There are some days when I’ve asked myself, “Where have I been? How come I didn’t know about this?” This past week was one of those times. At Ralphs, I stumbled upon Cotton Candy grapes, distributed by Grapery of Shafter, California. They are seasonal, but so delicious.
While it seems crazy to think that grapes could taste like cotton candy, these do, especially at room temperature. Their packaging states, “These crisp, all-natural grapes vary in color from golden yellow to bright green and taste just like that famous pink spun sugar treat. And we guarantee – no sticky fingers!”
So what’s the backstory? Cotton Candy grapes were developed by David Cain, a fruit geneticist and founder of International Fruit Genetics (IFG) in Bakersfield, California. To obtain the cotton candy flavor, he cross-pollinated various types of grapes. The process took over twelve years to grow a hundred thousand plants to perfect the flavor.
In 2010, Cain’s company patented the grape and began licensing it to Grapery and other growers in different parts of the world. They are currently available in Peru, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Australia, to name a few locations.
Across the US, they are sold at grocery and big-box locations, including some Sam’s, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Ralphs, and Whole Foods stores. They have been for sale, seasonally, for at least the last few years, but I had never noticed.
I bought two packages of them this week. FYI – The flavor of cotton candy was less obvious in the package from Whole Foods. Those from Ralphs were less expensive and much tastier.
As you can imagine, there are many steps involved in Grapery’s growing process. After the grape trees are planted in rich soil, a unique, Y-shaped trellis system is set up to lift them off the ground. Irrigation helps them grow in the hot Central Valley of California. The wires on each trellis are adjusted from time to time to train the grapes to lean in a certain direction. Shade cloth is used over each trellis. With a lower leaf temperature because of the shade cloth, the result is a higher sugar content in the grapes.
In addition to the cotton candy-flavored grapes, I found out that Grapery sells other flavors and shapes. I did buy some of the Gumdrops this week. I wouldn’t say they taste like gumdrops, but they do taste like grape popsicles.
I learned online that Grapery sells three different types of Gumdrops. The Candy Snaps, which taste like strawberries, are available in July. Then the Candy Hearts appear in grocery stores, starting in mid-August. They are the crispest with a muscat flavor, much like regular table grapes. Lastly, the Candy Dreams are the ones I purchased this week. Their availability begins in late August.
If you have a chance, do try them. As one grape enthusiast says, “grapes are the new candy.”
Karleen,
I will have to check these out . .
While at the local farmers market – I asked a vendor and a few customers to name their sweetest tasting fruit. Popular answers were mango and peach. . . . .. but for me – it’s a grape! I have tasted a lot of sweet fruits . . but some grapes are crazy sweet. I imagine they must have a high sugar content. Had a batch once, that I was afraid the feed my children in fear they’d be bouncing off the walls!
Yes, the Cotton Candy and the Gumdrop grapes do have a higher sugar content. If someone is watching carb intake, these might not be the best choice. They are so good, though.