Grapes are small berries with a peppy flavour! They are oval-shaped or round, with a smooth skin and translucent flesh. The surface seems to have a powdery, white protective coating. There are three common varieties of grapes: table grapes, wine grapes and raisin/ dry grapes. They come in varied colours like green, red, bluish black and purple. In general, grapes have a slightly crunchy texture and a dry, sweet and tart taste. When grapes are dried, they are processed into raisins, currants or sultanas.
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• Select grapes that are intact and firmly attached to a healthy looking stem. It should be without wrinkles and blemishes, cuts and leaking juices.
• Select from various varieties available as per recipe requirements.
Culinary Uses of grapes, angoor, draksh in Indian Cooking
juices using green grapes
Although you can pop in any combination of fruits into the hopper and turn out a healthy glassful, it helps to choose fruits that balance each other, so you can avoid adding sugar. That perfect balance is what makes the Muskmelon, Apple and Green Grapes Juice a super hit! Energy-giving yet fibre-rich, this one is a great choice for weight-watchers too. When grapes are not in season, you can add orange or sweet lime for tang.
2. Apple and grape juice : Some fruits taste even better when blended together. Apples add body to grape juice while a dash of lemon makes the combination even more refreshing. Go easy on the sugar if the grapes are already too sweet.
salads using green grapes
1. Chock-full of nutritious foods ranging from fruits (grapes, oranges, watermelon) and sprouts to paneer, this Anti-Aging Breakfast Platter gives you a good mix of nutrients, flavours and textures.
The ingredients are quite balanced too. The fruits give you loads of vitamins and fibre, especially vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps slow the process of aging.
2. Cabbage and grape salad : An interesting combination of cabbage and grapes. Cabbage gives a nice crunch to this salad; the grapes give a sweet sour taste and the green chillies gives a little spice to this salad. So make this crunchy, sweet and spicy salad for your loved one’s…
• Because of their exciting flavour and crunch, grapes are a much-loved snack.
• They are used whole or chopped in fruit and vegetable salads. Combine with dressings of your choice to enhance the flavour. An acidulated cream dressing goes very well with a grape salad.
• Grapes are widely used in the production of wine. Exotic varieties of grapes are used to make special wines like white wines, red wines, rose wines, etc.
• Grapes are a classic addition to cheesy snack platters that include an assortment of cheese, crackers and fruits.
How to store grapes, angoor, draksh
• Always wash under cold running water before consumption or use in recipes.
• Before storing, pat dry or drain off excess water in a colander.
• If you are not consuming the whole bunch at once, remove from the stem and store in the refrigerator.
Health benefits of grapes, angoor, draksh
1. Loaded with antioxidants : Our body is under continuous stress and exposure to pollution. This leads to the accumulation of free radicals in the body. We need to get rid of them to stay healthy and disease free. ‘Antioxidants’ are the most effective way to achieve this target. They help in scavenging the harmful free radicals and reduce the oxidative stress in our body.
While green grapes abound in vitamin C as a source of antioxidant, the black variety also is rich in ‘anthocyanins’ that give them their colour. Both these antioxidants are present in highest amounts just beneath the skin. Thus it is advisable to wash the grapes thoroughly and enjoy them.
2. Beneficial for Heart : The flavonoid quercetin found in grapes helps to reduce the risk of heart diseases and prevents the onset of stroke. Resveratrol is another antioxidant that grapes possess, which helps to reduce oxidative stress and keeps the arteries and linings of the heart healthy. Additionally this antioxidant, especially from the black grapes, has also been known to decrease blood cholesterol levels.
3. Help Lower Blood Pressure : With not too high a sodium count to its credit coupled with good levels of potassium (5.7% per cup), grapes contain the necessary minerals to maintain blood pressure. Low intakes of potassium have often been linked to poor control of blood pressure and strokes.
Click here to know more about the 9 Health Benefits of Grapes.
Nutritive Information for Green Grapes:
1 Cup of grapes is about 140 grams
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Energy - 99 calories
Protein – 0.7 g
Carbohydrate – 23.1 g
Fat – 0.4 g
Fiber – 1.7 g
Vitamins:
15.1 mg of Vitamin C = 37.8% of RDA (about 40 mg)
Minerals:
28 mg of Calcium = 2.8% of RDA (about 1000 mg)
114.8 mg of Magnesium = 32.5% of RDA (about 350 mg)
267.4 mg of Potassium = 5.7% of RDA (about 4700 mg)
42 mg of Phosphorus = 7% of RDA (about 600 mg)
Glycemic Index of Green Grapes
Grapes has a Glycemic Index of 53 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 55 are low GI, 56 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Fruits like Grapes have a medium GI and hence consume in moderation.
Chopped grapes
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Wash the grapes well to remove the dust and dirt. In order to chop grapes, place them on a chopping board and cut each grape into halves vertically using a sharp knife. Now make vertical slits on each halve, arrange the strips together and make horizontal slits to get chopped grapes. The slits can be made finely or thickly to get finely chopped/ roughly chopped grapes as per recipe requirement. Chopped grapes are usually used as toppings on fruit tarts or as an edible garnish on desserts.
Grape halves
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Wash the grapes well to remove the dust and dirt. Take a few grapes and place them on a chopping board. Take a grape and using a sharp knife cut it across the board from the center to get two equal halves. Use as required.
Sliced grapes
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Wash the grapes well to remove the dust and dirt. Take a few grapes and place them on a chopping board. Take a grape and cut into 2 halves vertically using a sharp knife. Make vertical slits on each halve to get sliced grapes. Make the slits as required to get finely sliced or roughly sliced grapes. Sliced grapes are used mainly as toppings on desserts.