A few weeks ago I made a post about the critters getting all of our grapes each year. Well, this year it has been a little different. I did have to step up the defense with a live trap to even things out. After catching and relocating two opossums and three raccoons, we have had a harvest of sorts. We still find evidence each morning of nocturnal visitors, but they haven’t stripped the vines like in years past. Today was jelly making day.
A pot of purple and a pot of bronze.
The hardest part.
But it’s worth it in the end.
This is just a part of what Wanda did today. She had one jar that didn’t seal properly so I had the opportunity to give it the taste test after it had jelled. I give it an A+.
We still have lots of the bronze grapes on the vine. It appears the critters prefer the purple. I may gather most of the remaining ones tomorrow and try my hand at some wine making. I found a recipe for “real” scuppernong wine from 1880. Sounds interesting….jc
What a beautiful harvest!
ReplyDeleteMy mouth watered just looking at all the muscadines. Reminded me of childhood, and finding them out in the woods in the fall.
ReplyDeleteAre the deep purple ones sweeter? Scuppernong wine is made in the mountain wineries back home but I've never seen them growing in the wild.
Looks like Wanda has put in a good day's work.
Yep, the purple are sweeter than the bronze, but the bronze make the better jelly, in my opinion.
DeleteLooks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMaybe in Lajita's, or Quartzite:-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a productive day!! The jelly looks delicious!! The wine sounds interesting...let us know how it turns out!!
ReplyDeleteOh, you guys need to get a Nutri-Steamer--makes short work of juicing anything even those pesky little chokecherries we get! I bought mine from Amazon.com after borrowing a friend's one year--they aren't inexpensive but worth every penny! It uses boiling water to steam the juice from the fruit. There are other brands out there, too--Mehu-Liisa Steam Juicer is another brand but I have the Nurti-Steamer and it works!! No more smashing/straining grapes or berries!
ReplyDeleteWow....you did get a good harvest....I think this new laptop I got has a smell device as I'm getting some sort of great scent....I always heard you don't earn your right of passage UNLESS you "smashed and strained"...I heard scuppernong wine is really popular in Louisiana... I have one recipe that includes adding vodka in the process...not to bad....take care and you two have a great weekend....Oh, BTW...I'd like to put an order in for 1 each jelly and wine... Horst sends
ReplyDeleteThe grapes are gorgeous!!! And the jelly looks like an ad from a glossy magazine. So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGlad the possums and the raccoons didn't win the war. :)
Your last two pictures remind me of when I used to can. We were always so proud of our work that we'd leave all the jars on the counter a few days so we could admire our work. Looks like you have the same thoughts! Your jelly looks so pretty and I'm sure delicious. My one time making jelly turned out into blueberry syrup instead. :)
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