Best Muscadine Jam

With 53 lbs of muscadines and scuppernongs to process I tried a lot of different recipes. This one was voted best by every member of the family. It has just the right balance of grape and lemon flavors and set beautifully. The prep time includes cooking the pulp and hulls. The cooking time does not include processing the jars in the boiling water bath.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Yields: 10-12 1/2 pint jars

Ingredients

• 5  lbs Muscadine grapes or 5  lbs  scuppernong grapes
• 3  lbs sugar
• 1  lemon
• 1⁄2-1  cup water

Directions

1. Prepare grapes by cutting partway through the skin and popping the pulp/seed capsule out of the hull. Put pulp into one pot and the hulls into another.
2. Simmer the pulp, covered, on low-medium until soft enough to press through sieve or food mill ~ 10 minutes. Add just a little water if necessary to prevent sticking.
3. Meanwhile, chop hulls very finely in the food processor and return to their pot. Add just enough water to make it possible to simmer without sticking. Cook slowly, covered, 10 minutes or until hulls are softened.
4. Peel lemon and chop peel finely. Use entire peel, including the white part, to ensure good jelling.
5. Juice the lemon.
6. Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a large pot.
7. Add lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil.
8. Stir in sugar and return to a boil.
9. Simmer, stirring frequently until the jellying point is reached ~ 1-2 hours. Timing is approximate and will vary depending on conditions and the amount of natural pectin in the fruit. Check frequently.
10. Pack into hot, sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.