before eating; for raisins, dry them in the oven at 60 °C for several hours.
Recipes
Grape and rosemary focaccia
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 7 g dried yeast
- 350 ml lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 300 g black grapes
- rosemary
- flaky salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
Method
- Knead the flour, yeast, water, 2 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt; leave to double (about 1 h).
- Stretch into an oiled tin, press in the grapes and rosemary, drizzle with the rest of the oil and sprinkle with sugar and salt.
- Rest 20 minutes, then bake at 220 °C for 20–25 minutes.
Roasted grapes with fresh cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g grapes on the stem
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- thyme
- fresh goat's cheese or ricotta
Method
- Put the grape clusters in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with oil and honey and sprinkle with thyme.
- Roast at 200 °C for 15 minutes until the berries start to burst.
- Serve warm with the cheese and bread.
ⓘ These are general tips; at a pick-your-own always follow the host's instructions.
More tips
🍓 Strawberries · 🍒 Cherries · 🫐 Blueberries · 🍎 Apples · 🟣 Figs · 🍊 Mandarins · 🍅 Tomatoes