Candy Snaps™ Grapes
Estimated Inventory, 18 lbs : 0
This item was last sold on : 08/29/24
Description/Taste
Candy Snaps™ grapes are a small to medium-sized varietal growing in semi-loose bunches averaging 16 to 17 centimeters in diameter and 24 to 26 centimeters in length. Each grape is also small in size, around 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter, and has an oval, elliptical, to round shape. The dark red grapes have thin, taut, and smooth skin, covered in a blue-grey, waxy bloom that protects the fruits from moisture loss, early decay, and pests. Underneath the surface, the translucent red flesh is dense, firm, and aqueous, mainly found seedless or containing a few undeveloped and unnoticeable seeds. Candy Snaps™ grapes have an initially crisp consistency followed by an explosion of aromatic juice that flows from the flesh. The grapes contain high sugar and low acidity, creating a fruity, sweet, and subtly tart taste with tropical nuances reminiscent of strawberries, melons, and pineapple. Some consumers say the variety has a blend of labrusca and muscat grape flavors.
Seasons/Availability
Candy Snaps™ grapes are available in the early summer in California. The grapes are also grown in other locations in the northern and southern hemispheres, providing seasonal shipments throughout the year.
Current Facts
Candy Snaps™ grapes, botanically classified as a Vitis interspecific hybrid, are a specialty, early-season red grape variety belonging to the Vitaceae family. The cultivar was created in the early 21st century by International Fruit Genetics, or IFG, a grape breeding company specializing in innovative, improved grapes for fresh market consumption. Candy Snaps™ grapes were created using a method known as embryo rescue, meaning an emasculated flower is hand-pollinated. Individual grape embryos are then planted in special growing media until they are ready to be transplanted into the soil for full-scale production. This process is not considered GMO, as breeders simply select specific elements of the grape's nature to enhance flavor, a seedless nature, and coloring. Candy Snaps™ grapes are also known as IFG Twenty-One and are a type of table grape that was designed to have an intense, fruity sweetness, a firm but juicy texture, and the ability to maintain a dark red coloring throughout the entire season. The variety was intended to be a grape variety that could act as an alternative to eating candies with processed sugar in consumer markets.
Nutritional Value
Candy Snaps™ grapes are a source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, and antioxidants to protect the cells against the damage inflicted by free radicals. The grapes also provide fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, potassium to balance fluid levels in the body, and other nutrients, including manganese, B vitamins, magnesium, and iron.
Applications
Candy Snaps™ grapes have a crisp, juicy, and sweet nature suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The grapes are most popularly consumed as a table variety, eaten straight out of hand as a sweet snack. Candy Snaps™ grapes can also be tossed into salads, mixed into fruit bowls, halved and stirred into yogurt, combined into creamy dips, or kept whole in bunches and displayed on cheese boards as an elegant addition. The grape's sweet nature allows it to be mixed with tangier elements such as sour cream and consumed as a healthy dessert, sprinkled with brown sugar. Candy Snaps™ grapes can also be skewered and eaten as an appetizer, dipped in chocolate, or used as a topping for ice cream and sorbets. Beyond fresh preparations, Candy Snaps™ grapes can be blended into smoothies, frozen whole and served as an edible treat in drinks, or juiced and used for flavoring beverages. The grapes can also be roasted to develop a jam-like taste or simmered into sauces. Candy Snaps™ grapes pair well with fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, melons, and oranges, cheeses including blue, goat, and feta, nuts such as hazelnuts, pecans, and almonds, and herbs including rosemary, mint, and basil. Whole, unwashed Candy Snaps™ grapes will keep up to one week when stored in the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Dr. David Cain, fruit breeder and founder of International Fruit Genetics, was awarded the Wilder Medal in 2020 by the American Pomological Society. This prestigious honor was bestowed on Dr. Cain in recognition of his achievements and advancements in his 42-year fruit breeding career, especially in pomology. During his career, Dr. Cain helped develop over 66 varieties of table grapes and also bred improved cultivars of cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. Dr. Cain established International Fruit Genetics, or IFG, in 2001 as a passion project to help him complete several goals he had created as a seedless grape breeder. Over time, many of the varieties IFG has made have received widespread recognition, including Candy Snaps™ grapes for their tropical, fruity, and sweet taste. While Candy Snaps™ grapes are mostly sold as an individual variety, they are also a part of a specialty grape line produced and marketed by The Grapery® in Shafter, California. The novelty line is known as Gum Drop™ grapes, and three specific varieties are sold under this name. Candy Snaps™ grapes are the earliest variety sold in the season under the Gum Drop™ name, followed by Candy Hearts™ and Candy Dreams™ grapes.
Geography/History
Candy Snaps™ grapes were created in the early 21st century by breeder Dr. David Cain and his team of scientists at International Fruit Genetics in Bakersfield, California. The variety was developed from a hand-pollinated cross of two unnamed interspecific grapes in May 2006. After undergoing several specialized breeding processes, the first embryos from the cross were selected in April 2007 and chosen as a new plant variety in 2008. The grapevine was propagated by hardwood cuttings in December 2008 near Delano, Kern County, California, and was planted in the spring of 2009. The variety was initially named IFG 102-053 and IFG Twenty-One. In 2014, the cultivar was granted a US Plant Patent under USPP PP26541 and was eventually licensed to specific growers for commercial production. Today Candy Snaps™ grapes are grown by select farms and are cultivated in California, Peru, Brazil, and Spain for seasonal production.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Candy Snaps™ Grapes. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Rainbow Delicious |
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Candy Snaps Grapes with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar |
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