Scuppernong (Muscadine) Hull Preserves

WV Sawmiller · August 24, 2018, 10:00:04 PM

We went to N. Fla last week to replace beds on my wife's 2003 dodge truck. Found and bought a rust free bed down there a month ago and had it delivered to a local paint and body shop to be painted. Scheduled the trip to coincide with my aunt and uncle 60 year wedding anniversary so saw their 6 kids (my first cousins) and many of their kids and grandkids. Mom was there and came back with us.

The guy did a great job on the truck and it looks like a brand new one now so hopefully my wife will remain happy for a while. I located a man there with scuppernongs (Muscadines to some folks) for sale at a littl eplace called Lottie Ala near Atmore Ala. We are too far north for them up here. I called and ordered all he could get picked We went there Wednesday morning and he had about 35 lbs picked (about 6.5 gallons). He was getting $1.25/lb if he picked them and I thought was a great deal.

This morning I squeezed the insides out of about half and set the hulls aside. I boiled the insides and mashed with an old potato masher to help break open the seed sacks. I poured this through a colander and separated the larger seeds getting most of them out. I added that to the hulls and we added a couple of cups of lemon juice for the acid to help gel the preserves. I added an equal amount of sugar (Probably should have used less) and boiled it in two large pots at a hard boil stirring with a wooden spoon until a little poured on a saucer jelled quickly. We made 21 pints and I still have nearly that much more to make this weekend if I can find more regular jar flats. Our local grocery is out but some of the other stores may have enough to get me through.

Biscuits and Scuppernong hull preserves are on the menu for breakfast. The hulls are too tough to eat raw but they are great when cooked.

Inside from 3.5 gallons of scuppernongs being boiled to help remove seeds

Empty hulls. Add insides and sugar and lemon juice and cook till they jell.

Chuck White · August 25, 2018, 07:05:35 AM

Interesting, this is a "wait and see" for me! smiley_curtain_peek

Seems I've heard the term "Muscadine Wine" in an old song way back when!

WV Sawmiller · August 25, 2018, 10:31:04 AM

They grow wild in most of the South. I've seen them nearly as big as a ping pong ball. One good place to get them is along the river where current washed the roots out from under a tree and it fell in the river with a big muscadine vine growing up it. The tree often dies but the vine does well. Catch it at the right time and run a boat under it and pick all you can eat then give the vine a good shake and the ripe muscadines will coat the bottom of the boat. I think catfish figure this out and are waiting for them to fall too.

Often the preferred commercial variety are bronze colored when ripe. All taste pretty much the same. You can't eat the uncooked hulls. I'm not a drinker so I can't say anything about the wine but I suspect it is the main ingredient in Muscatel wine. Can't say about other old time favorites like Ripple and Boone's Farm.

My wife cooked a big batch of fresh biscuits for breakfast this morning and I can verify the mixture was right and they are fit to eat. Of course we had grits on the side. A fine meal.

thecfarm · August 25, 2018, 11:48:29 AM

Biscuits and the preserve sounds good.

Texas Ranger · August 25, 2018, 02:05:38 PM

I have made scuppernong wine, very good stuff, but doesn't last long. 8)

WV Sawmiller · August 25, 2018, 02:16:13 PM

I finally located some more lids and had to get some more lemon juice so I bought three quart bottle of Concord grape juice and I think I will add that to the mix as an experiment this time so it will have more juice than the last batch. You need to be flexible and experiment all the time in all matters cooking.

Bruno of NH · August 26, 2018, 07:17:18 PM

Miss Kay on duck dynasty makes the jelly.
I love jelly but have not had any since being sick 2 years ago.
Miss that and maple syrup.

WV Sawmiller · August 26, 2018, 10:47:45 PM

Jelly would be good and easier to make since you don't have to separate the hulls. Just boil it all up and squeeze through cheesecloth to get the juice for jelly but the hulls are so good I think it is worth the extra effort.

I just finished separating and cooking the pulp and added it back to the hulls for the other other half of my scuppernongs. I put them in the refer downstairs and will add sugar and lemon juice and more grape juice as an experiment tomorrow. I know that will increase the yield but not sure what it will do to the taste - I think it will be good.

I made 2 prototype crates the size of a dozen pint jars yesterday and will make some more to replace the cardboard boxes the jars came in. I used 4/4 lumber for the bottom and ends and some 3/8" X 2" strips on the sides. They are much more sturdy and I'll eventually make some for quart sizes to store them too.

WV Sawmiller · August 27, 2018, 03:35:31 PM

I finished making the rest of the preserves today. Sure was hot work with 2 big pots boiling at the same time. Started with 3 gallon bags of scuppernongs, separated the insides from the hulls and removed the seeds, added about a pint of lemon juice, about 10-11 lbs of sugar and 3 quarts of grape juice. Total yield was a little over 17 pints after it cooked down.

Chuck White · August 27, 2018, 08:24:59 PM

Looks good Howard!

thecfarm · August 27, 2018, 09:42:42 PM

I saw the crate first. I need to build some for the wife.

sawguy21 · August 27, 2018, 11:18:14 PM

I learn something here every day. :D Never heard of them until now.

WV Sawmiller · August 28, 2018, 07:46:29 AM

Sawguy,

I don't know if if they grow up there. The skin is real tough and cannot eat it raw like most grapes but very good in preserves.

cfarm,

Yes, I made 5 more last night and will make some more for our quart jars too. I think a 1X8 is perfect height for ends for quart jars. Wife want to leave them in cardboard boxes to keep dust off. The cardboard box will just fit inside these like a liner so I will do both. I need to get a router to make the holes for the handles as does a better job than a spade bit and jig saw.

thecfarm · August 28, 2018, 02:48:25 PM

What about the bottom,all closed in? Questions,I want to know how you do it,so I don't have to build it twice. Once wrong,second time right. :(

WV Sawmiller · August 28, 2018, 03:57:54 PM

cfarm,

I have seen them built with the thin slats on the bottom too but I built mine out of 4/4 poplar. I used either a 1X10 or a 1X6 & a 1X4 on the bottom and a 1X6 for the ends. I used screws instead of pneumatic staples of brads because that is what I had to work with. I think if I were making them commercially I'd get a pneumatic stapler/nailer. Mine were about 13-1/4" X 10-1/4" X 5" inside dimensions or 15-1/4" X 12-1/4" X 6" outside dimensions because the cardboard jar box just fit inside. Might need to make them a hair bigger if all wide mouth jars.

Add - on: The bottoms do not have to be solid. I could have used 2-1X4s and left a 2" gap in the middle and it likely would have worked just as well. Just as long as the gap is too small for the jars you should be fine. I do like to attach the bottom strip to the bottom board for extra strength and stability.

Banjo picker · August 28, 2018, 10:13:56 PM

I ordered 7 starter plants last fall and put them in the raised bed garden that would not grow tomatoes. One of them didn't come out this spring, but the other 6 are up their stake and started down the wire I put up for them. I am hoping they will harden off before frost so maybe I can get at least a small crop next year. They still got about a month or more of good growing weather. Banjo

thecfarm · August 29, 2018, 05:02:11 AM

Thank you. I have shelves in the root cellar to store stuff. Just kinda of a bother to carry stuff down. Coming up is not bad,most times only 2-3 jars at a time. But going down with 12 is a bother. Milk crates work real good,but seem like I always have them full of something else. Yes,on the screws.