freezing grapes

[winemaker81]

@VinesnBines and I are discussing freezing grapes -- for the folks that freeze them, what containers do you use for the process? 2 gallon ziplock bags don't hold much.

 

[Ohio Bob]

@VinesnBines and I are discussing freezing grapes -- for the folks that freeze them, what containers do you use for the process? 2 gallon ziplock bags don't hold much.

This probably isn’t the same quantity of fruit, but I picked over 100lbs of blackberries, usually a couple of pounds per day. I use 4 cup plastic food containers with the resealable lid. Don’t need the name brand like ZL, I go to family $ or $ general. This system works for me because the containers stack in the freezer, could be easily vacuum packed if you want long term storage.

Someone in the past year mentioned crushing fruit, then freezing it. This would greatly reduce the quantity needed as compared to whole grapes/clusters.

 

[VinesnBines]

I wish I had a chest freezer or industrial size. Then I could freeze crushed grapes in buckets. Hopefully in the future but for Bryan’s 150 lbs of Vidal, a chest freezer is not an option.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

I've kept the buckets from previously purchased juices (6 gal). I only freeze reds. I crush, acid balance, sugar correct (if required), add SO2 then freeze in those buckets. Upon slowly thawing, there's an automatic extended cold soak. I can make wine with grapes on my schedule (usually hectic time for me on the vineyard's schedule).

 

[bearpaw8491]

I use 1 gal. ziplock freezer bags to freeze our muscadines. One bag will hold aprox 5 lbs. Not sure how this would work for regular Vitis vinifera; remember muscadine come off as single berries and not in clusters. Usually by the end of harvest, Ms Paw has told me if I put one more bag of 'dines in her freezer, her people will be in touch with my people!!