Muscadine Jelly
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I grew up eating homemade muscadine jelly on hot buttered biscuits in the mornings or even as the J in my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Muscadine jelly definitely is delicious. It tastes similar to grape jelly, but with a bit more tartness.
You may want to read about my love of muscadines. Then you’ll understand why I’m so picky about my recipe for making jelly.
No wasting these babies.
I really think it may be considered a sin in the south if you don’t use your muscadines.
Well, at least it is in my family.
I bet someone would stage an intervention.
But no need. I’m on it. I love them too much to let them waste away.
So here’s how we make our muscadine jelly.
Pick through your muscadines and make sure you remove any stems or blemished fruit. Wash them well and then place into a large stockpot. You’ll need about 5 pounds of muscadines to produce about 5 cups of juice. Don’t make double batches, it just never turns out right.
Cover the muscadines with water and place on cooktop.
Cover the muscadines with water and place on cooktop.
While muscadines are beginning to simmer, mash them with a potato masher. Continue to mash and mash and mash as they cook for about 15 minutes.
This is where you can really work out any frustrations you might have had during the day.
It’s like free therapy.
And there is nothing wrong with a little free therapy every now and then.
Pour the cooked muscadines through a strainer into another large stockpot. You get to mash it a little bit more to make sure you get all of that yummy juice that you can.
Bring muscadine juice to a rolling boil, for 5 minutes, then reduce to simmer.
Add pectin to the juice and stir until well-dissolved.
Add sugar when juice reaches a boil. Allow to reach a hard boil, about 220 F, for about 1 minute, stirring to prevent burning. Test to be sure your juice has “jellied” per the pectin packaging directions. If it has not “jellied” add a bit more pectin, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Normally, I keep another box of pectin on hand just in case I need to add a bit more.
While you are cooking the juice, go ahead sterilize your jars in another pan of water. This takes about 10 minutes.
And now skim the film off of the top of your jars.
Screw the lid on the jar and place back into a pan of water that covers the top of the jars. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Remove from water, dry it off and get ready to enjoy with some warm buttermilk biscuits in the morning.
You’ll need the following when making your jelly.
- 12 8 ounce jars with lids and rings or 6 pint jars with lids and rings
- 1 strainer
- 2 large stockpots
- 1 potato masher
Muscadine Jelly
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh muscadines juice, about 5 pounds of muscadines
- 6 cups sugar
- 1 1.75 ounce package of pectin or 8 tablespoons if using bulk pectin + 1 spare box, to use if needed
Instructions
- Wash muscadines, place in a stockpot and add just enough water to cover the muscadines.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a full boil. (As muscadines begin to heat, start mashing them with a potato masher.)
- Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, continuing to mash muscadines.
- Remove from heat and pour mixture through a strainer into a large stockpot.
- Place stockpot over medium heat and bring to a full rolling boil that does not stop bubbling when stirred, about 5 minutes. Reduce to simmer.
- When mixture is at simmer level, add pectin to the juice and stir until well dissolved. Bring to full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Test to determine if juice has “jellied” according to pectin packaging instructions. If not, add more pectin from spare box, as directed on instructions.
- Pour jelly into hot sterilized jars. Skim foam off top of jelly. Screw the lids on jars and place into a prepared water bath canner with enough simmering water to cover 1 to 2 inches above jars. Add boiling water to canner if needed to cover jars.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 5 to 15 minutes according to pectin package instructions for your altitude.
- Remove from water. Place on towel, leaving about an inch between jars. Do not move the jars for at least 24 hours. Check that each jar has sealed before storing.
- Store in pantry, unopened, for up to 1 year. Once opened, store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Muscadine jelly is a definite favorite for my family with biscuits and with pork. I hope you enjoy it!
Enjoy!
Do I need pectin and what is pectin.you dont think strawberrys will replace muscadine,in this recipe? please respond I need this for my aunts birthday.
Gentora, pectin causes the mixture to set or gel such as Sure-Jell. I don’t think you can replace the muscadines with strawberries to make the jelly. You can substitute grape juice for the same amount of muscadine juice, then just follow the instructions. I hope this helps.
Made this today and yum, yum! I only had about 3 pounds of muscadines but managed to squeeze 4 cups of juice so, as suggested, I added 1 cup concord grape juice. I tasted it after I added 4.5 cups of sugar and didn’t add that last 1/2 cup. I may try it with 4 cups because it was still a little too sweet for my taste. It still set beautifully in my test and was setting before I could get my last jar filled because I was wiping and sealing as I went. Excellent recipe. If only I could reach the ones up the tree – my vines are not trained, they are truly wild muscadines!
Thanks, Rose. I love the wild muscadines.
I was looking at the pectin ,you call for 11.75 sure jell calls for a package 1.75 for the 5-6 lbs ???
Anne, it is (1) one 1.75 ounce package.
Thanks for the recipe. Very easy.
can i freeze extra juice for later use
You can freeze the juice and make the jelly later, Kathy.
Can I use this recipe for scuppernongs?
Yes, Tisha, you would use the same recipe for scuppernongs. I have both muscadine and scuppernong vines at my house and use the same recipe.
Just what I was looking for.Will be making this.
I hope you enjoy, Ricky.
If I have one gallon of juice do I understand right that I won’t cook all of it at one time but cook according to measurements for one box of Sure Jell and sugar at a time? I think it came out that I would cook about four different batches.
Lady Di, I only make mine using 5 cups of juice for 12 8-ounce jars. A gallon of juice would be more than 3 times my recipe. I have had problems with the jelly jelling as it should when I tried to make double the recipe.
I made the jelly but it did not jell per instructions, soi I kept adding pectin, so i I finally got it to jell, it is a lil strong, but I guess that’s the way it is suppose to taste. I will try it later with biscuits and a jelly cake.😏
Linda, muscadine jelly does have a more tart flavor than grape jelly would have. I hope you enjoy!
Love this! Quick question – can you do (mostly) the same process here but make freezer jelly instead? The canning process is still intimidating to me!
Liz, after the jelly has cooked, ladle it into the hot, sterilized jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace in each jar. Cool thoroughly, screw lid on the jar, label, and place in the freezer. The jelly should be good for one year.
Any way to salvage a batch that did not jell first batch turned out perfect second did not, pectin was a little old
Neal, this website may help you: National Center for Home Preservation to remake the second batch of jelly. It gives instructions on how to add more pectin if needed, how to remake the jelly, etc. Hope this helps!