Some people make jelly.
Others make wine.
And some people enjoy them right off the vine.
At Thompson’s Nursery and Vineyard in Valrico, it’s grape picking time.
Nestled in a residential area, Thompson’s is five acres of mostly muscadine grapevines, along with peach, guava, and other exotic fruit trees.
Along the vines, Thompson is a pro at picking perfectly ripe grapes.
She said it’s all in the feel.
"When they are slightly soft to the touch then you know that they are ready."
After squeezing a few clusters of the “Delicious” variety, Thompson instructed us to softly tug at the stems.
"Put your Bucket under there, and just pull them," she said.
And they tumbled in.
For $2 a pound, you can fill a bucket, seven days a week, through about mid-September.
Normally the season ends by August 31, but rains delayed things.
There are eight different varieties to try.
There 650 vines to check out.
LaRay uses the grapes and other fruits to make jelly.
"They've been quite a success," she said, showing us about 10 different fruit jellies and eight grape jellies.
For LaRay the sweetness of this new season brings with it a touch of sadness.
It's the first one without her beloved husband of 38 years Randy Thompson.
Pictures of Randy smiling holding grapes in the vineyard and leaning back in a boat bass fishing are in the kitchen/office.
"It's been a pleasure just knowing that this is something that he started that we definitely want to carry on.” Thompson said. “It was his passion, and it's kind a like having a part of him with us."
Thompson’s Nursery and Vineyard is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are located at 1104 Miller Road in Valrico.