Most people recognize muscadine grapes by the variety of sweet wines that are produced right here in North Carolina. Truth be told, I am actually not a fan of wine made from muscadine grapes. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the beauty of the muscadine.

Muscadine grapes are native to North America. Their harvest season runs from about the end of July to the early October (which varies by state). You can find them in the Southeast and they are fairly easy to grow because they can tolerate heat, humidity, and disease.

At first glance, muscadines and scuppernongs (a variety of muscadine named after the Scuppernong river in North Carolina) might appear to be similar to the conventional grapes that you find at your local grocery store. Muscadines, however, are bigger, rounder, and have a thicker skin. Their interior texture is softer and they taste much sweeter. Nutritionally, muscadines are an excellent source of fiber. They are fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and they are high in antioxidants, which makes them desirable for winemaking, cooking, and baking.

I wanted to share a couple of my favorite muscadine/scuppernong recipes:

Muscadine Hand Pies

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces muscadine or scuppernong grapes, seeds removed
  • ½ cup sugar
  • teaspoons lemon zest
  • tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • teaspoons cornstarch
  • standard pie crust
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine grapes, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, and corn starch. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook mixture until a thermometer registers 220 degrees (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, and remove and discard the sprig of rosemary. Cover mixture and refrigerate until cold.

I like to make my pie crust while my grape mixture is cooling. If you prefer, you can use pre-made pie crusts. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pie crust on a floured surface. Cut about 24 circles (3” in diameter) from the pie crust (rerolling scraps as needed). Place 12 circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place about 1 tablespoon of grape mixture on the middle of each circle, cover with a top circle, crimp edges gently with fingers, and seal using the tines of a fork. Refrigerate assembled pies for 15 minutes. Brush top of pies with beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar, and cut a small ‘X” with a sharp knife in the top of each pie. Bake about 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

“Scuppernong Sipper” Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup scuppernong grapes
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup
  • juice of two lemons
  • 2 ounces gin
  • soda water
  • bitters

In a cocktail shaker, muddle grapes and 1 sprig of rosemary. Add agave syrup, lemon juice, and gin. Shake and strain into a glass of ice. Top with soda water and add a couple of dashes of bitters. Garnish with a lemon twist and a sprig of rosemary.

 

 

 

 

(photo via Trevor Holman Photography)

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