Muscadines & Scuppernongs

(Reposting because the image links seemed broken)

Before a couple weeks ago, I had no clue what a muscadine (purple) or scuppernong (green) was and I’m still not sure what the correct pronunciations is for both words.  However, thanks to the always exciting Marketplace On Oakton, one thing I do know is that they’re both super awesome.  If you’ve ever had Kasugai Muscat Gummies, muscadine and scuppernong flesh tastes exactly like that.

Extremely sweet with an intense grape flavor, the sphere of flesh can be easily harvested from the thick and contrastingly tart skin.  Because the skin is so tart, I usually can only eat 75% of a serving with the skin on, saving the final 25% for flesh-only bites.

Since I never enjoy wasting things, I thought about making muscadine gummies and adding a touch of honey to nudge the overall flavor towards the sweet side rather than tart side.  I heated, blended, and reduced down a pot of muscadines, scuppernongs, honey, water, and agar.  After a few taste tests and further reducing until the mixture tasted like a grape explosion, I waited for the mixture to set.  However, that plan didn’t work out so well.

Although I used a 1% agar solution just as I did with the tempura headcheese, the mixture never solidified.  I’m not sure if I did something wrong or if something in the muscadines and scuppernongs somehow inhibited the agar from working its magic.  What’s one to do when life gives you a goopy grape mixture?  Freeze them into mini popsicles of course.