March 29, 2024

Cotton Candy Grapes available in Newton

Marge Simpson once famously said, “Fruit is nature’s candy” in a classic episode of The Simpsons. Little did she know that modern day growers would take those sentiments to heart and thus Cotton Candy Grapes were created.

The grapes were created by the Grapery, a company based out of Bakersfield, Calif., that specializes in unique and high flavor grapes, such as Cotton Candy Grapes. Newton Hy-Vee Produce Manager Devin Schmidt said he became aware of them from the company’s corporate office.

“Every year, we come out with stuff, and we are always about new and upcoming products,” Schmidt said. “We always try to push the new stuff and the new rage, and I think we found one here.”

Schmidt’s assessment of the grapes popularity seemed to very accurate, as the shelves that house the product held a lot of empty spaces. This feat is especially impressive, as Cotton Candy Grapes cost $3.99 a pound, which is around $2 more than some of the less unique varieties of the fruit.

“It’s been around once every two weeks that I get them for right now,” Schmidt said. “They first came out last year, so the production isn’t up to demand yet. What you see in all your first crop stuff like the Honeycrisp Apples and the Holiday Grapes (is) they are so good the supply hasn’t met the demand yet. That’s why you see your prices go up a bit.”

Schmidt said the difficulty in growing the rare fruits and high demand is why the cost is much higher than standard fruits. He also said this is why it’s hard to know when the next shipment will be for the grapes.

While the sales for the grapes has been high, sometimes figures and people’s taste buds don’t always match up. Schmidt said this has not been an issue with the Cotton Candy Grapes.

“Almost everyone that’s tried them has loved them,” he said. “I haven’t really heard one person complain about them or not like the taste. It’s almost 100 percent positive feedback.”

Staff writer Ty Rushing may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 426, or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.