Muscadine Jelly Recipe: Sweet, Tangy, & Southern
Master the art of Southern canning with this easy muscadine jelly recipe. No peeling required—just sweet, tangy, amethyst perfection for your pantry! This jewel-toned preserve tastes like concentrated sunshine.
Equipment
- Large Stainless Steel Pot
- Potato Masher
- Cheesecloth or Jelly Bag
- Colander
- Water Bath Canner
- Half-Pint Canning Jars with Lids
Ingredients
Phase 1: The Juice
- 6 lbs Muscadine grapes (purple or bronze) washed and sorted
- 1 cup Filtered water
Phase 2: The Jelly
- 5 cups Prepared Muscadine juice from Phase 1
- 1 box Powdered fruit pectin e.g., Sure-Jell
- 0.5 tsp Butter optional, to reduce foaming
- 7 cups Granulated sugar approximate; measure 5 cups juice first
Instructions
- Wash and Sort: Dump your grapes into a clean sink filled with cool water. Discard any shriveled berries, leaves, or stems. You want only firm, plump fruit.
- The Crush: Place the grapes in a large, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot. Add about 1 cup of water (just enough to prevent burning). Using a potato masher, crush the grapes to break the skins.
- Simmer: Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes until grapes are soft.
- Strain: Place a colander over a large bowl lined with cheesecloth. Pour the hot fruit mixture in. Let it drip naturally for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Do not squeeze the bag to keep jelly clear.
- Measure: Measure exactly 5 cups of prepared juice into a large pot (6-8 quarts). If short, add a splash of water.
- Dissolve Pectin: Whisk in the powdered pectin until dissolved. Add the half-teaspoon of butter now to prevent foaming.
- Hard Boil: Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat (bubbles that don't stop when stirred).
- Add Sugar: Quickly pour in all the sugar at once. Stir constantly. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute.
- Skim and Fill: Remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle hot jelly into sterilized half-pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims and apply lids fingertip tight.
- Process: Place jars in a boiling water canner covered by 1 inch of water. Process for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 24 hours.
Notes
Crystal Prevention: Let extracted juice sit in the fridge for 24 hours before making jelly to allow tartaric acid crystals to settle.
Storage: Sealed jars last 12 months in the pantry. Opened jars last 3 weeks in the fridge.