Muscadines

[Bakershalfdozen]

Any Southerners here enjoy this fruit? I'm thinking of making jam out of them this summer.


http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/muscadinegrape.html

[Anon]

Is that those things where you have to spit out the peel and the seeds? Too much work! I'm sure they'd make a tasty jelly but I don't like the fruit. Tried it in SC.

[lettheredeemedsayso]

Too sour for me

[kevinmiller]

This was me when I saw the topic: :huh:

[pneu-engine]

Any Southerners here enjoy this fruit? I'm thinking of making jam out of them this summer.


http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/muscadinegrape.html

Jess, do you have those growing on your property???????? :drool :drool :drool If you do, may I please have a piece of a root (I only need a piece 6-8 inches long about the thickness of a pencil). The article says they are Southern Fox grapes. Way back when I had all of my grape vines I had a vine of Golden Muscats from Stark Bros. They were a southern-style grape of the Muscadine variety. The flavor was very much like grapefruit (citrus), but if left to get dead-ripe on the vine, the flavor and aroma were simply heavenly. :cooldude: :cool :ears:

[Tim]

Too sour for me

The ones growing in my yard are sweet as sugar :lol

[pneu-engine]

The ones growing in my yard are sweet as sugar :lol

Mine too if left to fully ripen on the vine. :thumb

Kitagrl, these are called "slip-skin" grapes. We squeeze out the innards into our mouth and swallow it right down, seeds and all, in the same fashion as Concord, Niagra, Catawba, Caco, etc. Some people throw the skins away, but I eat those too. :lol

[Psalms18_28]

I seen them before, never ate them

[matie-k]

I think I've had them before in southern China, and they were TASTY! I'm sure they'd make super jam! You want to send me a jar when you're done making it and let me test it for you? :wink

[Bakershalfdozen]

PE, no, we don't have any growing on our property that I know of but there are some PYO farms. I want to try them at least. I've never had them before.


matie-k, I will indeed send you some jam if I make some and if you give me an address to send it to. :thumb

[pneu-engine]

Jess, :lol

Trust me on this::: You are soooo going to enjoy that jam. :thumb

May I please offer some tips on processing from our own experience of many years of doing this. :ideas: :ears: :cooldude:

Method #1. (For maximum jam-texture and enjoyment.)

Make jam as follows:::

1. Wash grapes thoroughly.

2. Slip the skins, and save them separate from the innards.

3.a. "Stew" the innards on a light simmer till seeds are thoroughly loosened (~25 - 30 minutes) and run them thru your Victorio strainer to filter out the seeds. The light simmer is very important as grape flavor is rather fragile and will be destroyed from too much heat.

3.b. Chop the skins and "stew"/simmer them separate from the innards till soft. (~25 -30 minutes)

4. When the innards have been throughly strained, combine with the chopped and simmered skins and simmer a little bit more. ( ~ a minute or so). Stir thoroughly during this time. This step helps to marinate the skins and innards together.

At this point you have a "mix" that is ready for the instruction procedure in your Sure-Jell package.

Method #2. This is my preferred method, since it is a lot less labor-intensive.

Make grape butter as follows:::

1. Wash grapes thoroughly.

2. Put the entire batch of grapes in a humongous kettle and simmer lightly till soft. (~25 -30 minutes or so)

3. With a hand-held blender (mine is a Braun), thoroughly and completely blend the "brew" right there in the cooking kettle until the skins are all chopped and blended fine as puree. In the event that you do not have a hand-held blender, just use your stand blender a batch at a time until the entire kettle-full is finished. The main reason that I prefer my hand-held Braun blender is that it does not damage the seeds. We do not want bits of "wood" (those seeds are very hard wood) in our mix

4. Run this blended mixture thru your Victorio strainer. Some of the bulk of the skins will be lost this way but not enough to make a difference in the taste and flavor. It's the jam-texture that is completely lost.

Once again you have a mix that is all set for the next step which will be found in the directions in your Sure-Jell package. :cooldude:

Jams, jellies and butters observe the following rule of thumb::::

***Juice makes jelly

***Puree makes butter

***The whole fruit makes jam

I think that is just so kewl that you have a PYO orchard. :thumb That is a truly a blessing of the LORD. :tum I found one close to where we live that is only down the road a little. I need black-raspberries and strawberries since my own patch will not be ready till next year. :tum This one is Brecknock Orchards.



They have PYO::::

Apples

Peaches

Strawberries

Black Raspberries

Red Raspberries

Blackberries

...and other things that I forget just anymore. (it's the senior moment thing. )

[Anon]

Mine too if left to fully ripen on the vine. :thumb

Kitagrl, these are called "slip-skin" grapes. We squeeze out the innards into our mouth and swallow it right down, seeds and all, in the same fashion as Concord, Niagra, Catawba, Caco, etc. Some people throw the skins away, but I eat those too. :lol

Hmmm I don't like any of those kinds. My grandpa used to have the seeded grapes and I can't stand eating the seeds and the fruit part isn't worth it if you have to suck it off both the skin and the seeds.

[Bakershalfdozen]

Jess, :lol

Trust me on this::: You are soooo going to enjoy that jam. :thumb


I think that is just so kewl that you have a PYO orchard. :thumb That is a truly a blessing of the LORD. :tum I found one close to where we live that is only down the road a little. I need black-raspberries and strawberries since my own patch will not be ready till next year. :tum This one is Brecknock Orchards.

Yeah, I looked on the web after you mentioned it the other day and there are several PYO orchards in this area but they are all strawberry/blueberry and a couple muscadine. No raspberries or blackberries. :sad Oh well; we intend to go pick strawberries and muscadines. :thumb A family in our church has blueberries so we'll get those from them.

[pneu-engine]

Yeah, I looked on the web after you mentioned it the other day and there are several PYO orchards in this area but they are all strawberry/blueberry and a couple muscadine. No raspberries or blackberries. :sad Oh well; we intend to go pick strawberries and muscadines. :thumb A family in our church has blueberries so we'll get those from them.

Just a thought, but is there a possibility that you could take a trip up to our old place and pick during the peak of the season.

Also, it's a shame there is not a "Cherry Hill" style orchard down there. Cherry Hill next door to my old place here just put in 4 rows or blackberries last year. They will be bearing this year and available for PYO. You should see these rows. They are so long they actually go outta sight. :cooldude:
:lol

[pneu-engine]

What a great idea to look on the WWW for PYO orchards. :thumb Many thanks. :lol

I still need to find PYO blueberries and grapes. :ears: :peek: