TikTok's favorite grape hack may seem frivolous, but for people with motor disabilities, it can be a massive help: 'I love this'
There are certain activities people don’t give much thought to making easier, and one of them is picking grapes off the stem. It’s a straightforward task, almost mindless, but a simple hack involving a kitchen towel can make it even easier — and for people with motor disabilities, it’s a massive help.
Stephanie Burnaman (@stephanieburnaman) showed TikTok a hack to remove grapes without picking them off the stem individually. In her video (which has over 14 million views), Burnaman explained that all you need is a bowl and a kitchen towel to get started.
Burnamen put the bunch of grapes, still on the stem, in a large bowl and placed a kitchen towel on top — the type of towel doesn’t seem to matter. Then, she put some pressure on top of the grapes through the towel and gently rolled them around inside the bowl. When she took the towel off, the grapes were off the stems.
“I feel like everyone needs to know this,” Burnaman captioned her video.
@stephanieburnaman I feel like everyone needs to know this… but why did I eat those with my mouth open like that?!? #grapehack #iwastodayyearsold #for40years #justagirlintheworld ♬ Just A Girl – No Doubt
“Ma’am…I pluck 3 bags of grapes a week for my house… you’ve saved me so much time,” commented @heavy_duty_beauty.
“I’m a lunch lady and regularly have to pluck cases of grapes from their vines. thank you. you just saved me HOURS,” added @ank53114.
Grapes are typically sold on their stems because, once removed, they start to decay at a faster rate. The UC San Diego Center for Community Health reported that when purchasing grapes, you should always choose grapes firmly attached to the stem. The Center also recommended shoppers avoid “dry, brittle stems.”
“Grapes stay fresh longer on the vine,” agreed @amandathomas16161.
It makes sense shoppers would want their grapes to last as long as possible, especially if they live in areas or communities where grapes can be expensive. According to the UC San Diego Center for Community Health, consumers can also freeze grapes while they’re still attached to their stems so they last even longer.
But in addition to helping grapes stay fresher for longer, the hack is also beneficial to people with motor disabilities. Jimmy Choi, a motivational speaker who lives with Parkinson’s Disease, tried out the hack himself in a video he uploaded to his Instagram.
Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that can cause uncontrollable movements like shaking, stiffness and difficulty with balance and coordination.
Just like Burnaman, Choi is able to remove all the grapes from the stems by using the hack, and the video was a hit with his followers.
“I love this! I am an occupational therapist and I will keep this up my sleeve! Thank you,” one person wrote.
“I don’t have Parkinson, but I have extremely weak pinch strength in both my hands and can’t pinch very many times in a row or for very long,” another commenter said. “This is SUPER helpful! Thank you!!!”
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