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 jelly did not set either. I’m pretty sure I followed every step exactly.
Hi Carson,
I’m sorry your jelly has not jelled. Some people have said the photos and the details in the post helped them while they were making this recipe. The jelly may not have cooked long enough or you need more pectin. This website that I mention above may help you: National Center for Home Preservation – https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can7_jam_jelly.html. It gives instructions on how to add more pectin if needed, how to remake the jelly, etc. Hope this helps!
Can I use store-bought muscadine juice versus making the juice homemade from the fresh muscadine’s? Thank you
You should be able to make the jelly from pure muscadine juice you buy, Sydney. Hope you enjoy!
I was short a cup of juice be able to make another batch of jelly. I know I can add 1/2 cup of water but I need something to make the other 1/2 cup. Any suggestions?
Don’t use water. Use 1 cup grape juice.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful message and knowledge about cooking muscadine.
Thanks, Shelley. I hoped this helped with making your muscadine jelly. Enjoy!
I love this recipe!! Definitely will use it again!
Thanks, Margaret!
Do you sterilize the lids and rings? I read somewhere that you no longer should boil lids.
Hi Mary,
I have never boiled the lids but have always just kept them in a pan of simmering water until ready to place on the jars. Ball and Kerr now say that you only need to wash their lids in warm, soapy water and keep them at room temperature until ready to use. Thanks for your question.
On second batch short 1cup juice can I add water? To have 5cups
Hi Delilah,
I wouldn’t add water but would add a cup of grape juice to make the 5 cups. Hope you enjoy the jelly! xo
How much water would you say you added?
Thanks!
Can you use any grape for this recipe? I live in California and have never heard of Muscadine’s here.
THIS is truly a southern perfect jelly recipe!! It is fall in a jar!!! Thank you!!.. It is a keeper!!!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it too! Thanks Brenda!
I made this jelly and it turned out beautifully
Definitely a keeper
Great to hear that you enjoy it, Jan! Thanks!
I have LOTS of muscadine juice. Can I freeze it and make more jelly later???
Thanks, Pam
Yes, Pam, you can freeze the juice and make the jelly later.
This is my third year using your recipe! Thanks for the great instructions!
Hi, Ashley.
I’m so happy this recipe has worked so well with making your jelly. Thanks for letting me know.
I also used this recipe. Took mine about 36 hours to set up. Made 11 8 oz jars. Color was good. The only thing I’ll change is the amount of sugar. Super super sweet for me. I like the taste of the fruit alittle more. Used a box and maybe half of another box or very close to it of pectin. First time making jelly. In order to taste the berry alittle more what would you suggest cutting the sugar down to?
Tim, I haven’t made this with less sugar but this is the comment from Rita Martin who did reduce the sugar: “I did this recipe to a t! It was perfect! No issues at all! However it was a bit to sweet for us, so I did a 2nd batch using the little to no sugar pectin added 3 cups of sugar and it was perfect!” Hope this helps!
what if’s I didn’t skim the top off after adding to jars? I sure hope it don’t ruin it.
Tim, if you didn’t skim the foam off, the jelly just won’t be as clear and may have foam streaks throughout the jar. If there is a lot of foam in a jar, it may shorten the storage time of the jelly.
I followed instructions but it appears that my jelly is not gelling. Looks very runny. Can I break the seal and add more pectin to make it gel as it should?
Hi Bernard,
I’ve not had this happen where my jelly didn’t “jell”. Some possible reasons that could have happened might be something to do with the pectin used or not cooking it down enough or trying to double the recipe…
Please make sure you follow safe canning methods – take a look at this website that should help with doing this…
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/remake_soft_jelly.html
Thanks so much! Hope this helps!
Mine is not gelling either! This is my first try & I still have lots more to do!
Hi Elgin,
I’m sorry your jelly has not jelled. Some people have said the photos and the details in the post helped them while they were making this recipe. The jelly may not have cooked long enough or you need more pectin. Since this is your first time making jelly, this website that I mention above may help you: National Center for Home Preservation – https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can7_jam_jelly.html. It gives instructions on how to add more pectin if needed, how to remake the jelly, etc. Hope this helps!
Hey Robin! I’m getting ready to recook this juice. I messed up with the sugar & pectin! I poured them both together so I’m guessing that’s the problem! Wish me luck!
You need to change the part where you cover with water and boil. This is what is causing the problem of not sitting up. In place you said cover with water and in another place you said 1inch. So you might need to clarify. Thanks
I’m sorry you misunderstood the directions, Fred. You add just enough water to cover the muscadines when you start to boil them – Instruction #1. Instruction #9 is when you cover the jars filled with the jelly in the water bath canner with 1 inch of water. I hope this helps!
How many pint jars are needed for 5 pounds of muscadines?
Recipe works well, but doesn’t yield anywhere near 6 pints of jelly. 5 pounds of muscadines produces about a 1/2 gallon of juice, which make 8 pints, but would need more sugar and maybe more pectin. However, the end product of this recipe , just about 5 cps, is delicious
Lynn, I’m sorry you didn’t get the 6 pint jars of this jelly but I have every time I use the 5 cups of juice and this recipe.
Same here, only 7 of the 8oz jars instead of 12. I also had to add 2 tablespoons more of pectin.
This has been a wonderful recipe to follow although I didn’t get as many jars as it says I’m still very very pleased with the recipe! I’m making jelly for Christmas gifts!
Jill, this jelly makes awesome Christmas gifts! I’m so happy you liked the recipe.