Fruits
Grape in gelato
Grape is a fresh fruit whose flesh is roughly 80% water and 16% sugar, split almost evenly between glucose and fructose. In gelato and sorbetto it adds delicate sweetness and, thanks to its invert-like sugar profile, a strong softening (anti-freezing) effect.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 20% |
| Water | 80% |
| Sugars | 16% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0.7% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 20 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 30 |
Typical use: 25-45% as the fruit base of a sorbetto; lower (10-20%) when used as a flavor accent or ripple in a milk-based gelato.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Use grape as a fresh puree or clarified juice in sorbetto, typically as the main fruit. Because its sugars are almost entirely glucose and fructose (each PAC ~190) with negligible sucrose, grape carries a high PAC (~30) relative to its POD (~20), so it lowers the freezing point and keeps the sorbet scoopable and soft. Account for this extra anti-freezing power by trimming added dextrose/invert to avoid an over-soft, slushy body. Its mild flavor benefits from a touch of acidity (lemon or tartaric) and can be intensified with concentrated must.
Origin & background
Grapes (Vitis vinifera) are among the oldest cultivated fruits, domesticated in the South Caucasus and Near East over 6,000 years ago; the USDA classifies the common seedless table grape as the European type such as Thompson Seedless.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Grapes,_raw,_red_or_green_(European_type,_such_as_Thompson_seedless)_nutritional_value.html
- https://api.nal.usda.gov/fdc/v1/food/174682 (USDA FoodData Central, Grapes, american type slip skin, raw)
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10288860/ (Comprehensive metabolomics-based analysis of sugar composition in berries of 18 grape varieties, Front. Plant Sci. 2023)
- https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/174683/wt1