Muscadine berries may be bronze or dark purple or black when ripe. [5] Wild varieties may stay green through maturity. Muscadines are typically used in making artisan wines, juice, and jelly. They are rich sources of polyphenols. [6]
What do muscadine berries taste like?
Muscadine grapes are very sweet with a musky scent and flavor, and the skin is tart or slightly bitter in flavor.
Are muscadine berries edible?
Since Muscadines tend to have thicker skins, this a benefit when eating them out of hand—although the skin is edible, some people prefer to squeeze each grape so the pulp goes in their mouth and they can discard the skin (and spit out the seeds). They can be challenging to harvest.
Are grape and muscadine the same?
Other than having names that are fun to say, these grapes are similar but not the same. The muscadine is actually a native American grape, Vitis rotundifolia, found in the southeastern and south-central U.S., and scuppernongs are a variety of muscadine.
Is muscadine good eating?
Muscadine grapes are fat free, high in fiber and they are high in antioxidants, especially ellagic acid and resveratrol. Ellagic acid has demonstrated anticarcinogenic properties in the colon, lungs and liver of mice. Resveratrol is reported to lower cholesterol levels and the risk of coronary heart disease.
Is muscadine a grape or berry?
In New York, Muscadines are referred to as "Swamp Grapes", however, most growers consider them berries. Scientifically speaking, they are indeed berries but just happen to grow in grape-like, loose clusters. The berries ripen individually within that cluster and are not synchronized like bunch grapes.
How do you eat muscadines?
To eat a muscadine, place the grape with the stem scar facing upward in your mouth and squeeze or bite the grape. The pulp and juice will burst through the skin into your mouth.
What is another name for muscadines?
Scuppernong is an alternative name for Muscadine grapes. The Muscadine grape prefers the heat and humidity of the southern United States for growing and it is also the state fruit of North Carolina.
Is muscadine good for skin?
The skins and seeds of muscadine grapes are particularly rich in the polyphenolic compound resveratrol, which has been studied for its anti-oxidant benefits in numerous diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
What can you use muscadine grapes for?
Muscadine grapes are ideal for making grape butter, jelly, jam and preserves. Jams, preserves and butter are made from whole or crushed grapes. Preserves are slightly different from jams, because they typically contain larger pieces of grapes.
Do muscadines make you poop?
Pharmacological Actions. The insoluble dietary fiber in muscadine grapes helps to improve bowel movement. It is responsible for its anti-constipation action. Ellagic acid is a potent antioxidant found in these grapes.
Are muscadines healthier than grapes?
Muscadine grapes contain more of this compound than other types of grapes, and some of the highest antioxidant levels among all fruits, which means that muscadine wine is likely richer in this antioxidant than other types.
Are muscadines a Superfood?
The Health Benefits of Muscadine Wine Due to the Muscadine grape's thick skins, the wine is high in antioxidants. Some even consider this wine grape a superfood, as it's bursting with polyphenols, resveratrol, and ellagic acid, which have been shown to help conditions such as obesity and liver problems.
Why do muscadines make your mouth itch?
Raw fruits and vegetables contain similar proteins to plant pollens, and your immune system can confuse them, resulting in an allergic reaction — typically itching or swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue, or throat.
How do you identify a wild muscadine?
The flesh of the round or oval berry is clear and translucent. The leaves and fruit are smaller than those of bunch grapes. Muscadine leaves are dark green on top and yellowish green underneath, alternate, with deeply serrated edges. The flower is small and green in color.
Are muscadine skins good for you?
The skins and seeds of muscadine grapes are particularly rich in the polyphenolic compound resveratrol, which has been studied for its anti-oxidant benefits in numerous diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
Where can I find wild muscadines?
As for wild muscadines, you can find the vines all over the place, from shady forests to sunny beach dunes. The vines can be up to 100 feet long, climbing with the help of small tendrils. Inconspicuous greenish white flowers form in late spring, with fruit ripening in late summer/early fall.
Cultivars
When muscadines are harvested, or when they mature and fall from the vines, the stem separates from the fruit. As it separates, the skin of the fruit may tear causing what is called a wet scar on the fruit, or it may separate with little or no damage to the skin and is called a dry scar.
Culture
Choosing a Location: Plant muscadines in a sunny, well-drained location. Muscadines do best when they are in full sun for most of the day. Avoid shaded areas. Fruit set and production will be reduced if the vines are shaded for more than several hours each day during the growing season.
Insects & Diseases
Occasionally, disease and/or insect infestations may be severe enough to warrant spraying. The most common insect pests are the Japanese beetle, grape berry moth and the grape root borer.
Taxonomy and pathology
Although in the same genus Vitis with the other grapevine species, the muscadine species belongs to a separate subgenus, Muscadinia (all other grapevine species belong to subgenus Euvitis ). Usually the species is divided into three varieties, Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. rotundifolia (southeast USA), Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var.
Cultivars
There are about 152 muscadine cultivars grown in the Southern states. These include bronze, black and red varieties and consist of common grapes and patented grapes.
Nutrients
100 grams of muscadine grapes contain the following nutrients according to the USDA:
Consumer research
Consumer research indicates that the thick skins and variable in-season quality of fresh muscadine grapes are significant deterrents to retail acceptance.
Resveratrol and other polyphenols
The wild progenitor of the muscadine grape still grows freely in the southeastern United States, such as near Indiantown, South Carolina.
Buying, Cooking, and Recipes
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
What Are Muscadines and Scuppernongs?
Other than having names that are fun to say, these grapes are similar but not the same. The muscadine is actually a native American grape , Vitis rotundifolia, found in the southeastern and south-central U.S., and scuppernongs are a variety of muscadine. In other words, all scuppernongs are muscadines, but not all muscadines are scuppernongs.
How to Use Muscadines and Scuppernongs
Any way you'd use a conventional grape, you can use these two varieties. They're a little different than conventional grapes, but their sweetness makes them excellent candidates for all kinds of culinary uses. They don't need any extensive prep or cleaning, either.
What Do They Taste Like?
The texture of muscadines is softer and the taste sweeter than conventional supermarket grapes, with a melt-in-your-mouth feel and seeds you can simply just spit out. Muscadines possess the intense sweetness of a Concord grape, whereas scuppernongs are slightly less sweet.
Muscadine and Scuppernong Recipes
Use these grapes in pies, jellies, jams, and wines. Chop them up and put them in a Waldorf salad. They add their own special magic to Southern grape jelly meatballs .
Where to Buy Muscadines and Scuppernongs
These grapes are in season from late July to October in the southwestern and south-central U.S., depending on where they're grown. They're easy to find from Kentucky and states to the south and as far west as East Texas, but they are also capable of growing as far south as Florida and as far north as the New Jersey coast.
Storage
Store these grapes in the fridge, unwashed, until ready to eat, and they'll keep for a week or so. Grapes freeze well, in general, and these make a terrific snack once frozen and can be tossed that way right into smoothies.
2. Cloudberries
Cloudberries are berries of the plant Rubus chamaemorus, which grows in higher elevations in cool, boggy areas in the Northern Hemisphere.
3. Huckleberry
Huckleberry is the North American name for the berries of several plant species in the Vaccinium and Gaylussacia genera ( 10, 11 ).
4. Gooseberries
Gooseberries belong to two major groups — European gooseberries ( Ribes grossularia var. uva-crispa) and American gooseberries ( Ribes hirtellum) ( 15 ).
5. Chokeberries
Chokeberries ( Aronia) grow on a shrub that’s native to eastern North America ( 19 ).
6. Mulberries
Mulberries ( Morus) are a group of flowering plants that belong to the Moraceae family.
7. Salmonberry
Salmonberries are the fruit of the Rubus spectabilis plant, which belongs to the rose family.
9. Muscadine
Muscadine ( Vitis rotundifolia) is a grapevine species native to the United States.
Muscadine Grapes Nutrition
The nutrients in muscadine grapes can vary depending on the size of the fruit and where they're grown. According to the USDA, an average serving of 20 muscadine grapes contains:
The Health Benefits of Muscadine Grapes
The "mighty muscadine," as it is sometimes called, offers some impressive health benefits.
How to Eat Muscadine Grapes
While the thick skin of muscadine grapes may be off-putting to folks who've never tried the fruit, these skins are edible and contain many of the superb health benefits.
Superior choices for muscadine grape vines in the home garden
Scuppernong is the original cultivar name given to the bronze-skinned native American muscadine grape that originated along the Scuppernong River in North Carolina. These grapes are thought to be the oldest and best-known muscadines, and the flavor is a real treat.
Growing Muscadine Grape Vines
Choose the right spot to plant. Above all, provide your plant a location with good drainage – grapes do not like wet feet. All muscadines need six to eight hours of sun each day and will thrive in rich, organic soil that has been mixed deep-down with ample compost or soil conditioner.
Disease Control for Muscadine Grape Vines
Downy mildew: Spots are angular and are found on the leaf veins. Yellowing usually occurs before you notice the fungus, which grows inside the leaf. Downy mildew is more likely to be seen on the underside of the leaf. It can appear at any stage of cluster development and if left untreated, can systemically kill the vine.
1. Common Snowberries ( Symphoricarpos Albus)
Symphoricarpos albus, the common snowberry is a member of the honeysuckle family found in Northern and Western USA and much of Canada. It’s a plant that’s used for erosion control, and was a popular ornamental plant from the 1890s to the 1920s.
2. Juniper Berries ( Juniperus Sabina)
There are a few different species of juniper plants and while there are a few that are edible; most are poisonous. Juniperus sabina – the Savin Juniper – contains savin oil which destroys the body’s cells and results in fatalities.
3. Mistletoe ( Viscum Album)
Originally native to Europe, mistletoe plants can now be found in North Africa, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and parts of the USA (California).
4. Yew Berries ( Taxus Baccata)
Yew trees are native to parts of Europe, Africa, Iran, and Asia and are grown mostly as ornamental trees. These are highly poisonous with consumption usually resulting in death.
5. Virginia Creeper Berries ( Parthenocissus Quinquefolia)
Native to eastern and central North America, Mexico, and Guatemala, the Virginia creeper is grown as an ornamental plant. It’s a vine that tends to climb up a wall/surface and it’s noted for its ability to cover a surface and its attractive fall foliage.
6. Ivy Berries ( Hedera)
The Hedera or ivy family consists of 12 – 15 species of plants native to Europe, Macronesia, Northwestern Africa and parts of Asia. Ivy vines are a common sight here in South Africa, you find them spreading across flat ground and climbing up the walls of buildings.
7. Jerusalem Cherries ( Solanum Pseudocapsicum)
Native to Peru and Ecuador, the Jerusalem cherry is a member of the nightshade family. They live for up to 10 years and produce fruits extremely similar to cherry tomatoes in texture and flavor – resulting in the two being confused for each other.
Varieties
Soil
- Muscadines are best suited to the fertile, loamy soils of East Texas that are acid with a soil pH of 6.0. Problems with chlorosis are usually encountered in soils that have a pH 7.0 or above. Deep, well-drained, sandy soil is optimum. Muscadines will not tolerate “wet feet” and should not be planted on soils with poor drainage. If adequate drainage is doubtful, plant the vines on a raised …
Establishing The Vineyard
- Establish the vineyard by setting the posts 10 feet apart in 10-foot rows. The plants will be set at the same spacing as the posts. Posts should be wood or metal fence posts. Posts in the row should be a minimum of 7 feet long with at least 2-inch tops. They should be set at least 2 feet deep in the soil. End posts should be 8 feet long with 5-inch tops. These should be set at least …
Propagation
- Muscadines are propagated by layering. Layering is done by taking a lower cane and placing it under the soil during the dormant season. During the second dormant season, the rooted cane is removed from the soil and a new plant is obtained.
Planting
- Set vines in late winter after the danger of hard freezes is past. Care should be taken to keep the roots moist while planting by keeping the plants in a container of water or by wrapping the roots with wet burlap. Dig the planting hole wide enough to allow the roots to be spread and set the plants 1 or 2 inches deeper than they grew in the nursery. Set the plants immediately against th…
Trellising
- Use one 10-gauge wire 66 inches high from the soil surface and connected to 7-foot posts which are set every 10 feet. Vines are planted every 20 feet.
Training
- Train two trunks up the fence posts the second year. Loosely tie the shoot to the post every 6 inches in order to develop a straight trunk. Remove any extra shoots once the shoot being trained appears safe from accidental breakage. Also, pinch off any side shoots, but not leaves, from the shoot being trained. Train each of the shoots in opposite directions down the wire.
Pruning
- Prune in the months between November and February. If pruned after December, the vines will bleed water profusely. This is common and not a problem. On mature vines, spurs are selected along the horizontal trunk or cordon every 6 inches. The spurs should be pruned to 2 or 3 buds on 3- and 4-year-old vines and lengthened to 4 or 5 buds as the vine matures and vigor increases. …
Fertilization
- Muscadines respond well to applications of balanced N-P-K fertilizers such as 4-1-2 or 3-1-2. Unless specific deficiency symptoms are found, no other fertilizer mineral is necessary in Texas. Apply approximately one pound of fertilizer per year of vine age up to a maximum of four pounds. Applications in year one and year two are best applied in small 1/4 pound increments every two …
Cultivars
Culture
- Choosing a Location:Plant muscadines in a sunny, well-drained location. Muscadines do best when they are in full sun for most of the day. Avoid shaded areas. Fruit set and production will be reduced if the vines are shaded for more than several hours each day during the growing season. Muscadines do fairly well on most soil types as long as the drainage is good. Plant failure can b…
Trellis Systems
- Muscadine vines may live for decades. Therefore, a strong supporting structure made of materials that will last for many years should be constructed. Wooden posts should be pressure-treated with wood preservatives. The type of trellis selected will often determine where the plant(s) can be established. The goal for either trellis system should be to get the vine on the wire the first growi…
Insects & Diseases
- Occasionally, disease and/or insect infestations may be severe enough to warrant spraying. The most common insect pests are the Japanese beetle, grape berry moth and the grape root borer. There are numerous diseases that can affect muscadines, but the most common are bitter rot, Macrophoma rot, angular leaf spot, ripe rot, powdery mildew, and the l...
Reasons For Poor Yield
- Lack of proper pruning,
- Root competition and shade from nearby trees,
- Powdery mildew or bitter rot causing poor fruit set or fruit drop,
- Stink bug injury to fruit causing fruit drop,
Overview
Vitis rotundifolia, or muscadine, is a grapevine species native to the southeastern and south-central United States. The growth range extends from Florida to New Jersey coast, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It has been extensively cultivated since the 16th century. The plants are well-adapted to their native warm and humid climate; they need fewer chilling hours than better known varie…
Taxonomy and pathology
Although in the same genus Vitis with the other grapevine species, the muscadine species belongs to a separate subgenus, Muscadinia (all other grapevine species belong to subgenus Euvitis). Usually the species is divided into three varieties, Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. rotundifolia (southeast USA), Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. munsoniana (Florida), and Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. popenoei (Central America). Some taxonomists have suggested giving the muscadines sta…
Cultivars
There are about 152 muscadine cultivars grown in the Southern states. These include bronze, black and red varieties and consist of common grapes and patented grapes.
Unlike most cultivated grapevines, many muscadine cultivars are pistillate, requiring a pollenizer to set fruit. A few, such as 'Carlos' and 'Noble', are perfect …
Nutrients
100 grams of muscadine grapes contain the following nutrients according to the USDA:
• Energy: 57 kilocalories
• Fats: 0.47 g
• Carbohydrates: 13.93 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.9 g
Consumer research
Consumer research indicates that the thick skins and variable in-season quality of fresh muscadine grapes are significant deterrents to retail acceptance.
Resveratrol and other polyphenols
One report indicated that muscadine grapes contained high concentrations of resveratrol, but subsequent studies have found no or little resveratrol in muscadine grapes.
Other muscadine polyphenols include anthocyanins, tannins, and various flavonoids.
External links
• The Muscadine Experience: Adding Value to Enhance Profits 2004 – 80 page technical resource for growers and processors, University of Arkansas