11 Augrapes 2019 : Blog

We only eat a few grapes this month to give us a symbolic taste of “Augrapes.” Even with the money saved from giving up cigarettes, buying out of season grapes can quickly damage the improved budget.

The pressure to purchase more grapes than we want or need by unreasonable supermarket packaging practices is a challenge to work on, constantly. We pay per kilogram, there is absolutely no need to purchase nearly a whole kilogram if we only want about one half of a kilogram. Therefore I think it is perfectly acceptable to remove up to even half of the grapes, one of two clusters for example, from one bag and place them in another bag. This sort of assertiveness does develop, slowly. If you don’t feel comfortable about doing that it would be possible to ask a shop assistant to do it for you, as an interim step, if there are too many in the bag. That way about the right amount of grapes will arrive home.

Sometimes the packaging of the grapes mentions that they have been treated with a gaseous spray to make them last longer. This makes it very important to give them a good rinse under the cold water tap. I like to change the bowl any leftover grapes are in each day. It helps them to last and makes them look more appealing.