What is Muscadine Jam or Jelly?
Muscadine Jam or Jelly is a fruit preserve made from muscadines. It’s a uniquely Southern treat that is hard to find at bigger grocery stores. Muscadines are a native grape that grows in the Southeastern United States. It grows wild, but has also been cultivated for centuries. It’s very well adapted to the heat and humidity, and produces an abundance of delicious fruit!
Muscadines are typically dark purple to black in color when they are fully ripe, however, some varieties, called Scuppernogs, are a bronzy-green color. Both taste deliciously tart when fresh, however, their thick skins and bitter seeds make them somewhat undesirable for retail grocery stores. For the most part, if you want muscadines, you have to grow them yourself, forage them, or get some from a friend.
As I was researching what kind of fruits to plant around our little homestead, I learned about muscadines. We bought two that could cross pollinate, and planted them along the garden fence. It’s been three years, and this summer we harvested over two gallons of muscadines. The vines will continue to spread and produce more. They are just getting started!
Muscadines require yearly pruning in late winter, to keep fruit production optimal. I follow this pruning guide from my local extension office.
What do you Make with Muscadines?
Because of the tough skins and bitter seeds, muscadines are typically used for winemaking, juicing, jellies, and jams. I decided to make some muscadine jam with my harvest, to go with all the sourdough bread we eat in our house. Throughout the harvest season, I picked muscadines every couple days. I rinsed them off, then froze them in freezer bags. When harvest was over, I made jam with all I had stashed.
In the recipe below, I have included some affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, if you make a purchase through one of my links, I may make a small commission at no cost to yourself.
Muscadine Jelly or Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs muscadines (3 quarts) -to make 5 cups of juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 7 cups sugar
- 1 box powdered pectin (such as SureJel)
Tools and Equipment
- 8 half pint mason jars, with lids and rings
- Large pot
- Two large bowls
- Potato Masher
- Food mill
- Cheesecloth (optional -if you want a smooth jelly rather than a textured jam, you will need this)
- Water bath canner
- Jar funnel
- Ladle
- Jar lifter
- Liquid measuring cup
- Head space measuring tool
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preparing the Muscadines
- Wash muscadines thoroughly.
- Cooking the Muscadines
- Put muscadines and a little water (about 1/2 cup is fine) in a large pot on medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Heat to a simmer and cook until soft.
- Mash softened fruit with a potato masher to check softness. You don’t have to mash them all, just check to see if they’re mushy.
- Straining the Skins
- Strain the mixture to remove skins and seeds. I recommend using a food mill. If you don’t have one, you could use a strainer or a piece of cheese cloth. Whatever method you use, squeeze out as much juice as you can.
- Using the food mill will create a jam with a bit of texture from the pulp of the fruit. If you want a super smooth jelly instead, you must strain your juice with cheese cloth to remove the pulp.
- Adding Ingredients
- Measure exactly 7 cups of sugar into a large bowl and set it near your stove.
- Pour exactly 5 cups of muscadine juice into a large pot. Stir in lemon juice and pectin.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches a hard boil. This is described as a boil that doesn’t stop when you stir it.
- Pour the sugar into the boiling juice. Stir thoroughly and bring it back to a boil, then stir and boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat.
- Jarring
- Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized, half pint mason jars. Fill to 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean with a wet paper towel. Add lids and rings -don’t screw the rings on too tight.
- Canning Process
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars and let cool for 24 hours.
- Check seals, label, and store in a cool, dark place. Any that did not seal should be kept in the fridge and eaten soon.
What to Pair with Muscadine Jelly?
Muscadine jam is delicious on toast and bread, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc. It’s also excellent on biscuits, corn bread, waffles, or pancakes. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but I bet it would be delicious on a cheese and cracker plate, paired with brie or chevrie cheese.
Muscadine Jelly or Jam
Equipment
- 8 half pint mason jars, with bands and lids
- large pot
- 2 large bowls
- potato masher
- food mill
- cheesecloth (optional -if you want a smooth jelly rather than a textured jam, you will need this)
- water bath canner
- jar funnel
- ladle
- liquid measuring cup
Instructions
Preparing the Muscadines
- Wash muscadines thoroughly.
Cooking the Muscadines
- Put muscadines and a little water (about 1/2 cup is fine) in a large pot on medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Heat to a simmer and cook until soft.
- Mash softened fruit with a potato masher to check softness. You don’t have to mash them all, just check to see if they’re mushy.
Straining the Skins
- Strain the mixture to remove skins and seeds. I recommend using a food mill. If you don’t have one, you could use a strainer or a piece of cheese cloth. Whatever method you use, squeeze out as much juice as you can.
- Using the food mill will create a jam with a bit of texture from the pulp of the fruit. If you want a super smooth jelly instead, you must strain your juice with cheese cloth to remove the pulp.
Adding Ingredients
- Measure exactly 7 cups of sugar into a large bowl and set it near your stove.
- Pour exactly 5 cups of muscadine juice into a large pot. Stir in lemon juice and pectin.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches a hard boil. This is described as a boil that doesn’t stop when you stir it.
- Pour the sugar into the boiling juice. Stir thoroughly and bring it back to a boil, then stir and boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat.
Jarring
- Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized, half pint mason jars. Fill to 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean with a wet paper towel. Add lids and rings -don’t screw the rings on too tight.
Canning Process
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars and let cool for 24 hours.
- Check seals, label, and store in a cool, dark place. Any that did not seal should be kept in the fridge and eaten soon.
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