The Best Simple Muscadine Jelly Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to prepare muscadines to make jelly? ›

Muscadine Jelly Recipe

Wash and crush grapes, without adding water, boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Press juice from the heated grapes. Pour the cool juice into glass containers and set in refrigerator. The next day strain the juice through a cloth jelly bag.

To Make Jelly—Sterilize canning jars. Heat 4 cups of juice to boiling in a saucepot. Add 3 cups sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then boil rapidly over high heat to 8°F above the boiling point of water or until jelly mixture sheets from a spoon.

There are many ways to use muscadine grapes, from desserts to smoothies to savory dishes, to home-made jelly and preserves. See our recipe collection. Freezing grapes: You can also freeze them for later use. You can pop the hulls off, then press them tightly together (to remove air) into a freezer container.

Measure 1 tablespoon water and 1 ½ teaspoons powdered pectin for each cup of jelly or jam. Place in small saucepan and place over low heat, stirring, until the powdered pectin is dissolved. Add to the sugar and fruit mixture and stir until thoroughly blended (about 2 to 3 minutes). Pour into clean containers.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring juice to a boil. Add 3/4 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Add lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, 8 to 12 minutes.

Pectin Substitute

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

You can use any type of citrus you like, however, lemons, grapefruit and oranges contain the most natural pectin. Choose varieties that have a thick layer of white pith for best results. Citrus seeds are also high in pectin, so we'll be using those too.

If you aren't using pectin as a thickener, the sugar as well as the cornstarch slurry will work to thicken quite well. Feel free to add more for an even thicker jam.

The usual culprits are improper boiling time – a hard boil is required for about one minute is needed to cause the pectin to gel. A hard boil is where it is boiling so hard that stirring does not make it go down. What is this? Another factor could be an imbalance in the fruit, pectin, or sugar.

Harvesting Muscadines

Ripe muscadines have a sweet fragrance and fall easily from the stem. Like most fruits, muscadines do not ripen further after harvesting and will achieve optimum flavor and sugar content when allowed to fully ripen on the vine.

How long will muscadines keep in the refrigerator? ›

Following harvest, store your intact muscadines in a plastic bag to maintain humidity and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Grapes with broken skins can be processed for juice or wine if crushed within 2 to 3 hours.

Jellies are produced by extracting the juice from fruits and then adding sugar and lemon juice (or another acid), while pectin is added to help it solidify. Unlike jams, jellies are known for their heightened sweetness, which is achieved by cooking the fruit over low heat for an extended period.

Substances essential for fruit jelly making are fruit flavor, pectin, sugar, acid and water. A pectin gel or jelly forms when a suitable concentration of pectin, sugar, acid, and water is achieved.

Muscadines have a very sweet and distinct flavor and the jelly is delicious.

Strain Through A Jelly Bag

To achieve a clear jelly you must strain it through a jelly bag that has been scalded in boiling water. Scalding the bag will stop it from soaking up the juices as your jelly strains through. It is important to let the mixture strain through in its own time.