How to Harvest Grapes in the Fall

Grapes should be full and sweet before harvesting starts.

Knowing when grapes are ready to pick is the first essential step in the harvesting process. Even though they may appear ripe, take the taste test first to ensure they are sweet and ready to eat. This is crucial because unlike many other fruits, such as bananas, grapes will not continue to ripen once they are picked. A mature grape is full-size and yields slightly to the touch, and should be sweet and full in flavor.

Things You'll Need

• Crate or flat container
• Gloves
• Hat
• Small, sharp shears
• Mechanical harvester

Instructions

Handpicking

1. 

   Grapes are picked gently by hand using sharp shears.

   Grapes can be picked by hand. The harvester uses sharp shears or a knife to remove the clusters of grapes from the vine. The shears should be well-oiled and should fit the picker's hand proportionately to avoid unnecessary strain. Pull the cluster away from the vine and with the other hand, clip it off with the shears, leaving a bit of stem to pick up the cluster. The harvested grapes should be stored either in a flat wooden crate or in perforated plastic bags.

2. 

   Sharp shears are often favoured over mechanical harvesters.

   Grapes that are grown specifically for making juice are sometimes harvested mechanically. These machines have arms that pivot horizontally to dislodge the grapes or use vibrating fingers to remove the grapes from the clusters. The grape clusters drop onto a conveyer belt that moves them along to a nearby tractor bearing a large crate. While mechanical harvesters can be useful, they are not as efficient as the hand harvester if the vineyard is on a steep slope.

3. 

   Grapes will stay fresh for two months if refrigerated.

   Once grapes are harvested, either by hand or machine, they should be kept out of direct sunlight if at all possible. Fresh grapes that are packed in perforated plastic bags will keep fresh for up to two months in a refrigerator.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension; Growing Grapes for Home Use; Emily Hoover, et al.; 2008
• Iowa State University Extension; Harvesting Grapes; Richard Jauron; July 27, 2005

Resources

• Mark's Fruit Crops; Grapes -- Vitis Spp.; Mark Rieger