I didn’t realize this was actually a somewhat big issue and has been for a couple of years, but organic farmers are using spiders for pest control in their grape vineyards. That means if you buy a bunch of grapes you might find cobwebs on them. And then you might find a spider.
I found one today washing some green grapes I bought a couple days ago. The bag didn’t say that it was organic. They’re seedless grapes from a company called Sun World and from the brief glimpse of their website they don’t say anything about being organic, but I’m pretty sure organic or not, you’ll find a spider in your grapes anyway.
Luckily, it wasn’t a black widow.
I always wash my grapes. My parents have a method of washing them and I’ve learned to do. First dose it with cold water and then use salt and wash them, finally rinse again. Some food boards recommend using warm water, so I guess I’ll add that to my list of things to do when washing them.
Tags: spiders in my grapes
June 21st, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I reckon the spiders you find on fruits aren’t going to hurt you. Black widows like to hang out in dark places like toolsheds and crawlspaces. So do brown recluses, which like cardboard boxes. Also, I didn’t know this, but brown recluse bites aren’t all that bad. Most fatalities are small kids, and they don’t bite you unless you press them up against their skin. Like if they’re in your towel or something. (I’m going to look out for those little bastards next time I move!) Funnelwebs like compost bins, at least the one that lived in my mom’s did.
Mostly, poisonous spiders like to be in places where people won’t mess with them. So they don’t really hang out on food.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:37 pm
That’s good to know. I ended up washing the grapes a few times and they’re good to go. I’ve heard nasty things about brown recluse spiders or black windows and I’d like to never run into one.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Yeah. I’ve heard horror stories about them, too but aparently, there isn’t even a known population in California. It’s just urban legend. I saw lots of black widows as a kid…my dad would show them to me when he found one in the shed. Never saw a brown recluse, though.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I came across this today when I was trying to find out what kinds of spiders like to hang out on grapes. I found one in my grapes last night but there was no web and it didn’t have any friends with it. Thank goodness! It was black and fuzzy and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it before. I didn’t get a good look at it’s underside because my husband insisted on smashing it. When I clean my grapes I pull them off the stem and rinse them in a strainer with cold water. I’m thinking I might get them out of the fridge and use some dish soap on them too. Just in case.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:45 am
I haven’t found any spiders lately, but I do check the bag of grapes for anything that looks like cobwebs or spiders before I buy to minimize any nasty surprises I get when I get home. I still use salt to clean the grapes. I can’t say if that really helps or not. I also submerge all the grapes in water as soon as they get out of the bag to drown any of the nasty guys. Just in case.