Scuppernongs

[sidelock]

How many of you southern boy hunters have found wild scuppernongs in the woods. I recently came across some since I came back to Virginia after years in Montana. I had almost forgotten the taste. FANTASTIC !!!!!

 

[Skychief]

Not sure what a scuppernong is, but, I found a couple of monkey brains recently. Good stuff.

Best regards, Skychief.

 

[wattlebuster]

Yep we got em. Last yr made some jelly with them :thumbsup:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

The Scuppernong is a North American, wild, white grape. It makes an excellent "country wine", and in my opinion using such for making wine is its best use. :wink:


OH, and FYI folks, a country wine is one where the fruit was not cultivated, but grown wild, and then juiced, and fermented into wine.

LD

 

[Billnpatti]

We have a wild grape here in Texas that is called a Muscadine grape. They are quite tasty but the skin has something in it that makes it rather tart and can, if you eat enough, irritate your lips. But, they are very tasty. My grandmother used to make a pie with them but she harvested them when they were green and made her "Green Grape Pie". It was quite tasty and was a bit tart sort of like Rhubarb.

These Muscadine grapes make good jelly and wine, too but not too many people eat them like they might other grapes due to their rather tough and irritating skin.

 

[Eric Krewson]

The trees on my place are full of muscadine vines but the fruit is often small. The deer pick them up as soon as they hit the ground.

I walk an exercise trail through the woods 3 times a week. The vines on the trail vary from making small grapes to huge juicy ones. I have also noticed the fruit on different vines ripens at different times, some early some late.

I always look forward to muscadine season and grab a handful off the ground every day to munch on as I walk the trail.

I don't eat the skin on wild muscadines, but do on the tame ones I grow at the house.

 

[smo]

The trees on my place are full of muscadine vines but the fruit is often small. The deer pick them up as soon as they hit the ground.

I walk an exercise trail through the woods 3 times a week. The vines on the trail vary from making small grapes to huge juicy ones. I have also noticed the fruit on different vines ripens at different times, some early some late.

I always look forward to muscadine season and grab a handful off the ground every day to munch on as I walk the trail.

I don't eat the skin on wild muscadines, but do on the tame ones I grow at the house.

Where I grew up we called them muscadines.

(Just across the woods from Eric's house.)

Scuppernongs were the tame version.

Or at least that is what I was taught right or wrong.

As Eric said they make a great snack while out in the woods.

I don't seem to find the large collections of them on my place.

At best there're only a few scattered here and there....and yes the deer gobble them up as soon as they hit the ground.

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Here in Western Md. I was taught the grapes you speak of are fox grapes, great place to hunt grouse. If you wait until the first frost they are sweeter, if the birds have not cleaned them out. also look for wild persimmons.AN APPALICHIAN HUNTER

 

[Patocazador]

To me it's a sin to use muscadines for anything but wine. It is SO good. :thumbsup:

 

[Silky921]

I think "country wine " actually refers to wines made from fruits or veggies other than grapes.

Big fan of making them myself.

And yes, I said veggies.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Down around Alvin we had more of he wild Mustang grapes than the Muscadine. Those made wine as well but boy howdy! Like making wine with prickly pear tunas...cure you or kill you. For those who wonder what we're babbling about here in the south, this is a quicky way to tell what's growing on the neighbor's privy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_utiAwTmrAw

 

[hanshi]

Growing up in Georgia we all picked muscadines AND scuppernongs along with blackberries. My mama made jellies out of all of them, we ate them while picking and wine was made out of some. Use to find pawpaws in the woods, too.

 

[Silky921]

Seems like the past few year around me, pawpaws have sprung up everywhere.

Even took one from some woods by me, and planted in the backyard.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Fox grapes are different. Small but purple/almost black. We have those in NY. A wild lambrusca variety. You don't eat them off the vine - but they make a good jelly or a wine (with enough sugar!) They were domesticated to become the concord grape.

I also use the fox grape leaves in the crocks (a layer top & bottom) to keep pickles from getting dark.

 

[sidelock]

Scuppernongs are muscadines, but muscadines are not scuppernongs -----( if that makes since)???? That being said, the mother muscadine vine is still living on Roanoke Island in North Carolina is over 400 years old. They are thick skinned and almost black in color. Scuppernongs are thinner skinned and light yellow (and were called white grapes by the early settlers) to purple in color. Either wild variety found in the woods is a joy to eat, especially after a light frost. Both are now being commercially grown and sold in stores and being made into wines. I had some today--- yum!!!!!

 

[cynthialee]

When I saw the thread title I first thought it was going to be a local version of a non existent local myth animal, such as one a hunter may use to fool a greenhorn. Much like a mooseaboo or a jackalope.

Never heard of these fruits. Now I want some of the wine.

 

[sidelock]

You can order scuppernong wine from --- Duplin Winery, Rose Hill NC. Enjoy !!

 

[Patocazador]

Duplin's muscadine wine is too sweet for me. It's as sweet as maraschino cherries. Same with their other wines that I've tasted. Except for that it tastes like homemade.

 

[hanshi]

Scuppernong & muscadine wines made by wineries are usually much too sweet. Home made is always better.

 

[sidelock]

Commercial wine makers add sugar to speed up fermenting. Home makers don't.