@Rusty Just curious, Rusty....did you buy them at an HEB? It was the only store in Austin where I could find the GumDrops.

@Rusty Just curious, Rusty....did you buy them at an HEB? It was the only store in Austin where I could find the GumDrops...or any of the other "specialty grapes."

I haven't seen them in Dallas. But we don't have an H.E.B. or the equivalent.

Hi, Sandi, yes, I got them at the HEB Plus in Corpus Christi. I'll check the HEB here tomorrow. I really did enjoy them, and would love some more. But I sure can't drive that far just for grapes! I also want to check for the other varieties mentioned here.

Joan, no HEB in Dallas? ? I had no idea, I thought everyone in Texas had at least one!

Rusty

No, HEB mostly doesn't go this far north. It is in one of the 'burbs between Dallas and Ft.W but don't remember which one.

About a month or so ago there was a major news break (wait - can news 'break'?) that HEB had bought I think it was 8 properties in Dallas. One of the properties used to be an Albertson's and then Sprouts. Not a big store but very close to my hood. So everyone gets really excited. Some people are saying they'll be happy with another Central Mkt. (Not me but that's a whole 'nother story.) Then it turns out that HEB was buying most of the properties so they could turn around and sell them to someone else.

Tom Thumb is the main player here but their stores aren't as big as the HEB that I used to shop at in Austin.

There's a short window of availability for the grapes. Last year they were only around for a few days. This year, a couple of weeks.

Got a bag of "Moon Drops" a couple days ago at the Frederick Wegman's, $2.99/pound. I really like them, but Joyanna says they are weird -- too sweet! I'm betting she gets over that...

I do wish the Moon Drops were a little less sweet but the flavor is good otherwise. There were still some Moon Drops at my local store a few days ago but they looked like they were ready for the compost heap.

Instead, I tried the 'Sweet Celebration' red, seedless grapes that were on sale for $1.99. Yuck! They were disgustingly sweet, bland flavor otherwise, and had a very high proportion of soft, overripe grapes (despite looking fine.) Definitely won't get these again.

Neither the HEB or the Walmart here has anything other than the usual 'ordinary' grapes. I was back in CC Monday, & the Super Plus HEB there still had the Moon Drop grapes. I came home with what is probably a lot more than I need. But it's not something I can get any old time, so I may as well 'pig out' on them while I can . They also had some green grapes labeled 'Emerald'. I snitched one, it was nothing special to my way of thinking. I was a bit disappointed they didn't have any of the other 'new' grapes mentioned here.

Rusty

I was in the store this morning & had forgotten all about this thread & the grapes discussed on it when the produce gal asked me if I liked cotton candy grapes. I said I had never heard of them - apparently I lied b/c I had heard of them on this very thread but had completely forgotten. Anyway, she was raving over how they tasted exactly like cotton candy & asked me if I would like to try some. I'm game for new things so replied yes even though the thought of cotton candy does not appeal to me at all in my older age. She washed some & brought them to me. I ate 2 right there & to me they only vaguely had a hint of cotton candy flavor at first. They were quite sweet and I thought maybe I didn't want them so totally sweet. However, it was 8am & one can't always rely on one's taste buds @ 8am so I brought the rest home & the dh & I will both try them again later today.
Meanwhile, I would be interested in hearing anyone's further thoughts on cotton candy grapes.

Taste testing has been completed on the cotton candy grapes. The dh & I both agree there is a certain taste of cotton candy at the very beginning & then there is just nice, sweet, green grape and then the finish has the hint of cotton candy. We both would prefer to not have the cotton candy flavor at all and just have some nice, sweet, green grapes.

Thanks for the "heads up," Ann! They're coming out earlier and earlier. I'll have to look for them at our grocery. 'Guess now that people are becoming aware of them, the grocers are ordering them earlier in the season.

Ann — That sounded like one of those wine reviews. Well done,

I tried the Cotton Candy grapes this week, was not impressed. I would rather have green seedless grapes (they cost less too).

Pssst...me again! I see HEB grocery has the Moon Drops grapes for $.98 per lb. That's quite a break in cost from a couple of years ago. I finally opened the weekly ad and saw the grapes on the front page. (Moon Drops used to be Witches Fingers).

I was just thinking about Witch's Fingers. A friend sent me a picture of the Witch's Fingers she made for their Y Group. They were cookies with almonds for fingernails. They weren't the grapes called Witch's Fingers. Shall we give everything Latin names so we don't get confused when people call things by their common name?

Some of the "older" gourmet grapes have definitely come down in price this year, others not so much. Supply & demand, I suppose, although I thought I'd read initially that Moon Drops aka Witch's Fingers grapes were pricey because they were vine-ripened and locally harvested (didn't travel well). Hmm.

"Cotton Candy" grapes were still $5 /pound around here this year.

Haven't seen the Cotton Candy grapes here yet this fall. 'Will look for them.

Candy Heart Grapes is a grape kind created by IFG Company that is also known for other varieties of specially created grape sorts.

You have probably heard of "Cotton Candy grapes" and "Moon Drop grapes," according to Andy Higgins, CEO of IFG,

They combine the Vitis vinifera with North American grapes like Vitis labrusca, which gives a lot of that kind of concord grape juice flavor essence into the fruit.

I have an article on Candy Heart Grapes on my Gardenfrontier Blog; I will post a link once I get
permission.
https://gardenfrontier.com/can...

Welcome to NGA!

Out of curiosity, do you know if those "modern" grape varieties were greated by cross-breeding or by direct genetic manipulation? I'm not anti-GMO, although certain modifications pose environmental and other issues (round-up ready wheat, Jurassic Park), so for me it's not a loaded question.