FOOD SAFETY
MUSCADINE SEASON IS HERE B Y A N G E L A T R E A D AWAY Alabama muscadine and scuppernong grape lovers are enjoying their sweet taste, with their arrival in grocery stores, farmers markets, roadside stands and "pick your own" farms. Besides their delicious flavor, muscadines are one of the richest sources of antioxidants found above ground. Research points to significant health benefits associated with this grape. That’s an added bonus for those who just love the fresh taste of these native grapes. Unlike many human inhabitants, muscadines love the heat and humidity that is common in the South and thrive here as a result. The difference in the scuppernong and the mus68
Cooperative Farming News
cadine is the color and a little different taste. The scuppernong grape is a muscadine grape. It is a green-bronze color and was named because it was found growing near the Scuppernong River in North Carolina (an Indian name) in the 17th century. There are numerous cultivars of muscadine for fresh eating and use in other products. Muscadines are good for making jams, jellies. Juice from the muscadine can be prepared and frozen or canned also for making jelly or drinking later. Grape juice made from muscadine is very very tasty. If you do not grow them yourself, there are a number of muscadine vineyards in the state of Alabama that sell fresh muscadines or allow you to pick your own.