Muscadines are very flavorful native grapes with a sweet, musky odor that were originally found growing wild in the southern United States. Muscadines are a purple dark-skinned variety of grape, while scuppernongs are a sweeter, golden-brown variety. All scuppernongs are muscadines, but not all muscadines are scuppernongs. Both have tough skins that will easily pop and slip off, and both have seeds that are difficult to separate from the fruit.
The first muscadines were documented by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 1500s in the coastal regions of North Carolina. Muscadines were valuable food sources for the Cherokee and Creek tribes in that area. A new hybrid muscadine, the Golden Muscat, is now used to produce raisins. Unlike table grapes, which tend to be oblong, muscadines are round with particularly shiny flesh.
The flavor of muscadines is more complex than that of table grapes, with dark muscadines having a musky, sweet taste. Scuppernongs are milder and sweeter with orange and honey undertones. Muscadines are nutrient dense with lots of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
The 2025 Alabama Muscadine Festival is September 6 in Phenix City, AL
Peak time: August to October
Average price: $2.49 per pound
Tips for selection and storage: Choose muscadines and scuppernongs that are well formed, of good color and free of cracks or splits. Muscadines will not ripen off the vine if picked too soon. Store muscadines in a shallow container in the refrigerator. They can be kept for up to a week but ideally should be eaten within a few
days. Muscadines are now marketed as juice, jellies, jams, preserves, syrups and dessert toppings.
Tips for preparation: Most muscadine connoisseurs like to eat the fruit fresh, preferably right off the vine. However, there are numerous recipes for muscadines which include jellies, jams, pies, tarts, juices, salads and cakes. Muscadines that have been peeled, halved and de-seeded make a good accompaniment for
more delicate game fowl such as partridge and quail as well as poultry. Do not wash muscadines or scuppernongs until ready to use.
To prepare juice from muscadines and scuppernongs, boil the fruit with just enough water to cover until the fruit opens and the pulp and seeds soften. Strain out pulp, skin and seeds, and the juice is ready for the addition of sugar to sweeten as a drink or in preparation for jelly making. In jelly making, be sure to strain out the pulp as it can make the jelly cloudy.
Nutritional highlights: Muscadine grapes are low in sodium and calories, about 60 calories per cup. They contain high amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, manganese and potassium. Dark varieties contain several sources of carotenes that convert in the body to vitamin A.
Muscadine grapes are one of the richest sources of antioxidants, particularly ellagic acid, quercetin and resveratrol. One-half serving (2 fluid ounces) of unfiltered muscadine juice, one serving of muscadine jam, one medium muffin or one-tenth serving of muscadine sauce contains about the same amount of resveratrol as 4 fluid ounces of red wine. Antioxidants help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which can lead to chronic diseases.
Muscadine grapes are also rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber. The fibrous hull provides insoluble fiber, while the pulp contains soluble fiber. Research studies have shown that a cup of muscadines eaten with the hull can supply a total of up to 7 grams of dietary fiber! Amazing.
