How to Peel a Grape
Peeling a grape can be tricky. Due to its minute size, round shape and slippery nature, grapes take a little practice to peel well. With a firm grip and a little patience, you can learn to peel grapes quickly and efficiently.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Select your weapon. You can peel grapes with a knife, peeler or fingernail. Experiment with all three methods to find which one works best for you.
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2
Wash the grapes thoroughly. They may contain pesticides or insect droppings on the skin. Even though you're removing the peel, you'll want to keep your hands and work surface clean.
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3
Grasp a grape between a thumb and forefinger. Most people use the left hand, but if you're left handed, use your right.
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4
Hold the knife or peeler with your fingers only, not with your fist. When you add your thumb, you add too much force to the grip. Peel grapes delicately and do not use too much force since this can ruin the grape or worse-deliver a nasty cut. If you choose to use fingernails rather than a peeler or knife, disregard this step and move on to Step 5.
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5
Start at the stem of the grape. Hook into the stem hole and peel the skin carefully toward you. When using bare hands, the thumbnail works best for this procedure. With most food, you must peel away from your body. Grapes are an exception. Because they're so small, they are more easily and safely peeled forward, rather than back.
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6
Turn the grape slightly to open up another area of skin. The peeled area reveals slippery grape flesh, so take care with your grip. Repeat this process, working around the grape, until you remove all of the skin.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Grape skin is easier to remove when blanched. Drop the grapes in scalding water for two seconds, drain, and douse with cold water. This loosens the outer skin making it separate more easily.
Small children should never use kitchen tools to peel grapes. For safety's sake, teach them the thumbnail method instead.
