White seedless varieties are among the best-known table grapes. At our packing house in Myrtofyto, Kavala, we pack three of them: Thompson Seedless, Sugar Crisp™ and Sweet Globe™. All three are sweet, with a neutral flavour and a crisp berry. The differences are in the details, and those matter when you plan a delivery programme.
Thompson Seedless
White · seedless
Aug – Oct
Sugar Crisp™
White · seedless
Sep – Oct
Sweet Globe™
White · seedless
Sep – Oct
Thompson Seedless: the classic
Thompson Seedless is a very old variety from Asia Minor, also known as Sultanina. It has an oval berry of 16–19 mm, thin skin and a sweet, neutral flavour with low acidity. Its sugar content is typically about 16 °Brix and the bunch is medium to large, around 400 g.
It is the first of the three to ripen. From our packing house it is available from late August to late October.
Sugar Crisp™: elongated berry, very crisp
Sugar Crisp™ was bred by International Fruit Genetics, now Bloom Fresh, under the variety denomination IFG Eleven. The berry is elongated oval, 17–23 mm, firm and very crisp. Its sugar content is typically 17–20 °Brix.
It ripens about three weeks after Thompson Seedless, which extends the white grape season. From our packing house it is available from mid September to late October.
Sweet Globe™: the largest berry
Sweet Globe™ comes from the same breeder, under the variety denomination IFG Ten. It has a large, oval berry of 18–24 mm, very crisp flesh and thin skin. The flavour is sweet and neutral with low acidity, and its sugar content is typically 18–20 °Brix.
It ripens about two weeks after Thompson Seedless. From our packing house it is available from mid September to late October.
The three varieties side by side
| Thompson Seedless | Sugar Crisp™ | Sweet Globe™ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berry size | 16–19 mm | 17–23 mm | 18–24 mm |
| Sugar content | about 16 °Brix | 17–20 °Brix | 18–20 °Brix |
| Berry shape | Oval | Elongated oval | Large, oval |
| Ripening | First of the three | About 3 weeks after Thompson | About 2 weeks after Thompson |
| Availability | Late Aug – late Oct | Mid Sep – late Oct | Mid Sep – late Oct |
What a buyer should look at
- Length of the season. Thompson Seedless starts first. Sugar Crisp™ and Sweet Globe™ follow and keep white grapes on the shelf until late October.
- Berry size. If the programme calls for a large berry, Sweet Globe™ and Sugar Crisp™ reach 23–24 mm. Thompson Seedless has a smaller, classic berry.
- Texture. All three are crisp. The breeder describes the two newer varieties as very crisp.
- Sugar content. The EU marketing standard requires at least 14 °Brix for seedless varieties. All three exceed it in their typical characteristics.
Berry sizes and sugar contents are typical characteristics of each variety, as given by its breeder and the literature. They are not batch measurements. The specifications of each batch are agreed with the customer, and availability periods change from year to year.
