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!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times. My first batch, I got 9-8oz jars, the next batch I got 8.5-8oz jars, and just earlier I got 7-8oz jars. I’ve got another 5 cups of juice I’m gonna try tomorrow night. Just wondering what I’m doing wrong? Do you start timer when you see first bubble from boil? Do you go to high heat instead of the gradual med-high heat to boil? I was thinking I might be losing some from evaporation with the med-high heat. Any advice would be helpful. I’ve enjoyed the taste though.
I’m not sure what is happening, Ryan. Do you have 5 cups of juice each time? Also, you may be cooking the juice for longer periods than others. I cook the juice on medium heat and start timing when the juice reaches a full rolling boil. Some cook tops may have different temps at medium heat from mine. I cook on a gas cooktop. I’m glad you love the taste!
Well I tried again tonight. Ended up with 7-8 oz jars. I started with a little over 5 cups of juice. Put on medium, but couldn’t hold a boil when stirred, I waited over an hour, so I turned it up enough to get a boil and hold while stirred. Once full boil I started my 5 minutes, then reduced to simmer. Added pectin, brought to boil and boiled for 1 minute. Then added sugar slowly while stirring to dissolve and boil for 1 minute. I’ll have to figure out what I’m doing differently. If anyone figures out what I could be doing wrong just let me know. This is my first year, so I’m learning. One good thing is I already started on my Christmas presents for others!! Lol.
Ryan, it looks like you may be cooking your jelly too long. It won’t take anywhere close to an hour for this to come a boil. It should take only a few minutes. It sounds like your cooktop at medium heat is not as hot as mine. Turn the heat up enough to get to a boil.Hope this helps!
Robin stone,
You did not say how much sugar to add!
I’m sorry that you missed this in the recipe, Cindy, but it is the second ingredient in the Ingredients List. Hope you enjoy the jelly!
This is my first try and I couldn’t figure out how much pectin to use at first 11.75?????
(No idea how much that is ! ) I’m not the brightest star in the sky for sure lol
Anyway Following the recipe And making a couple calls I put 8 tblsp of pectin in and boy did it jell but I only got 7 8 oz jars instead of twelve. So it’s a bit sweet
Gonna try again and see how it goes.
Hi Pam,
It is one (1.75 ounce) package of pectin. I don’t know why you only got 7 8 ounce jars of jelly. Is it possible the jelly cooked down too much? Hope the next batch goes easier for you. xo
This was the first time I had made Muscadine Jelly. Your recipe was perfect. Set up perfect!! We enjoyed on hot buttered biscuits right after it was made. Thank you….
I’m so glad you had such success with your first try making Muscadine Jelly. You can’t beat hot buttered biscuits and jelly in my opinion. Thank you for letting me know.
Can I leave some of the skin with the juice to make it more like preserves?
Hi Maxine,
Yes, you can but you might want to chop the skins in a food processor if they are in very large pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Can I use liquid pectin instead of the boxed kind? If so, how much?
Hi Jana,
I have not used liquid pectin to make this recipe. If you use liquid pectin, the steps in the recipe change. You add powdered pectin, as I have listed in the recipe, before you add the sugar and the liquid pectin is added at the end. If you decide to use liquid pectin, follow the instructions in your package to determine how much and the process to use. Hope this helps. Thanks.
I know you’re not supposed to double/or more the jelly recipes but could you do the juice ahead of time? I have 20+ lbs of grapes. (Actually probably 40+ of two different kinds of Muscadines) and I’d love to get the juice made, can some juice, then make jelly with more juice. Can I do that? I haven’t made grape style jelly in over 22 years and it was with concord type grapes. I usually make butters and jams but I did make mint jelly last week. Also, I’m running out of 8oz jars. What’s the processing time on pints? 10 min?
Autumn, you can make the juice ahead of time and then make the jelly. You will process the 8 ounce or pint jars for 5 to 15 minutes according to pectin package instructions for your altitude.
How much water do you use?
Hi Tammy,
You add just enough water to cover the muscadines. Hope you enjoy the jelly!
Why do u have to put in boiling waters after u put in jars?
You process the jelly in the waterbath canner to prevent spoilage and mold growth, Lucy.
First time ever for me to make any type of jelly and it turned out perfect!! Thank you so much! My family loves it on fat cat head biscuits! 😋
Hi Angela,
I’m so happy your jelly turned out so well, especially since it was your first time. I agree; there is nothing better than muscadine jelly on cathead biscuits! Enjoy! xo
I followed the recipe and it didn’t turn out the way it’s supposed to,
I’m sorry, Kathy, that your jelly did not turn out as it should. Read my answers to earlier comments above to Bernard and Carson and check out the website I listed for making jelly and correcting problems with it. Hope this helps!
Can you make the jelly with the green muscadines instead of red ?
Yes, you can, Deborah. Just follow the same recipe for those as well. Enjoy!