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!
my neighbor asked me if I knew how to make jelly because she has muscadine vines but doesn’t know what to do with the grapes beside eat them. I said sure and she brought over grapes, sugar, sure-jel and jars. So I’ve been at it most of today and just finished the first batch per your recipe. It’s delicious! Your recipe made 7 1/2 x 8 oz jelly jars and I still have 8 cups of juice in the fridge. It’s truly been a nearly all day affair and my hands and arms are purple. I didn’t have a jelly bag so we used one of my husband’s t-shirts. He confirms it was worth the sacrifice.
No problem with jelling I kinda lost track of time dealing with the jar sterilization so I probably boiled the juice closer to 2-3 minutes. I used the “spoon test” to tell if I had jelly yet and it worked perfectly. Some things you just never forget!!
Wondering if I use my steam juicer to get the juice out…would that work? And also wondering where to get Muscadine berries? Never heard of them???
STEAM JUICER IS WHAT I USE, DEPENDS WHERE YOU LIVE I AM IN NC THERE EVERY WHERE , GA, SC, VA, AL, TN WE GROW OUR ON
I have my own wild muscadine vine that is over 10″ diameter at the base and I have trained this traditionally vertical grower into a 100′ long trellis (with a small volunteer growing from the other end). I get about 5 gallons of muscadines a year picking sporadically. I was excited to find this recipe for muscadine jelly. However, I’m sorry to say that the amount of water it calls for should be more clear as in my case and at least one other poster we ended up with a vast amount too much muscadine juice. No “cooking down” or amount of Pectin would “solve” this problem so I’m left 8 quarts of muscadine swamp water as I have come to call it. It’s a disappointment but it is good in mixed drinks and marinades.
So, if you are making this recipe, perhaps “cover” the muscadines means water to the bottom of the top level or even less. You can add more water in the cooking process if needed. If you fail to do so, be prepared to enjoy quite a bit of muscadine swamp water in your cosmopolitan or on your pork loin. If fact, be prepared to drink nightly and eat pork daily as I am.
Great recipe!!!! Thanks to you this is My first time making Muscadine jelly, because the instructions with the pics was so simple and easy. Thanks 4 sheer.
What do you mean by “jellied” and how can you tell?
Hi Robyn! As I have been a cook and jelly maker for lets just say awhile lol…When I first started jelly making I ran across the “syrupy” jelly too. I tried again and then I realized..Hey wonder if I cook this longer than a minute if it would help? Guess what? It did! Now any jelly I cook goes for about 1 1/2 minutes and sometimes almost 2. Results? Perfect jelly everytime! hmmm I too got only 3 pints out of one batch lol but it all turned out great and have had many compliments on it!!! Thanks for the recipe and the sharing 🙂
GREAT recipe!!! My first time making Jelly! I have a Scuppernog (white Muscadine) vine at home and it produced so many grapes this year that I was a little overcome with what to do with them all..I picked about 5 gallons and juiced them. I was not able to make the jelly for a few weeks, but the juice kept nicely in the fridge until I was ready to use it.
I ended up with 6 half pint made with splenda (mom and dad are both diabetic) and 12 half pint jars and 6 pint jars made with sugar….I brought a jar into work this morning and made hot biscuits, needless to say it was a HUGE hit and the jar is empty!
we have enough jelly to last for 2 years…(if I can keep it hidden)
thanks for the recipe!!
You are saying “package” of pectin. I have the instant pectin…can I use that? If so, how much?
Yep! It’s a sin in my family too! I think a good ripe muscadine is a little bite of heaven! It’s hard for me to save enough for jelly because I eat so many before I get them in the house! They are addictive!! This year our vines have put out the biggest sweetest berries I have ever had!! I heard on doctor oz that they prevent heart disease too!
Hi Robyn
Last fall was the first time I tried my hand at muscadine jelly in a long time. I looked for & studied a lot of recipes until I came across yours. It Is so easy and delicious. As a matter of fact I am making some muscadine jelly right now. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Love it!!!!