Saturday, September 12, 2009

Muscadine Harvesting in Itawamba County

Muscadine picking is in full swing in Itawamba County, Mississippi this weekend. This wonderful wild grape's vines hang from the towering trees with the fallen fruit staining the county roads. For generations muscadines mean tasty jellies and jams, hot and buttery cobblers and delicious wine.
 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bob, refresh memories for some of us who haven't had the pleasure of tasting muscadine grapes in nearly 3/4 century; however, I do recall that they made wonderful jelly. I remember going into the woods around the old Bexar school house with my mother and observed her efforts (shocked was more like it!)to reach the grapes, but I'm not sure if she worked too hard to get them for making jelly or if they really were as sour as I seem to remember was the excuse why she wouldn't let us eat the grapes.

Am I right that they only grow in the wilds of the woods with a damp earthen floor? Thank you for reminding us of a wonderful goody that isn't easy to come by! bettye

Bob Franks said...

Thanks for posting Bettye. There's nothing quite like the taste of a muscadine. With a strong hint of grapes, muscadines have their own flavor. Green muscadines are indeed sour, but the purple ones are very sweet and tasty. I picked a gallon of muscadines over the weekend and a cousin made a buttery and crispy cobbler with them. There's nothing like a hot and buttery muscadine cobbler straight out of the oven.

Anonymous said...

Bob, Henry and I picked 2 buckets of muscadine grapes about 3 wks ago on County Line Rd. in Jackson. I made some jelly. The Indianola Pecan House sells muscadine wine - with no alcohol. It is very good. I remember picking muscadines on the farm in Monroe County. Martha