Showing posts with label Blue Concord Grapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Concord Grapes. Show all posts

Concord Grapes Can Improve Your Memory and Fight Cancer

The purple power of the grape - especially the Concord grape - is becoming increasingly well known for the positive effects it can have on our health. The dark purple grape juice purchased in grocery stores comes from Concord grapes, and this robust, aromatic grape can help increase the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables that many of us lack. Concord grape juice is available all year round, but this is the perfect time of year to look for Concord grapes in your grocery store or at the farmers' market, as they are in season from late summer to autumn.


Although commercial grape production dates back to 1000 BC, the Concord grape made its debut in 1849 when Boston-born Ephraim Wales Bull developed the Concord grape, named after the village of Concord in Massachusetts. Since then, the variety has been an eternal favorite, from drinking the juice to enjoying the jams and jellies made from it, to eating the whole grape.


How to Grow Blue Concord Grapes


After cultivating and experimenting for years, Ephraim Bull developed the Concord grape around 1850 in Concord, Massachusetts. The parent plant of all Concord grapes still grows at his home site today. The blue Concord grape (Vitis labrusca "Concord"), flavorful and juicy, is one of the most popular American grapes. It is a major source of commercial grape juice. Blue Concord grapes are easy to grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. The vines are cold-tolerant and easier to grow than many European grape varieties. The homeowner who wants to grow Concord grapes does not need much land. Grapes can be planted next to fences, trellises and arbors. The grape vines are decorative, and can serve as a privacy screen in summer. Concord grapes are great eaten fresh, or made into juice, jams, jellies or wine.