Scuppernong Jelly Recipes

Steps:

• Wash the fruit and remove the stems. Place the fruit in a large bowl, and using your hands, a fork, or a potato masher, squeeze the grapes. Place the fruit in a large, stainless steel or enamel pot, and using your hands, mash until no large pieces of fruit remain. Add just enough water to keep the mixture from sticking (see page 295) and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low, and simmer until very juicy, about 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a jelly bag (see page 293) and allow to hang over a bowl for at least 6 hours or overnight. Measure the juice; you should have about 8 cups.
• When you are ready to make the jelly, place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Place several small plates in the freezer to use later to test the consistency of the jelly.
• Sterilize eight 1/2-pint canning jars and lids in boiling water, following the manufacturer's instructions (or see Boiling-Water Canning, page 279). Remove the jars from the water and place upside down to drain on the prepared rack. Remove the lids from the water and dry with a clean towel. Turn the sterilized jars right side up on the rack, using tongs or a kitchen towel to protect your hands. When they are cool enough to handle, dry them with a clean towel. Set aside.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the scuppernong juice (you should have about 16 cups, or 4 quarts), sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Follow the procedure for Raspberry Jam (page 289), including ringing the scuppernong mixture to a boil and cooking until the mixture reaches the jelling point, preparing the canner, filling the jars and boiling them gently for 5 minutes, and checking that the seals on the jars are good. Store the unopened jars of jam at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once the jam is opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• variation
• For refrigerator or freezer jam, transfer the mixture to sterilized freezer-safe plastic containers or freezer-safe jars with lids, leaving 1 inch of headroom. Freeze for up to 1 year or refrigerate for up to 1 month.
• jelly bag
• A jelly bag is used for straining pressed juice when making jelly. It may be made of several thicknesses of cheesecloth, or of cotton flannel or firm unbleached muslin. These are available online and in some hardware stores and gourmet shops. Meme used to use an old cotton pillowcase. When making jelly, it is important not to squeeze the fruit. Let the fruit hang in the jelly bag and slowly drip out into a bowl. Squeezing the mixture will produce cloudy juice, which makes for cloudy jelly.

Steps:

• 1. Scuppernongs have very tough skin. I took a sharp knife and gave each one a cut when I put then into the pot to cook.
• 2. Add the 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 3. Strain the juice, you will need 4 cups. Directions called for cheesecloth, I just used a strainer with fine holes.
• 4. Sterilize 5 canning pint jars for 20 minutes. Wash the screw bands and lids.
• 5. Lids go into pan with water brought to hot, and then turned off.
• 6. Put juice in a large pan, add sugar and butter and bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add pectin and cook exactly 1 minute.
• 7. Fill pint jars to directions on pectin package, wipe clean the outside rim, add the lid and screw band.
• 8. Put in water bath for exactly 5 minutes.

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, 10 minutes or until hulls are softened.
• Peel lemon and chop peel finely. Use entire peel, including the white part, to ensure good jelling.
• Juice the lemon.
• Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a large pot.
• Add lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in sugar and return to a boil.
• Simmer, stirring frequently until the jellying point is reached ~ 1-2 hours. Timing is approximate and will vary depending on conditions and the amount of natural pectin in the fruit. Check frequently.
• Pack into hot, sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

Steps:

• Place scuppernongs in large dutch oven and pour in water.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• Take potato masher and mash fruit.
• Drain through cheese cloth.
• This should yield around 5 cups of juice, you may have a little over or under.
• If you have under, add water to bring up to 5 cups.
• Measure sugar into a separate bowl and set aside until needed.
• Place the juice in large boiler with the box of pectin.
• Bring to a full rolling boil.
• Be sure that it is a full boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Add sugar all at once.
• Bring back to a full rolling boil.
• Again be sure that it is a full boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Boil for 1 minute after reaching the full rolling stage.
• Remove from heat.
• Pour into jars that have been sterilized and preheated.
• Wipe rims of jars with a clean, wet, warm dishtowel.
• Place lids on jars and tighten rings.
• Process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
• Remove from hot water and allow to cool completely before storing in pantry.