Cotton Candy grapes have meet their peer .
My husband come home from the store one twenty-four hours with a 3 - Cypriot pound container of Candy Hearts , a kind of grape that we had never tried before — and my family fall in love . It ’s not often that a piece of yield gets the three of us so elicit up . These red grapes had a odoriferous , flowered aroma and distinct feeling . Why had I never seen Candy Hearts grape vine before ?
What Are Candy Hearts Grapes?
Candy Hearts are a specialty grape create by International Fruit Genetics ( IFG ) . You reckon it — this is the same group that bring the cosmos sweet Cotton Candy grapes and Moon Drop grapes . “Candy Hearts is like a 2nd cousin to Cotton Candy , " said Andy Higgins , chief executive officer of IFG . Candy Hearts have some similar parents as Cotton Candy grapes do .
" What we ’ve been doing with Cotton Candy and Candy Hearts and some of our other candy varieties is merge theVitis vinifera[European grapes ] with North American grapes likeVitis labrusca , which gives a plenty of that sort of Concord grapevine juice flavor heart into the fruit , " Higgins said .
The first small planting ( only 5 acres in California ) of Candy Hearts was in 2014 , so this grapeshot did n’t make California markets until 2017 , Higgins said .
Credit: Courtesy of Sheena Chihak
What Do Candy Hearts Grapes Taste Like?
Confession : I ’m horrible at identifying spirit notes . I can find out ingredients within a formula by tasting moderately well , but key out the flavor of an ingredient baffles me . The folks at IFG say the grapes are relish - forward ( possess a dominant savour ) , with hints of Concord grapevine succus flavor and floral essence . The packaging for my Candy Hearts mentioned a suggestion of bird flavor , too .
" Bold , complex yield - forward flavor for the cognoscente of ok yield . "
— International Fruit Genetics
Credit: Courtesy of IFG
And harmonise to the 17 - year - old in our firm , Candy Hearts are " even better than Cotton Candy [ grapes ] . " I found myself easily gobbling a bowlful of Candy Hearts and enjoying them more than Cotton Candy grape .
" Cotton Candy is a very strong , familiar flavor profile and kids love it , " said Higgins . But adult will eat a handful , not a bagful or a bowlful . " While we ’re mad about [ Cotton Candy ] , and we sell more Cotton Candy today than we do Candy Hearts , we do know that the palate for Candy Hearts is much broader and much more applicable across all geezerhood groups , " he said .
When and Where Can I Find Candy Hearts Grapes?
Higgins read their goal is yr - round admission to the assortment . " When the harvest season is over in the northern hemisphere , IFG has fruit arriving from its commissioned growers in the southern cerebral hemisphere , including Peru , Brazil , and Chile , " he said .
Keep your eye peeled on your next foodstuff run so you’re able to stock up .
The universe of grapes is expanding . Higgins enounce IFG is working on several more " confect " variety show . " It ’s not just red , unripe , and bleak anymore , " he suppose .
“ Cotton Candy grapes . ” International Fruit Genetics ( IFG ) .
“ Fruit Quality — How Do Fruit Get Their Flavor?”Penn State Extension .
“ Candy Hearts . ” International Fruit Genetics ( IFG ) .
