MUSCADINE SEASON IS HERE

BY ANGELA TREADAWAY

Alabama muscadine and scuppernong grape lovers are enjoying their sweet taste, with their arrival in grocery stores, farmers markets, roadside stands and "pick your own" farms.

Besides their delicious flavor, muscadines are one of the richest sources of antioxidants found above ground. Research points to significant health benefits associated with this grape. That’s an added bonus for those who just love the fresh taste of these native grapes.

Unlike many human inhabitants, muscadines love the heat and humidity that is common in the South and thrive here as a result.

The difference in the scuppernong and the mus- cadine is the color and a little different taste. The scuppernong grape is a muscadine grape. It is a green-bronze color and was named because it was found growing near the Scuppernong River in North Carolina (an Indian name) in the 17th century. There are numerous cultivars of muscadine for fresh eating and use in other products.

Muscadines are good for making jams, jellies. Juice from the muscadine can be prepared and frozen or canned also for making jelly or drinking later. Grape juice made from muscadine is very very tasty. If you do not grow them yourself, there are a number of muscadine vineyards in the state of Alabama that sell fresh muscadines or allow you to pick your own.

You will need to search the internet to find vineyards in your area that you can go and pick from. They are usually very reasonable in price too.

Muscadine Preserves:

Ingredients:

8 cups muscadines or scuppernongs, washed and stemmed

1 lemon zested and then juiced to use

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups of sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon (optional)

Sterilized glass jars with seals and rings now if you want to use the jam for a sauce for basting meats in.

Now you are ready to pour the preserves into your jars. The preserve should be hot when you pour it into the jars and it is a good idea for the jars to be hot as well. When you pour the preserves into the jars leave about a 1/4-inch of headspace and carefully wipe off any residue from the jar rim. Place a lid and then place screw band on fingertip tight and place in the water bath canner and process for 15 minutes.

Muscadine or Scuppernong Cobbler

Ingredients:

2 lb muscadine grapes (4 cups)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

Directions:

Cut grapes in half, remove seeds and squeeze pulp into bowl. Add skins and cook with 1 cup sugar, lemon rind & apple pie spice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally. 5 minutes or until tender.

Directions:

Begin by removing the skins from the washed and de-stemmed muscadines. Using a sharp knife, just slit the skin of the muscadine about half way around and squeeze the pulp out. If you have muscadines that are not fully ripe, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes to make the process easier. Set the skins aside. Place the pulp in a large stainless steel or enameled pot. Put just enough water to keep the pulp from scorching (about ¼ - ½ cup); you may not need that if the pulp is juicy enough. Cook the mixture over medium high heat, stirring as it cooks until the pulp is softened. This takes about 15 minutes. While the pulp is cooking, place the skins in a food processor and process until chopped. The skins will not break down much when cooked, so you want to get the pieces as small as you can. When the pulp is through boiling, remove the pan from the heat and press the pulp through a coarse sieve or a food mill to remove seeds.

Return the juice from the pulp to the large pot and add the skins, grated lemon peel, lemon juice and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the sugar and return to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently. Cook for about 20 minutes to thicken it. Add cinnamon

Melt butter in an 11 X 7 baking dish in 350 oven. Stir together flour, remaining cup sugar and milk; pour over melted butter. Pour muscadine mix over batter. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until golden.

Look for upcoming programs on our Facebook page – Alabama Cooperative Extension Food Safety. We have several programs coming up online in the fall in food preservation.

For more information on canning and making jams and jellies contact Angela Treadaway, your regional Extension Agent, at 205-410-3696.