I have been buying the green ones lately...they have been really, really sweet

and big. The red ones here have been really tiny, and I haven't tried them.

Actually I too have bought two large boxes at Sams recently and they were big, juicy and sweet.

just bought on Tuesday, they were big, juice and sweet. this is grape season, so they should be at their best.

The ones I bought yesterday in a container of mixed fresh fruit were sour. Maybe they put the seconds into those expensive little packages.

I wish I could find some good ones. You cannot even taste one because they are sealed up.

The ones I got a few weeks ago were big and pretty but tasted on the sour side. I don't remember their origin, maybe it was Mexico or California? It wasn't Chile or Peru.

Noticed this as well, my last couple of red grape purchases have been quite disappointing. We are in So Cal and the grapes were grown in California.

Could the bitterness have to do with the California wildfires?

My boys love grapes. I often, a few times a week send a small container of cheese and grapes to school with them for **bring your own snack day** Last week they both told me something was wrong with the grapes. They didn't enjoy them at all Yes they were red grapes (cheapest last week). Glad I only bought a handful.

I've noticed this happens occasionally with all types of grapes and wonder if its caused from picking to soon than artificially ripening them.

The table grape growing area is centered around Delano though it's not exclusively there. The nearest fire was up near Yosemite, more than 100 miles away. Though, the summer air quality in the entire Central Valley (from Redding to south of Bakersfield) is never very good and it's plausible the fire smoke spread and lingered.

Edit to add

Forgot to mention - maybe it's just that particular farm, that batch. Try buying a different source at a different store.

I have some in the fridge right now that are big and juicy and sweet. I always try one before buying. A month or so ago I didn't buy because they were not sweet.

I eat grapes for lunch almost every day. The red grapes I've bought are all nice and sweet and juicy. I do always taste one grape before buying!

Just bought some red ones to see. :) They aren't as good as I have had, but

these are bigger and not sour. BTW...has anyone tried the "Cotton Candy Grapes"? They are delicious, but I can't remember the season they are

available...it is short, and we kind of got them by accident. (Just googled them..here

is a link if you have never tried them. Looks like they may be done for this year).

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cotton-candy-grapes

Maybe they have been picked before they were ripe.

I tried the Cotton Candy variety and didn't care for the flavor.

The season? All grapes, whether for the table or wine, grow through the summer. Table grapes start getting picked earlier (to supply to markets), and there are early varieties for that reason, and wine grapes are left to grow untill late summer/early fall. Depending on the variety, some are harvested earlier than others. The sugar and acid readings are monitored until the points spec'ed by the winemaker are reached. I think wine vineyards are harvested completely at once.

I haven't bought grapes in probably 2-3 years because they've been awful but this year the green grapes have been really sweet and juicy. I haven't heard about any grape crop issues but maybe there have been.

Our red grapes are delicious. Although I can’t eat more than like 3 without feeling extremely sick and nauseas, I sometimes sneak one or two because super small amounts don’t make me feel horribe. The kids love grapes so we get some every week.

In the stores where I regularly buy groceries, grapes are sold in large but open zippered bags. You do not have to buy the whole bag - you can take what you want and put into a separate plastic bag that gets weighed. I do always taste one. I can't remember which of the GW forums had a heated argument about tasting a grape but some people thought it was unconscionable to cheat the store out of an eaten grape.

Better that, I say, than to cheat me out of a bunch of inedible sour ones...

Elmer, this has been going on for a while now and I have tried buying them at different store. I used to buy my grapes at ALDI and they were always so delicious...not really pretty but they tasted great. But then they only had bitter ones, I was taking them back all the time so I gave up on ALDI and tried other places...it's been hit or miss for about a year now.

We've been eating grapes weekly for the past few months ... red, black, and green. All organic and except for one slightly sour green batch all delicious!

I'm jealous of you all with your yummy grapes! HAHAHA!

Last time I bought some yes. They were awful.

I'm sorry, ark-g. It's getting near the end of the season too. Maybe you'll find some.

Through, with modern trade and transportation, I'm sure grapes from the southern hemisphere will be along before too long. Chile has ag regions with climates very similar to California's and they grow they same varieties of table grapes. You probably know that many "farms" in Mexico, Central America, and South America are operated by or contracted to American companies to provide them with product for much of the year.

Anyone have any ideas of what would cause that bitterness? I hope it's not toxins! :O

Here's one possibility with a solution:

http://naturesnurtureblog.com/how-to-wash-grapes-the-right-way/

nannygoat, that was the blog that I found and washed the grapes like she suggested. I didn't find that it made any difference and I even went a step further and washed each grape at a time...HA! Still bitter as gall...

I haven't noticed any bitter ones, and I don't know if this will be of help to anyone, but I buy grapes a lot and this is how I tell if they are going to be any good. I never taste them in the store. I don't have to. If you feel a grape and it feels firm, it will be sweeter than those that feel soft. The same is true for cherries. On green grapes, the ones with a slightly yellow cast will be sweeter. Never buy those sealed up where you can't touch them. If you look at the stem end, you can see they aren't as fresh.

The one thing I am ultra picky about is food. I don't mind paying for quality but I hate buying something that turns out bad.

our last batch of black grapes were YUCK! Just plain yucky... not really bitter. Now we have red ones, and those are delish.

I just bought a new batch at a different store, on sale for 99 cents a lb and these are fantastic! I was able to taste one first but they still had it all sealed up but there was a hole for a handle on the side that I was able to get one out of. I think they are beginning to seal them up tight so we won't taste if they are gross and bitter! HA!