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!
Hey, got my juice cooked out yesterday with the help of my 15 yr, old Grandson that lives with me. I bought the 1/2 pint jelly jars. My question is, with the smaller jars should I still boil the jelly in the jars for the 15 minutes after sealing them? I ask my 90yr young Mother and she said she did not boil after sealing. Just want to know he best way! My Dad has the most beautiful big berries and this is the first year I am attempting to make jelly.
Thank you for the help!
Pam
Hi Robyn,
Thank you for the easy recipe. My neighbor was so kind to let me pick her muscadines in exchange for some jelly. I made 4 cases (8 ounce jelly jars) of jelly. That should last us till Christmas!
I’m just tickled to hear this, Amy! So glad you are going to be enjoying that delicious jelly for some time to come too! Thanks so much for sharing with me! xo
I have tried this recipe twice and have had to re-do both batches.
I’m sorry you’re jelly batches haven’t worked out, Marsha. This recipe has always worked fine for me and for years in my family as well. I’m not sure what happened as there are many steps in making jelly and canning. I try to do a step by step description with many pictures in my blog post. Also, I’m not sure if this applies in your case but I do not recommend doubling the recipe, as I describe in the recipe instructions and my blog post. Hopefully some of those tips I give in my post will help. I hope so! Thanks so much!
Dear Robyn,
I have tendonitis, wondering if a food processor would work instead of mashing?!
Carol
Hi Carol,
I’ve not tried this recipe using a food processor, so I can’t say how it would turn out. I begin mashing them as they are cooking as I describe in the recipe and in more detail in my blog post. Thanks!
Does the mixture need to be strained through a cheesecloth or is a regular fine strainer ok?
Hi Robyn – Is a water bath not necessary for this jelly? Just trying to get clarification. I love this recipe and have used it for the past 3 years but have not been doing a water bath. I just wanted to get your thoughts on this because other sites insist on a water bath.
I made this recipe last night and was looking forward to some muscadine jelly. I followed the directions, but the juice did not gel! I put the mixture in jars anyway and used the inversion method to seal. I thought maybe it would thicken as it cooled. Now I have 6 jars of slightly thickened muscadine juice. I really followed the recipe, but I did not have a thermometer to use. What went wrong?
Hi! It sounds like you needed a little bit more pectin for your jelly to set. However, I will say that all is not wasted! The thickened muscadine juice is still delicious over hot butter biscuits or even over pork tenderloin for supper! xo
I picked and purchased 5 lbs muscadines. I washed thoroughly and followed these directions. My question is: how do I know if I’ve used too much water? The pectin recipe only calls for 5 cups of the juice. I actually have 13 1/2 cups. I’m preparing to freeze the excess for later.
Hi Merrily,
As mentioned in the recipe, you should add just enough water to cover the muscadines before boiling them. I hope you enjoy the jelly. Thanks!
Is not very clear from the recipe, but make sure you have five cups of juice. If you come up short, add water or grape juice. Five cups of juice to six cups of sugar and one packet of sure jell.
Awesome tasting thank you