Sweet! It’s Cotton Candy grape season
August 10, 2021 | By Ann Trieger Kurland
The first bite of a Cotton Candy grape is a revelation: just like the sugary carnival treat for which they’re named, these grapes have pronounced vanilla and burnt caramel flavors. The fun fruit is a hybrid of Concord and green grapes, created through cross breeding (and are non-GMO) by horticulturist David Cain and his team in Bakersfield, Calif.
The resulting flavor was not intentional, says Jim Beagle, CEO at Grapery, the Bakersfield company that grows and ships the grapes.
Grapery introduced the Cotton Candy grape to the East Coast over five years ago. “The flavor has become even more pronounced and consistent over the years,” says Beagle. He explains that since the grapes are hand-harvested and the workers have also gained experience in choosing ones that have reached their peak, current yields have the most intense flavor.
