Muscadine Jelly
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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!
how long can the reduced liquid, once at that stage, be kept in the fridge until ready to finish with sugar and pectin? I have mashed and boiled, but would have more time to f.
Hi Royce,
I’ve not done my jelly this way (put juice in refrigerator and made later), but I would think you would not want to wait very long. If you do it this way, you’ll need to start again with step #5 of the recipe. I hope you enjoy the jelly! It’s been a favorite in my family for years. Thanks!
I only have one vine and harvested about one gallon today. By next week I may get one more gallon but won’t have 5 gallons as you recommend in your recipe. Do you think adjusting the quantities will work satisfactorily?
Hi Paul,
You should be fine to adjust the ratio according to how many cups of juice your muscadines yield. I hope you enjoy this! Thanks!
Not sure if the recipe was edited after your comment, but the recipe calls for 5 pounds NOT 5 gallons.
I made this Jelly this afternoon and I use 6 1/2 Cups of the Muscadine Juice and I yielded 10 8 oz. half-pints. I tasted it while was hot and it was sooo good.It has such a better color in those little small jars.
Pretty color
Hi Bobbie!
I’m so glad you let me know how much you like the taste! I just love making – and eating – this homemade muscadine jelly! Thank you so much! xo
Nice, easy recipe. I used this one for my first canning experience. I added a little too much water during the boiling process so we boiled it down some more for a stronger concentrate. A little more sugar was added after some pressure from my friends who said “it’s jelly…it can never be too sweet. Besides, you only use a little and you don’t eat it by itself.” The jelly had great flavor and beautiful color!..and was a little sweet by itself but not noticable once I topped it over some flavored cream cheese and crackers to sample.
Mine didn’t turn out, can I redo them with more pectin? An this recipe here of yours it doesn’t say to water bath them?
Confused,
Tammy Smith
Gardenway has the juicer….I’ve used mine for over 20 years. Great for anything with skin or seeds
New to jarring. How long does it keep?
You put hot liquid into hot sterile jars and put lids with rings on them, as they cool the jars will seal. You will hear a pop and the top middle of lid will be down.
@Fallen, typically jelly is good for at least 18 months if stored properly.
One thing I have used for juicing larger quantities of muscadines (and blackberries as well) is a paint mixing attachment for a cordless drill. They are steel, or steel with a plastic “vortex” paddle blade at the end (this is the kind I have). Simmer the fruit until soft, run the paint mixer through it for just a few seconds, maybe a minute, simmer some more, and voila, completely pulverized muscadines ready to be strained! ?
invest in a steamer juicer, i got one for fathers day. we have 16 muscadine plants 5 different types, yesterday 9/24/2015 in about 7 hours, I juiced, cleaned jars, and pick some most picked days before, a got 17 gallons of pure juice, Not hard on hands and makes it more fun and buy mashing muscadine hulls the juice can get little crystals in it. after you can the juice you can make jelly with it any time you want even a year or more after, I love my steamer also works on other berries and great tomato juice or sauce and steam shrimp, oysters well any thing that you can steam.” YOU’LL BE STEAMING ” HAVE A STEAMING GOOD DAY
Where do you find a steam juicer? I would love one of those!
Lemah’s catalog, I ordered mine online love it
I don’t think I put enough pectin in my jelly
I followed directions properly(I thought !) but my jelly is too runny
My question is- can I recoil it and add some more pectin to remedy my problem
Thx for your help
James
I love this recipe and followed it exactly from the start. I used 5 cups of juice and 6 cups of sugar and 1’box sure jell. Followed the exact recipe and only made 6 half pint jars. What are your thoughts. I see where you yeild 12. Thanks for sharing. Appreciate the help. What could I do to make this for my diabetic husband. We use Splenda. The other jellies I have made with Splenda didn’t do well. Some are cloudy looking. Thanks.
It makes 12 8 oz or 6 half pints
My head hurts. Eight ounces = one cup = one half pint. A Half Pint Jar holds eight ounces. Six does not equal twelve. I think that covers it, Becky. I love your recipe, and I love Muscadines. Thanks for sharing.
The funny thing is that 8 ounces is a hall pint. LOL
Sandy, I have been using this recipe for several years and have NEVER gotten more than eight -8 ounce jars from the 5 cups juice/6 cups sugar.
I made the recipe last week and it only made seven 8 ounce jars. It did taste good though!
I got 9 – 8 oz. jars and I followed instructions exactly.
Mine made 4and1/2 pints
Thanks Rick!