The fall slip skin grape harvest is on in the Shenadoah Valley. The Concord and the Niagara varieties of grapes are both North American in origin. Concords are blue in color, and do not have a reddish glow in the sunlight when ripe. It is a bit more difficult to tell when a Niagara berry is ripe. The berries actually turn from a green shade to a somewhat yellow color when ripe, and they are often referred to as a "white" grape.The amount of sugar in the Concord and Niagara berries continues to rise over the month of September. Both varities are very delicious to eat, great for making juice, jams, and jellies, and for making wine. Each variety has a unique flavor of its own. It's all a matter of taste as to which variety is your favorite.
What's a slip skin grape? Check the FAQs at Wengers.
Shameless Commerce Dept:
Today at Peter Jefferson Place Outpatient Care Center and tomorrow at the Martha Jefferson Hospital pick up, Retail Relay will have ultra-local fall fruit for sale. Come by for a sample and pick up a bag....
Slip-skin September Grapes!
Concord Grapes, from Wengers Grape Vineyard, Stuarts Draft -- Incredibly sweet, when popped in the mouth. Great for jellies and preserves. The best anti-oxidants! $2.49/ 1 lb container
Niagra White Grapes, from Wengers Grape Vineyard, Stuarts Draft -- Often called "white" grapes, fresh and delicious. $2.49/ 1 lb container
Big Red Apples
Big Red Apples, from Henley's Orchard in Crozet, are a winter-type apple -- sweet, crisp, firm. 1/2 Peck Bags, $5
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These things are so incredibly good. Why did it take me *so long* to learn about these types of grapes? And "slip skin" is such a perfect name for them. Radically different from the generic supermarket kind.
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