The Benefits Of Growing Grapes In Your Backyard

While a lot of people are growing grapes in their backyard as a hobby, many still do not realize that it does have a number of benefits. The most obvious benefit has to do with money, in which growers can either save or earn money from the grapes they grow in their garden. What is more important though is the fact that growing grapes actually has health benefits as long as growers consume them, of course.

As you push a grocery cart down the isle of a local grocery store to buy grape products such as grape jelly, juice, and wine, you will notice that they come at a relatively expensive price. You may be able to afford them every once and a while but frequently stocking them in your fridge may prove to be too luxurious for wallet. Even regularly buying bunches of grapes to serve to your family at the dinner table is too expensive. But if you are growing grapes in your backyard, you will spare yourself from all this expense and be able to constantly fill up your fridge with home-grown grapes and home-made grape products.

The type of products that you can make with home-grown grapes depends on the variety that you are growing. Some grape varieties are able to produce red wine (red grapes), while others can be used to make white wine (white grapes). These varieties can't be eaten raw though. There are also grape varieties that could be served fresh for raw eating (table grapes) and still be used to make grape juice and jelly. The most versatile varieties - whether classified as white, red, or table grapes - can be used to make home-made wines, juice and jelly, as well as be eaten fresh off the vine.

When growing grapes in your backyard then, a smarter decision is to grow the more versatile breeds. It really depends on what you will be using the grapes for. If you are growing grapes only to make wine, as this is the most expensive by-product of grapes, then it would be best for you to grow wine grapes for the best-tasting home-made wine. On the other hand, if you only want to satisfy your children's appetite for peanut butter and jelly and grape juice, table grapes are the best varieties that you can grow because of their naturally sweet taste.

As a grape grower, you also have the option of selling your grapes right after you harvest them. Growing grapes is a tedious process that can be pricey at the beginning. Selling your first two harvests may be able to make up for these expenses and earn your family a few extra dollars to splurge with or save.

Better and improved health has to be the best benefits of growing grapes in your backyard. A popularized version of how grapes can be beneficial is the said effects of red wine on the heart. In two studies published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in their July issue, researchers from the University of Ulm in Germany found that the resveratrol found in red grapes effectively protects against heart disease. The study also verified that resveratrol is good in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes type 2.

You don't have to make wine out of the grapes growing in your backyard to enjoy the health benefits of grapes. According to experts, resveratrol is found in the skin of all grape varieties. Eating them raw, therefore, will not affect their significant impact on your and your family's health. Aside from the disease-fighting resveratrol, grapes are also rich in antioxidants which can come in handy when you need a boost in your immune system or if you want to delay the aging of your body.

Growing grapes in your backyard definitely has a lot of benefits. Undeniably, growing grapes is a win-win situation that will benefit not only you but your family as well.