Grapes are one of the best fruits to enjoy during the summer and autumn months. Of course, you can use them to make wine, vinegar, or just grape juice, but enjoying the whole fruit is also a very delicious way of consuming them. What recipes with muscadine grapes are there, you ask? So many! Don’t worry, we will explore them together!
What are muscadine grapes?
Muscadine grapes or Vitis rotundifolia are a grapevine species usually found in the southeast and the south-central areas of the United States of America. People have been cultivating them extensively since the 16th century. Their color ranges from bronze to dark purple or even black when really ripe. One of the biggest advantages of cultivating these grapes is how resistant they are to insect and disease pests, thus not needing pesticides to grow successfully. Moreover, they do great in humid and hot climates.
Recipes with muscadine grapes
You can use muscadine grapes to cook lots of recipes. Of course, there are some special secret ones that only grandmas have and refuse to share with the rest of the world, but I found the most popular ideas. If you want to try other delicious grandma-inspired recipes, you should take a look at Brenda Gantt.
- Muscadine Jam
2. Muscadine Almond Smoothie
3. Muscadine grape jelly
4. Canned super easy muscadine grape juice
5. Muscadine grape shrub
6. Old-fashioned muscadine wine
7. Grape liqueur
Pies are great no matter the fruit. If you have some muscadine grapes around and want to enjoy them by baking a delicious pie, try one of these 3 recipes from the North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association:
- Nancy McDermott’s “Legendary” Grape Hull Pie
Ingredients:
- Pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup everyday sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 5 cups clean, rinsed muscadine grapes (around 2 pounds)
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh, if possible)
- 3 tbsps. cold butter
Cooking instructions:
- Prepare the oven by heating it to 400º F.
- Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust, using about half the dough. Leave a 1-inch overhang.
- Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Mix well.
- Prepare a medium saucepan. Squeeze the grapes over the saucepan, dropping the pulpy, seed-filled grapes into the pan. Place their thick, sturdy skins, or hulls, into another bowl.
- Add 3 tablespoons of water to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and cook the grape pulp until softened and shiny, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked grape pulp to a strainer and place it over the bowl of grape hulls. Press the grapes through the strainer, pushing the softened pulp into the pan with the hulls while extracting the large, round seeds. Use the back of a large spoon to get as much pulp as possible.
- Transfer the hulls and strained pulp back to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat to soften the hulls, about 5 more minutes.
- Add the sugar mixture and lemon juice to the grapes and stir to mix everything well. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
- Sprinkle small bits of butter over the grape filling, distributing it evenly. Wet the rim of the bottom piecrust to help seal it.
- Roll the remaining dough into a 10-inch circle and cover the filling. Trim away the extra pastry extending beyond the rim of the pie pan. Crimp the edges firmly, or press them down with the back of a fork, working your way around the edge of the pie to seal the crust well.
- With a sharp knife, cut 8 slits in the top crust, to allow steam to escape and fruit juices to bubble up as the pie cooks. You can perform some pie art while you are at it 🙂
- Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet to capture any drips, and place it in the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350º. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the grape juices are bubbling up through the crust, about 40 to 50 minutes more.
- Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can get up to 6-8 portions out of this pie.
- Jeannie Blethen’s Muscadine Grape Hull Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds/4 cups muscadines
- 1/4 tsp. table salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp. melted butter
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 8-inch unbaked regular pastry shell
- 1 9-inch unbaked deep-dish pastry shell
Cooking instructions:
- Separate the skins from grapes and set skins aside.
- Bring pulp to boiling point; reduce heat & simmer 5 minutes, then press through sieve or Foley mill to remove seeds.
- Boil the skins briefly. Then, run them through a blender for about 2 seconds, leaving the grape skins in roughly 1/4 to 1/3 chunks.
- Combine skins with the sieved grape pulp.
- Combine sugar, flour & salt. Add the lemon juice, butter and grape pulp mixture.
- Pour into deep-dish shell. Cut fluted edge off regular pie shell & lay over top of filling so that a little (gold or purple) ring will show between crusts when pie is done.
- Use edge scraps to make small rolled balls of pie dough, and lay them on top of the top crust as a decorative grape cluster/bunch.
- Bake at 400°F oven for approximately 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes longer.
- North Carolina Grape Hull Pie (from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services)
Ingredients:
- 51/2 cups clean muscadine grapes
- 1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pastry for 2-crust pie
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 Tbsp. butter
Cooking instructions:
- Separate pulp from skins. Set skins aside.
- Boil pulp until seed loosen, then press through a sieve to separate pulp from seeds.
- Cook pulp together with skins until tender. Then add sugar, flour, lemon juice, and orange rind.
- Mix well. Put in pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate. Top with butter or margarine.
- Add top pastry. Seal edges and slit top.
- Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes.
I have to admit I had no idea you could use grapes to make butter! What a wonderful idea!
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds Muscadine grapes
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp ground mace
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cooking instructions:
- Wash grapes; drain and remove stems. Plunge grapes into rapidly boiling water to cover; boil 2 minutes. Drain well. Slip off grape skins and grind or chop skins finely, reserving pulp; set aside.
- Place pulp in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until seeds begin to separate from pulp. Press pulp through a sieve to remove seeds; discard seeds. Return pulp to saucepan; add reserved skins and remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens.
- Quickly ladle butter into hot sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands tight. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes.
Read more at: https://lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/09/cooking-with-the-muscadine-grapes/
10. Muscadine lemon butter chicken
If you have already tried all the classic golden chicken recipes, maybe it’s time to impress your friends and family with a new, delicious idea.
Ingredients:
Lemon Butter Sauce
- ¼ cup Duplin Muscadine Easy Wine
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup butter,
- chilled salt and pepper to taste
Chicken and Pasta
- ½ pound dry bow tie pasta
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded to ¼ inch thickness
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces bacon
- 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and halved
- 2 teaspoons capers, drained
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Cooking instructions:
- To make the sauce, pour the Duplin Muscadine Easy Wine and lemon juice into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook at a low boil until the liquid is reduced by ⅓. Stir in cream, and simmer until it thickens. Gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
- To make the chicken, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in hot oil. (If necessary, cook in batches.) Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the chicken and set atop paper towels. Stir the bacon, mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the oil; cook until the mushrooms are soft.
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size strips, and return them to the skillet. Stir half of the lemon butter sauce into the chicken mixture.
- To serve, place pasta in a large bowl. Stir the chicken mixture into the pasta. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in additional lemon butter sauce as desired. Toss well, and garnish with parsley.
Read more at: https://lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/09/cooking-with-the-muscadine-grapes/
11. Muscadine Grape & Gingersnap Crisp
Ingredients:
- 6 cups muscadine grapes
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Crumb topping
- 20 small gingersnap cookies
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
- Pinch sea salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
Cooking instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Over bowl (to capture juices), cut grapes in half with scissors and push seeds out with thumb. Drop grape halves (hull and pulp) into bowl with juice. Stir in sugar and flour. Mix well and pour into baking dish (best in 9″ square baking dish or 12″ cast iron skillet).
- With your hands, break cookies and put pieces into food processor. Mix in all other toppings but butter. Add butter and pulse in spurts until incorporated and mixture is roughly crumbled. Scatter crumbs over grape mixture.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes until hot and bubbly. Baking time will vary a bit depending on depth of baking dish.
So, everybody, here you have it! All the recipes I could find online about cooking muscadine grapes. All you need now is enough time and grapes to try them all. 🙂