Wild Muscadine Jelly Food

MUSCADINE JELLY

Steps:

• 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.

MUSCADINE JAM #1 (WITH SURE-JELL)

Steps:

• Prepare grapes by cutting partway through the skin and popping the pulp/seed capsule out of the hull. Put pulp into one pot and the hulls into another.
• Simmer the pulp, covered, on low-medium until soft enough to press through sieve or food mill ~ 10 minutes. Add just a little water if necessary to prevent sticking.
• Meanwhile, chop hulls very finely in the food processor and return to their pot. Add just enough water to make it possible to simmer without sticking. Cook slowly, covered, 15-20 minutes or until hulls are tender.
• Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a medium-large pot.
• Stir Sure-Jell into the fruit and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
• Add sugar all at once, stirring in well.
• Bring to a full, rolling boil, stirring constantly and boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Skim foam if necessary and pack into sterilized jelly jars.
• Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

WILD GRAPE JELLY

Steps:

• In large saucepan, crush grapes with potato masher; pour in water and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until fruit is very soft.
• Transfer to jelly bag or colander lined with a double thickness of fine cheesecloth and let drip overnight.
• Measure juice (you should have 3 cups/750 ml) into a large heavy saucepan; stir in sugar.
• Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Stir in pectin.
• Return to full boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon.
• Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/8 inch headspace.