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 use either fresh muscadine juice or organic grape juice instead of water. It has an improved richer flavor.
Hi Robyn, I don’t quite have 5 cups of juice. (4 1/4) Can I substitute apple juice for for that last 3/4 cup?
Cindy, I haven’t tried adding apple juice to make up the difference but I have added grape juice. I don’t see why the apple juice would not work. I hope you enjoy the jelly!
Thanks Robyn, I used grape juice. Your jelly recipe turned out perfect! I’ve made this grape jelly several time before but could find my old recipe. So glad I found this one!
I just wanted to comment to the people who said their jelly didn’t set. Don’t be disheartened. I found that this jelly can sometimes take a day to jell. Mine seemed quite thin while I was pouring it into the jars but it has already thickened up some after 4-5 hours.
I made the jelly today using 5 cups of juice from the muscadines and Ended up with at least 5 extra cups of juice. I thought perhaps I put too much water because I added about a half inch above them. Also, I added the 6 cups of sugar. Long story short, I water bath canned the 8 pints and at first, though they hadn’t gelled but refrigerated one jar and it did gel. I tasted and tastes great but almost too sweet for our taste. I’m making the juice I refrigerated tomorrow and wondered if I can reduce the amount of sugar? Thanks for the recipe!
Joyce, I haven’t tried reducing the amount of sugar in this recipe but if you do, you may have to cook the jelly longer to get it to jell.
I tried this recipe last year. It was the first time I had tried to make jelly, it turned out great. I do have a question though I have harvested my first Pineapple this week. Do you know of a recipe to combine muscadine grapes with pineapple to make a jelly
I’m sorry, David, but I haven’t combined muscadine grapes and pineapple for jelly. It sounds delicious though. I’m glad your muscadine jelly turned out great last year. How lucky you are to have your own pineapple! Thanks.
What kind of pectin are y-u using? I have used sure jel in the past. Is that ok to use? Also I would like to know how much Splenda Charlene used to make her jelly. I will be making plenty of the regular batch but my Husband, Brother in law and 2 nieces are diabetics. So we always looking for a good recipe with Splenda as a substitute. I CAN”T wait to make this!!!!!! I’ve canned over 100 jars of veggies this year, my first time to can =)
I used Sure Jell pectin, Poppy. I don’t know how much Splenda Charlene used in her jelly. Maybe she will see the comments and will answer these questions. I read in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving to use an equal amount of Splenda as the sugar but since Splenda is sweeter than granulated sugar and I have not made jelly with Splenda, I don’t know if the jelly would be too sweet. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more information on this.
I made this today. We planted 2 Muscadine bushes about 3 years ago. This year they yielded an abundance. Although they are not the size you get in the store they are still good. I weighed 5 pounds of grapes and, following the directions, I pressed out 10 cups of juice. So, I doubled the recipe. It took 1 Ball classic pectin container which measured 1 cup(16 Tbsp). I gradually added the sugar until I thought it was sweet enough. I added a total of 10 cups. I also added about a half aTbsp of butter to cut the foam. (per another recipe) Also, a few squirts of lemon juice(per a another recipe) Tastes great and jellied just fine! 😄
I’m so glad this worked well for you, Debbie. I feel we are so lucky to have Muscadine plants at our house, don’t you? Mine are full this year, too.
Thank you Robyn for answering my question so quickly. I made a batch of your recipe for muscadine jelly and it came out perfect. Thanks again.
Yay! That is awesome, Charlene.
Charlene, did you use a sugar substitute? If so, could you please share which sugar substitute you used and how much? Thank you so much. My son is on the Keto diet and can not eat very much sugar. I too would rather not have so much sugar in my jellies. My son and I just made some tonight from the grapes I just picked today, but we used 3 cups of cane sugar. He still won’t be able to eat any though.
Helen, I have not made jelly with Splenda. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving does state to use an equal amount of Splenda as the granulated sugar in jelly recipes. Since Splenda is much sweeter than sugar, I would think you would need to taste to make sure the jelly is not too sweet with the Splenda. If it is too sweet, I would decrease the amount of Splenda. You also will need to use the Low Sugar/No Sugar type of pectin if using Splenda.
Can I mix Splenda/sugar and get the same results. My son is a diabetic and I would like to make some jelly for him.c
I’m sorry but I haven’t tried making this jelly with Splenda, Charlene, so I can’t tell you the correct amount. I have had a few comment that they have made it with Splenda but I don’t know amounts. Maybe someone else on here has made it with Splenda and can tell you how they made it.
Help Robyn, I used 5 gallons of muscadines. I used 6 cups of sugar, I used three boxes of sure jel . Most all but one sealed. But sadly none of it jelled. What can I do to salvage this days work and costly mess??? My first try ever😞 can you help me? Would appreciate your help!
Tony
Tony, 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. 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!
How much Splenda was used?? Was it an even swap of the sugar?
Absolutely marvelous! First time
Making muscadine jelly and it turned out magnificently! I couldn’t be happier with this recipe and my family and friends loved it too! Thanks for sharing. I will be using this recipe every time
Thanks, Stormi! I’m so happy everyone loved the jelly! xo
I followed this recipe to the letter a couple of nights ago using the green (around here they are also called bronze) muscadines and am thrilled that my jelly came out perfectly! I was intimidated as I’ve never canned anything. Muscadines are a childhood and family favorite and are getting harder to find so when a friend gave me some, I knew I had to jelly them. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so glad the jelly turned out so well for you, Tiffany; especially since it was your first time canning anything. I know I am so fortunate to have these vines at my house.
Oh my….I make a lot of jelly and jam but had always passed on Muscadined.
Can’t believe I have been missing out. This stuff is DELICIOUS. In fact have another 2 pots on the stove right now.
I’m so glad you tried the muscadine jelly, Marie. It is delicious, isn’t it? I grew up eating this jelly and it has always been one of my favorites. Thanks!