If you’ve bought a punnet of grapes and then discovered that they are covered in brown spots, you might be pretty annoyed. Grapes are expensive, and these brown spots look unappetizing – but can you eat them?
Perhaps surprisingly, grapes with brown spots are often safe to eat. If the brown spots are small and the grape still feels firm and juicy, it should be fine to eat. It’s best to throw away any grapes that are mushy, very brown, or wet, however, as moldy grapes can cause food poisoning if they are eaten.
We’re going to use this article to check out the various causes of brown spots on your grapes, and to help you determine whether you should eat them or not.
What Causes Brown Spots On Grapes?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of potential causes of brown spots developing on grapes, and it isn’t always easy to tell what’s responsible. Potential problems include:
- Insect damage
- Bacterial damage
- Fungal infections
- Measles
- Blight
- Poor growing conditions
Some of these will cause more damage than others, but you won’t always be able to tell what has created brown spots on your grapes. The different causes may not be visibly very different; they all cause brown speckles to appear across the grape.
In most cases, if you buy grapes in a store, any bad ones will be filtered out before they are put on the shelves, but this doesn’t always happen. It can be easy to miss the spots until you get them home.
Fortunately, you don’t need to determine which of these caused the spots on the grapes to appear – none of them should automatically make the grapes inedible. They may slightly reduce the flavor and the nutrients available, but this is usually all they do. In most cases, you should be able to eat them, so let’s look at that next.
Is It Safe To Eat Grapes With Brown Spots?
Most of the time, grapes with brown spots are fine to consume, but there are a few things you should check first. Moldy grapes could make you sick, so it’s always a good idea to wash them and inspect them before you put them in your mouth.
First, do a visual inspection and see how bad the spots are. If they are very dark or if there are a lot of them, compost the grape instead of taking the risk.
You should also gently squeeze the grape. It should feel firm and juicy under your fingers, but shouldn’t give much. It certainly shouldn’t feel squishy, or leak juice (unless you squeeze it hard). This would indicate that the cells inside had begun to break down, in which case, you shouldn’t eat it. If the grape is still firm, it’s probably fine to eat.
Next, check the smell of the grape. Most fresh grapes have minimal odor until you bite into them, although you might detect a faint, sweet, fruity scent. If you can smell vinegar, acidity, mustiness, or any other unpleasant odors, you need to compost the grapes.
Similarly, if the grape has an unpleasant flavor, spit it out and compost the rest.
It’s also important to inspect the grape for any mold growing on its surface. This will often be around the end of the grape, where it meets the stem, but it may also grow anywhere that the skin has been broken. Moldy grapes should not be eaten; discard them instead.
Can You Stop Grapes From Turning Brown?
There isn’t usually much you can do to prevent brown discoloration on your grapes. This discoloration usually occurs during the growing and fruiting process, not while the grapes are stored in your home. Although you should always handle the fruit gently to avoid bruising, you can’t usually prevent brown spots from appearing on your grapes.
However, you can look out for them in the store. Always carefully inspect produce before you buy it, and avoid grapes that look excessively brown. A few light brown spots can be ignored, but don’t buy any that look like they might be unsafe to eat.
If you are growing your own grapes and you find brown spots on them, it is worth taking the time to figure out what’s causing them. For example, are you watering your grapes too infrequently? This can cause spotting, as grape vines are sensitive to a lack of water. You should look out for signs of pests, too, and treat the grapes accordingly.
Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of blight and measles, and take action if you think your grapes are at risk of these.
Conclusion
There are lots of things that can cause brown spots on grapes, but they are generally still safe to eat, provided the spots are minor. If there are a lot of spots, or if you can see other signs of decay, compost the grapes rather than consuming them.
Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.
