Lemony Muscadine Preserves Recipes

BEST MUSCADINE JAM

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Peel lemon and chop peel finely. Use entire peel, including the white part, to ensure good jelling.
• Juice the lemon.
• Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a large pot.
• Add lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in sugar and return to a boil.
• 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.
• Pack into hot, sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

QUICK PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim the ends off the lemons. Slice each lemon into 8 wedges, removing any seeds as you go. Reserve as much of the juice as possible.
• Layer the lemon wedges in a wide-mouthed 16-ounce canning jar, covering each layer with salt. Pack the jar as tightly as possible, pressing down to release the lemons' juice as you go and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar.
• Cover the wedges with the reserved lemon juice from the cutting board and the ends. If your lemons do not release a significant amount of juice, top off the jar with the juice of another lemon.
• Stash in the refrigerator for 4 days, then flip the jar over and age another 4 days before sampling. The peel should be nice and soft. Rinse before using.

MUSCADINE JELLY

Steps:

• 1. Wash and remove stems from your grapes and cut in half, remove and discard seeds and skin Note:(Skip this step if using food mill)
• 2. add 2 1/2 cups water and grapes to pot and slowly bring to a simmer (be careful not to burn the grapes)
• 3. mash with potato masher and cool (Or run through food mill after cooled)
• 4. Pour into jelly bag and drain NOTE:(For Jam skip this step) While waiting for pulp to drain, get your jars ready...Put (8) half pint jars in the water bath to sterilize, and put lids in a small pot and simmer
• 5. Return juice to pot, bring to a boil, Add 1TBSP Lemon Juice, 7 cups sugar, and 2 Packages pectin and stir continuously to keep your pot from boiling over Keep at a rolling boil until 220 Degrees is met on Candy thermometer or a rolling boil is kept for 5 minutes
• 6. Remove from heat, skim off foam and fill jars with 1/4 inch head space...add lids, return to water bath pot and process for 15 minutes Allow to cool for 10 minutes, the remove jars and place on towel on counter, and leave for 12 hours...you should hear some pinging sounds as the jars seal. After 12 hours, push on lids to make sure they don't spring back to ensure they are sealed...store for a year, or enjoy as needed. Once opened, refrigerate .

WILD MUSCADINE JELLY

Steps:

• 1. For one batch of jelly, use about 3 quarts of grapes and 3 cups of water. Do not use too much water it will ruin the flavor. Place in a pot and bring to a boils until skins are tender. Remove from heat and put through a fruit juice masher and strainer. When cool enough place in the refrigerator until next morning.
• 2. Strain through 2 thickenesses of cheesecloth. The juice is ready. Place juice in a large pot. Mix pectin with juices and bring quickly to a hard boil, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar at once. Stir sugar until it dissolves and bring to full rolling boil (a boil that can not be stirred down). Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam using a metal spoon. Pour at once in sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• 3. Wipe jar edge with a damp towel and seal with new lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes about 8 half pint jars.

LEMONY MUSCADINE PRESERVES

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 sticki ng. Cook slowly, covered, 10 minutes or until hulls are softened.
• Peel lemon. Chop peel finely. Use entire peel, including the white part, to ensure good jelling.
• Juice the lemon.
• Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a large pot.
• Add lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in sugar and return to a boil.
• Simmer, stirring frequently until the jellying point is reached ~ 45-90 minutes. Timing is approximate and will vary depending on conditions and the amount of natural pectin in the fruit. Check frequently.
• Pack into hot, sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

MOROCCAN SPICED PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Pour the lemon juice in a large glass jar then add the spices & 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
• Slice the lemon 5 times, from top to bottom, leaving 1/2 inch at both ends. Squeeze open each slit & add a generous amount of sea salt into each opening. Gently reshape the fruit when you are done. Repeat for each lemon.
• Pack the lemons into the jar, pressing them down to release their juices & to make room for the remaining lemons. Add any remaining salt to the jar. Cover the lemons the rest of the way with water then seal with a lid, leaving some air space at the top.
• Let ripen for at least 30 days in a warm place. Shake the jar a couple times a week to distribute the salt & spices.
• Preserved lemons do not need to be refrigerated & will keep up to a year. The pickling juice may be used 2 or 3 times over a year's time, simply add any unused rinds to the jar after sprinkling with salt.
• To use: Rinse with running water then remove & disregard the pulp (optional, my husband likes the pulp).

MORROCAN PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• If you wish to soften the peel, soak the lemons in lukewarm water for 3 days, changing the water daily.
• Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.
• Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice - not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
• Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired - and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.
• * According to the late Michael Field, the best way to extract the maximum amount of juice from a lemon is to boil it in water for 2 or 3 minutes and allow it to cool before squeezing.
• Paula Wolfert shares her tips:.
• •Located on Morocco's Atlantic coast, south of Casablanca and north of Essaouira, the city of Safi is known for its seafood specialties.
• •To most closely approximate the flavor of Moroccan lemons, Wolfert recommends Meyer lemons for this recipe. This lemon/mandarin orange hybrid, in season in January and February, has yellow-orange flesh, a smooth rind, and a sweeter flavor than other lemons.
• •To sterilize a mason jar for the lemons, place it upside down in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. Using tongs (wrap the ends in rubber bands for a better grip), remove the hot jar and dry it upside down on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a warm oven. To sterilize the jar's top, boil it in water for 5 minutes, then remove with tongs.
• •When you're ready to use a lemon, remove it with clean utensils to avoid contaminating the inside of the jar with bacteria. This way, the remaining contents of the jar will not need to be refrigerated.

PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Scrub 3 to 5 organic lemons, enough to fit snugly in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid (have 2 to 4 more ready on the side). Slice each lemon from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, almost cutting them into quarters but leaving them attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces, then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.
• Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add to the jar the peppercorns and bay leaves, then squeeze the additional lemons into the jar until juice covers everything.
• Close the jar and let ripen at cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store it in the refrigerator.
• To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it. (Add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.) The minced rind is added at the very end of cooking or used raw; the pulp can be added to a simmering pot.