Sampling Grapes in the Grocery Store

I don't sample them, no reason in particular. But the firmer the grape the sweeter... I've developed a 'gentle squeeze' technique, lol

TECHNICALLY it's stealing. HOWEVER, I don't think there is a person in the world that will sue you for "stealing" one grape. I think it's fine if you sample a grape from the bag before you buy it.

The only problem I have with sampling a grape in the store is it is dirty. But, I have sometimes tried one anyway after at least taking a cloth or tissue and cleaning it as best I can.

There is nothing wrong with trying one grape, trying a bunch is shoplifting. :p

Okay so finally got a chance to read other responses. Have any of you ahhhhhh bad stealing one grape people ever asked the produce guy, can I sample a grape to make sure they are good? They will actually pull off a bunch and give it to you. They want happy customers not people who go home with bad produce, don't have the time to return it, and that negative taints their opinion of the store forever.

If you ask they will cut up melons for you to try and a fair few other things.

The bonus to the store is they know right away if they have bad produce so they can pull it and return it themselves. Oh, yeah, if you do try and have a bad grape tell the produce department so they can take care of it. No one is in the business of selling bad produce.

Oh and if your store doesn't allow sampling find another store because I would be wondering what they are hiding.

You should feel bad! My hubby was a produce manager for years. He had to keep his shrink under 2%. Shrink is what they call stuff that is gone that they can't account for. (mostly theft.) His shrink was constantly at 6% because so many people were "sampling", he could have lost is job so that someone didn't end up with sour grapes.
ETA its also bad to let your kid eat a banana then expect the cashier to be able to ring it up, its sold by the pound! Congrats your kid gets a free banana. and for all you saying its only ONE grape. If everyone in the store took only one grape, do you have any idea how many grapes that adds to?

I don't sample unless they have a bunch on a plate set out for sampling.
If I am doubtful about the quality or tast of the grapes, I eat one after they have been weighed at the cash register. If they are "bad" or "not good enough", I tell the cashier to put them back and why I don't want them.

My mom was an avid gardener and she taught me what a ripe fruit is supposed to look like, smell like and taste like. Many of the produce managers I've delt with over the years are experts (!!) in the look and smell of ripe fruit. They are a great resource. The best produce managers don't want you to buy poor quality or poor tasting produce.

I was in Sam's and saw a woman open a plastic container that was supposed to have 4 lbs of grapes in it. She took out a fist sized bunch of grapes and began eating them. I went up to her and said that was shop lifting. She looked at me and replied, "Mind your own business." She closed the container and put it back on the display and walked away. In a very loud voice (I don't need a microphone at meetings.) I said "shop lifter" and pointed at her. And repeated, "She's a shop lifter. She stole a bunch of grapes out of a container and now she is eating them. That's shoplifting and stealing. Some one call security." Eventually a Sam's employee came by and I told him in a very loud voice about the woman stealing grapes and told them I would testify against her in court. To shorten this story, the woman, went back and picked up the package of grapes she stole them out of, paid for them at the register and left the store. (She had to be reminded that the first pack she picked up wasn't the one she stole the grapes out of.)

The store employee called their security and they thanked me for doing what I did.

Good luck to you and yours.

seriously? Sampling one grape is called stealing? Very interesting. I guess I am a thief. But no sour grapes.

I used to sample grapes until I figured out how to pick good ones.

1. Check the color. Sweet green grapes tend to look yellow-green, not really green. Really green means they're sour.

2. Check the stems. Brown or limp stems are not good.

2. Check the firmness. Grapes shouldn't be HARD. They should feel plump, like if you squeezed one, it would POP, not smoosh. Not squishy.

Best of luck!

I work very PT in a major grocery store chain...my advice is next time you want to buy grapes talk to the produce employee and just tell them what you told us here...I bet you $ that they will walk with you and pick a few bunches up, take them to the back, wash a couple from each and let you pick!?

Most employees that work in grocery stores really do enjoy their jobs and like helping out the customers and their MAIN job is to sell you stuff!

I do this very same thing with cherries....who wants to spend $5.99/LB for not delicious cherries? Not me, that's who!

~Lots of people have said that it is stealing b/c they are sold by the LB...but if you think about it *most* fruit that IS sold by the LB is weighed at checkout....my point being don't loose sleep over taking a single grape I doubt you have harmed anyone.

Frankly, to me, it is stealing. I agree that if you asked a produce manager they would willingly GIVE you a grape to make sure they are sweet.

Another thing that always bugs me is when people pick up a package of cookies/crackers and open them in the store BEFORE they are purchased. Many times they are feeding their young kids.....Same thing, in my opinion. The child doesn't know/understand that you plan to buy them when you get to the check-out, but they just see that you are opening things and eating them in the store.

I always told my kids we HAD to buy it before we could open it. If you need a snack for the kids, bring something with you.

I sample one grape. If they are yummy, I buy if they are yucky I don't!

i think you are awesome for NOT being part of the entitled crowd who assume that everyone is hunky-dory with paying more for produce because they feel that it's their right to hand a clump of grapes to all of their grasping sticky-faced apelings in order to keep them quiet while they shop.
that's theft. pure and simple.
but sampling a single grape?
i think that's just good shopping.
:) khairete
S.

I don't sample them. If I haven't paid for them, I can't eat them -- right?

A better way to ensure you don't get sour grapes is to pay attention to the brand you're buying; where it was grown; and how often your store is restocking grapes. If you're getting lots of sour ones, and they are from the same store every time, complain to them and then shop elsewhere for your produce. I usually only buy grapes at the Whole Foods near us -- and I only get them when they're domestic. I don't really want produce that has been shipped all the way from Chile. I find it tends to spoil faster anyway.

As for tasting in the produce section, I think that if folks say it's fine with grapes, well, why isn't it fine to taste one tiny cherry tomato out of a pack? Those can be sour too. Or one raspberry out of the box with lots in it? Raspberries can be sour or spoiled too. You don't see people doing that, yet somehow it's supposed to be OK to sample grapes -- I see it happen all the time. Why not taste one apple if I plan to buy several, to be sure the ones in the bin are good quality overall? Or one banana if I'm going to buy a whole bunch? Where does that thinking stop?

In other words, how would I explain to my daughter that we don't take what doesn't belong to us, if I take grapes for free in the name of a taste test? It's more effective anyway to complain to the store and learn what brands and sources are reliable ones.

It sucks to get home and find something is bad. I've had that happen and went back to the store with the item(s) and was given a full refund. That didn't pay for my inconvenience though. So, you go ahead and sample a grape or two right in the store and don't feel bad about it. I see it as neither stealing nor poor taste when you have the full intention on purchasing based on quality. In that case tasting is justifiable and the store isn't going to accost you for it. It makes no sense to search out the store associates so they can give you permission to taste a couple of grapes.

There are many grapes that fall into the bin or on the floor or so the store isn't making money from those either. And I bet "the store" doesn't feel bad for putting out crappy produce and sometimes even marking it "on sale" or "Deal of the day!" when they know the quality is sub par.

As far a the banana peel things goes, the parent should have brought a second banana to be paid for and charged twice and taken home or be charged once and left at the store. OR the cashier should know basic math and weight guesstimating. If the bananas average 8 ounces in weight (with the peel still on) and costs .50 cents per pound then the cashier should know how to divide that and charge the customer .25 cents. :)

Ah, we have been "stealing" grapes for years.

I always let my son try one before we buy the bunch. Because those little things don't ripen once they get home like other fruit do.

Sorry, I just don't think one grape is going to bankrupt the grocery store.

Now, one we put a bunch in our cart, there was no more sampling until after the bunch was paid for.

Sampling something that is sold by the pound is not sampling, it's stealing.

(Maybe taking one grape doesn't sound so bad, but if everybody did that, think about how many pounds of grapes the store would lose in a day. It's not right to take something you didn't pay for, no matter how small. It simply can't be justified.)

ADDED: I had to laugh because one mom said on here that they aren't weighed until you get to the checkout so it's ok. Really? So if you grab a bunch and eat half of them it's ok because it's not weighed until checkout? That makes absolutely no sense at all.

And really moms, are you all that bad at math? If 100 people a day sample one grape, that's 100 grapes. How much would that weigh? Doesn't the store lose all that money? Isn't that theft? I don't get how you are all so clueless.

Michelle, I suggest buying produce at your local farmer's market. Most of the booths give out samples and the quality generally far surpasses what you'll find in the supermarket.

It's not only bad taste, it's stealing. But, you could always ask an employee if you could taste a grape. That way, it would not be in bad taste or illegal.

I like to sample apples when I shop, to make sure they aren't mealy. (or watermelons, or oranges, or ...)

I do not sample grapes or any other fruit. You might just want to find a different store. Store quality varies from place to place. You might also mention to the manager that the grapes are often sour so maybe their supply isn't as good as you would expect from x store.

Gosh I've never sampled a grape because I guess I get lucky BUT seriously a singe grape is less than a penny....if one falls off your buch after you wiegh it do they run back and replace the single grape. Produce stores arent going out of business for sampling a single grape. if every person that WAS buyng grapes sampled one grape they would still be fine because you know all of the people not sampling are buying the grapes that would be trahed. What about those people. Not everyone can drive back to the store and waste gas money to return bad grapes. Seriously. Every grocery store Ive went in encourages it. They also give a free slice of cheese or ham to kids at the deli counter and free cookies at the bakery beause it keeps people coming back.
Also I'm bad some would say because when emmy was 1 I would go to the baby asile and pick up a thing of gerber puffs and let her snack while we shopped and then pay AFTER ...I dont think food gains interest on the shelf. Also I could do the same at 5 my kid is smart enough to know once you try you buy so its not teaching her stealing

Just ask the produce manager or store manager for a sample. Also, take the bad grapes back to the store. If they don't accomadate you, you should find another market where your business is appreciated.

I know Alpha Beta (are they still in business?) or Ralph's allowed us to sample the fruits.

I know here in VA - our grocery stores ENCOURAGE us to ask for samples - I know they'll cut a cantaloupe or watermelon for me.

I would take them back and tell them they were sour. Our local Harris Teeter has my back - on Thanksgiving Day they DROVE TO MY HOME and gave me fresh avocados when the ones I had purchased the day before were NASTY upon cutting them open. I called the store as soon as I cut them up and told them what happened - within 30 minutes - I had someone at my door with FRESH avocado's....so instead of throwing them out - call the manager and talk with them about your experience and see what they will do for you!!

GOOD LUCK!!

I have never sampled grapes in the store. To me, it is akin to stealing, since you pay by the lb for grapes. Not to mention, they haven't been washed and who knows what chemicals might be on them!

I rarely get a bag of sour grapes. Occasionally, a bag will have a few in it, but they won't ALL be sour, so the "sample" test wouldn't really work anyway--because each grape would need to be sampled, lol.

I do gently squeeze them though. If they feel "tight" but not thick, then they are usually perfect. If they feel hard then they are usually a bit sour b/c they haven't reached peak ripeness. I never buy them if they are squishy--that just means they are old and we won't eat them.

I LOVE grapes by the way!

I don't sample the grapes because a) they are not washed and b) I haven't yet purchased a bad batch of grapes due to lack of sampling (and I guess there is also c) which is the whole if everyone takes a grape how many pounds go missing in a day and which employee gets reamed about it).

I have been known to open a package of string cheese to stop a certain howling 2 year old. She certainly does know that we have to pay for the package and that we are paying for her cheese. She proudly puts it on the belt at the checkout line.

I don't, mostly because I do a pretty good job of picking out grapes, I have never gotten sour ones.

If I have a question about the quality of produce in the store I just ask an employee, and they will answer questions or offer samples. I always have someone help me pick out watermelons, I'm truly horrible at it :)

I would never sample grapes in the store. Not because I think it is rude, but because they are unwashed.

I don't because I wash all produce first before eating it. I just got a load of sour grapes, too. Organic so it was definitely expensive!

There is an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Frank (the grandpa) sneaks granola...have you seen that one? Well, he gets caught, and an argument ensues where he was accused of stealing, in front of Ally his granddaughter. he insists he has to try it first...lol.

Anyways, unless its Costco, I think sampling is fading out....;)

You do not have the right to eat produce you haven't paid for. It's called theft.

NO. Forget about whether it's right or wrong. (Although in general, I don't think it's right.) I'm more concerned with the fact that there are so many pesticides on grapes! Please don't taste them without cleaning then with a good environmentally friendly wash.

I wouldn't mind sampling just one grape to make sure the bunch is OK, but my husband has strict principles of not allowing that. So, I don't. Instead, I discovered the trick to buy good grapes by choosing bunches that don't look too green (they should look a little waxy green yellow in color), which don't have brown or squishy stems or tiny grapes, and those which are not too firm to touch. And I don't buy bunches which have too many small sized grapes (those are usually all sour).

I always sample the grapes. Just one, and only me. If there is a sign at the store asking customers not to sample them, I won't buy them. Unless of course I really need grapes that day from that store. Then I sample them anyway. :)
I also get Lunchables at the store for my children to eat while shopping and take the empty package to the checkout. Usually the cashier will ask if I would like them to throw the packages away for me after they have scanned the price, which I think is very considerate. Or I will open one container of crackers, chips, or cheese sticks to tide the kids over. Many times we have gone shopping when there were no snacks left in the house. Yes, my kids have asked to eat a piece of fruit before paying for it. I explain to them that those particular things are priced by weight at the checkout, so we don't eat them until we pay for them. It gives me an opportunity to teach them about weight and scales. They know we are not leaving the store until everything is paid for because we never have.

Uh hello, It's one grape. Anyone else who makes a big deal about it needs to take a chill pill. Most grocers do let you sample, so it's not theft. There's no harm in sampling a grape, so try one instead of wasting the money.

Guilty as charged but I don't make a habit of it.

Much worse, I witnessed a woman taking chicken legs/wings right out of the warmer!!! She was elderly but I still think it was wrong.

Sometimes I'll talk to the produce person. "Hey, could you please suggest which melon to purchase," or, "are these oranges as tasty as they look?" At the shop we usually go to, the produce folks will often take a grape from the bunch and say, sample it!

I always taste a grape for the reasons you stated.

Lol! I know what you mean. I use to eat one from the bag I picked, but if I do the girls dig right in, and wen I get to the line to pay the lady looks at me funny. Im like yes scan it they got hungry lol!
But some places let you take the grapes back if its the same quantity or watnot as you bought it and give you an exchange or your money back.