The Lazy Hack To Get Grapes Off The Stem In No Time

Grapes are among the most popular snacking fruits in the United States — and it's really no wonder. Their sweet, tangy flavor is appealing to people of all ages, they stay fresh for longer than most berries, and the bunches make them both portable and beautiful when draped over a charcuterie board. However, those elegant vines are also a recipe for tedium when it's time to destem and store the grapes so that they last longer, or when you'd like to slice them in half to feed to your little ones.

Though plucking your grapes from the vine one by one isn't typically difficult, it's both boring and time-consuming, especially if your household consumes its fair share of these antioxidant-rich little fruits. Fortunately, there's a fairly simple technique for removing most of the grapes from the vine all at once. Simply place the entire bunch on a clean tea towel, fold it over, and gently massage the resulting bundle until all of the grapes are destemmed, which should only take a few minutes.

This works because the tea towel provides just enough friction to twist the grapes from the stems without smushing them. It also makes it much easier to spot and toss bad fruit, along with simplifying the task of cleaning your grapes thoroughly since you don't have to worry about dirt hiding in the stems. It's also a real timesaver if you're prepping the fruit to make a roasted grape tart or creamy grape salad.

The most important thing to remember when using this hack is to have a gentle hand. Though perfectly ripe grapes are usually fairly firm and hard to smash, you still risk bursting good fruit if you massage the towel too roughly — or for too long. Rolling the bundle under your palms and between your fingers for a few minutes should easily separate most of the grapes from their stems. If you have a few stubborn hangers-on, it's best to pluck them individually rather than risk damaging the rest of the fruit.

Additionally, when preparing to use this technique, scan your bunch for deflated, mushy, or discolored grapes, removing as many as possible before you get started. This prevents the good fruits from getting covered in spoiled grape guck during destemming. You also don't have to use a tea towel if you don't have a clean one close by — a couple of slightly damp paper towels will do. Dampening them a little helps create the friction needed for this hack to work properly.

Once all of your grapes are de-stemmed, do a second scan for any suspicious-looking fruits you may have initially missed before rinsing them thoroughly to remove any dirt and germs from the grocery store. After all, you want to reserve only the best fruit to make your favorite pickled grapes for the next charcuterie board, or to freeze and enjoy as a cold snack on a hot summer day.