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View Full Version : Well it's time go muscadine picking



KellyMarie
09-11-2010, 06:02 PM
I was reading Southern Living Magazine and there is a great article in the Sept 10 issue about muscadines and their care. Now I don't have any muscadine vines planted on the farm.....domesticating them kind of takes the fun out of picking them in my opinion.
Hubby and I and whatever kids feel like going like to go on a muscadine adventure. We get our 5 gallon buckets cleaned up, toss them in the truck and head up the rocky, half road, half horse trail behind our house that goes to the top of the mountain. Once we find a good spot, we park the truck and get out and walk the tree lines in search of muscadine vines.
Just in case you don't know what a muscadine is, it's like an over sized grape that grows in the wild or you can plant the vines and grow them at home. The muscadine is the grape of the south, it does well in our climate. I like to make muscadine jelly and have drank muscadine wine.

So, anybody have any muscadine recipes to share?

Here is my muscadine jelly recipe :)

4 quarts ripe Muscadine
about 3 cups sugar
2 pkg. of pectin

stem and wash the muscadines, rinse them good and then mash them in a pot and cover with water

simmer'em for about half an hour, strain out the seeds, then cheesecloth strain them back into the original pot and heat to a boil, boil for 5 minutes then add your sugar & pectin

turn down the heat, simmer 30 minutes

while waiting to simmer 30 minutes prepare you canning jars

skim the foam off the jelly, pour jelly into hot mason jars and process 15 minutes

wendy1214
09-11-2010, 06:04 PM
Wow- hope you find lots! I remember going for walks with my mom and finding wild strawberries and I tried to make jam out of them one time- lol

Rasha
09-11-2010, 06:29 PM
I just read what you said it is, but I don't think I ever had some.... Im going to have to try your jelly sometime! :)

Heather
09-11-2010, 06:37 PM
That sounds fun Kelly! I am so jealous you live by the mountains!!

KellyMarie
09-11-2010, 08:53 PM
Oh the mountain is my backyard...it's wonderful! :) These aren't the best pics but what I could find in a hurry :)

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee97/kellymarie1965/flood3.jpg


http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee97/kellymarie1965/melmelsbirthday005.jpg

KarrenOliver
09-11-2010, 08:58 PM
Thanks for the reminder!! I have never been muscadine pickin, but they are now in our grocery stores. Maybe we could bid on a jar of your jelly??? :pound:

KellyMarie
09-11-2010, 09:00 PM
:lol: @ bidding on jelly

wow, muscadines in stores...who would have thought it? I guess I am just a real hick at heart.....I prefer my muscadines fresh off the wild vines :lol:

momster4de3
09-11-2010, 09:47 PM
First time I've ever heard of muscadines but they sound great!

karenv
09-12-2010, 05:55 AM
Kelly, I have never heard of muscadines.... the jelly and the wines sound yummy!!!

Allison
09-12-2010, 09:49 AM
I've never heard of them either! I would be willing to bid on a jar of your jelly, Kelly! lol

KellyMarie
09-12-2010, 11:41 AM
Well I guess I need to get to canning