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nafex - [NAFEX] Isons muscadine

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  • From: Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Isons muscadine
  • Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:04:23 -0400

I would like to thank whomever recommended this variety to me three years ago. My one vine is in its first year of bearing. So far, it has been a vigorous plant with minimal Japanese Beetle damage; certainly less than my /Actinidia arguta/ this year. It has been easy to train and is self fruitful.

The berries are dark purple/black, large, juicy and have a very sweet, delicious muscadine flavor. They are coming ripe now for me, but not all at once. There are ripe fruit next to partially ripe and green fruit in the same cluster.

I am experimenting with uses right now. When I eat them fresh I generally do not eat the skin as I find it a bit bitter at the finish unless the berry is very soft/mushy ripe. However, if I seed and dry them, the whole fruit, skin included, is candy sweet.

I see the 3 -4 seeds per fruit are small sunflower seed size. They are easy to separate from the flesh and look like a good source of oil if I wish to press them.

Because they are not ripe all at once, and I do not have large volumes of fruit, I have not attempted to make wine. I wonder- can I freeze some as I gather them until I have enough fruit for a batch? Have others tried this?

I am not a big jam/jelly person. What are some other uses of muscadines people can recommend?

Betsy Hilborn
7a central NC




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