# Muscadines are dropping



## bj4271 (Aug 7, 2006)

Some of my muscadine vines are dropping fruit this week, just not enough. In the past, I've collected enough at one time to make several gallons. So far, I'v only got about 5 pounds.


How much frozen concentrated grape juice can I add to make up for a pound &amp; 1/2 of muscadine to make a gallon mix?


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## peterCooper (Aug 7, 2006)

BJ,

Think about cleaning, destemming and freezing the fruit as it is ready. Then you can collect for a while longer before committing.


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## bj4271 (Aug 8, 2006)

The problem is it only drops for a short while &amp; the critters get there quickly.


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## MedPretzel (Aug 8, 2006)

You've gotta be quicker than them critters.


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## jobe05 (Aug 8, 2006)

BJ:


My suggestion would be to go out "EVERYDAY" and feel for the softer fruit while on the vine and pick them once soft and freez them.


If you have made muscadine in the past, you must agree, it would be worth the extra effort.


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## bj4271 (Aug 9, 2006)

Jobe,


There's a little problem with your suggestion. These are wild vines and are 30 - 50' up a tree.


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## grapeman (Aug 9, 2006)

So what's the problem?



Don the loincloth and swing up those vines to test the fruit.


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## bj4271 (Aug 9, 2006)

Many moons ago, the ladies would swon at the sight of me in a loincloth.


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## OldWino1 (Aug 10, 2006)

Hey be careful that aint an oak vine your climbing


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## bj4271 (Aug 14, 2006)

Luck, more &amp; more are dropping. I got about 8 pounds from one vine that never droppedmore than 1-2 pounds before. The biggest vine (has dropped enough for 11 gal of wine in one year) also started dropping.The problem with this one is yellow jackets have set up housekeeping underneath. Makes for very tricky picking in short time spans.


Oh, but the smell of the muscadine this year is the best I've ever noticed! The flavor will be extra special. 


I'm surprised - as dry as it's been this year. These vines don't get any irrigation but rain &amp; there's been almost none here.


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## NorthernWinos (Aug 14, 2006)

Can you lay sheets under the vines and pick them off the sheets???Sounds like manna from heaven...


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## bj4271 (Aug 14, 2006)

Again, the problem with critters getting them. I can't hang around waiting for them to drop. I get by every other day or so &amp; about half that dropped since the last time have been eaten.


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## peterCooper (Aug 15, 2006)

So Kay calls me this afternoon and says.

"We went picking them scupperdines this morning. I'll run them out to you when I pick up the kids after school"

What I got was about 10lb of picked destemmed and washed Muscadines in a JCPenney paper bag. No picking no cleaning, just handed over a bottle of Chilean Merlot. Her hubby is going to be happy.

She says there's more where they come from, sol I'll wash and pfreeze this lot. A couple of more batches like that and I'll have enough for 6 gallons I reckon.

Tasted one. No wonder they make wine out of it.


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## PolishWineP (Aug 15, 2006)

You are one very lucky guy!


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## Joanie (Aug 15, 2006)

Low moisture means smaller but more intense fruit!


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## bj4271 (Aug 16, 2006)

Send Kay over here!


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## Waldo (Aug 21, 2006)

Yesterday morning around 7am Mr. Boud Ellinson called me to let me know his Muscadines were ready to start picking and he wanted to give me first shot at them for sharing some of my wines with him last year before he began running his ads in the paper. Did not take me long to get my buckets and head over there. 










Mr. Ellinson is quite proud of his vineyard, and rightfully so. He has 4 different varities of Muscadines right now and plans on adding at least 3 more varieties over the next couple of years. 






I think I am going to use this picture i took yesterday for a label for this years wine.




A lot of sweat in the hot, hotsun and my first picking is now done



*Edited by: Waldo *


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## NorthernWinos (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks Waldo for the photos, was going to ask some silly question about Muscadines and your photos answered all the questions I had....they look wonderful, large and juicy.. WOW!! They must be fun to pick and use.... Have fun with your picking and winemaking



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## bj4271 (Aug 21, 2006)

Waldo, I'm so jealous. It's a tremendous amount of effort to gather the wildmuscadine. I can't wait for my vinery to start producing.


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## Waldo (Aug 21, 2006)

Me too Bruce. By the way, the variety shown is the Black Beauty and that is the one I have planted so I have great expectations now of what I will be gathering in about 2 years. They are so aromatic and sweet!! I am letting them ripen another couple of days on the kitchen counter and then I will freeze them for a couple of weeks before making my wine.


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## Waldo (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks Northern Wino...Can hardly wait to turn these beauties into a carboy full of wine.


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## pkcook (Aug 21, 2006)

Waldo,


Thanks for the photos. The muscadines are beautiful. How old are the vines in the picture? They look very thick!


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## Waldo (Aug 22, 2006)

Most are now5 years old. There is one row of Bronze that are only 3


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## bj4271 (Aug 22, 2006)

Waldo, Black Beauty is one of the varieties I've planted. Others are Hunt, Cowart (died), Carlos(died), Fry Seedless(died), Supreme, &amp; several others I can't remembe offhand (old age). Some were for wine &amp; others because the wife likes them right off the vine. 3 out of 10 are still alive-bad year, even with drip irrigation. 


Next year I think I'll back off on the irrigation; even though the nursery said they needed 30+ gallons of water a month. Seems like the wild vines did better than ever with the drier year.


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## sangwitch (Aug 22, 2006)

Waldo said:


> Yesterday morning around 7am Mr. Boud Ellinson called me to let me know his Muscadines were ready to start picking




So Waldo, I guess if I'm going to try that muscadine pie you posted I'll need to get ahold of some of those grapes now huh? I was thinking harvest season in AR went into mid Sept?


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## NorthernWinos (Aug 22, 2006)

Wish we could grow them up in Minnesota, guess we have to be happy with what survives up here...it's all good!!!!


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## peterCooper (Aug 22, 2006)

I had someone in my office asking about the difference between Muscadine and Mustang grapes. I thought that they were the same but I really don't know, I just sort of assumed. Any enlightenment out there?


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## sangwitch (Aug 22, 2006)

sangwitch said:


> So Waldo, I guess if I'm going to try that muscadine pie you posted I'll need to get ahold of some of those grapes now huh? I was thinking harvest season in AR went into mid Sept?





Never mind. My friend’s family owns a local orchard where I buy peaches every year so I asked her what else they grow.<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Peaches, nectarines, plums, a vegetable patch – and we have had watermelons, cantaloupes, purple hull peas, cranberry beans. But Rob – it is about over. Until the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">muscadines[/B] and apples are ready. Muscadines will be ready towards the end of the month, first of September. Apples – Sept – Oct.[/I]<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">[/I]


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## bj4271 (Aug 22, 2006)

Sangwitch, where are you located? Waldo is in south/central Ark &amp; I'm further soutn in NW Louisiana. The muscadine may drop later where you are if you're further north. Here, they've slowed considerably already.


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## sangwitch (Aug 22, 2006)

bj4271 said:


> Sangwitch, where are you located? Waldo is in south/central Ark &amp; I'm further soutn in NW Louisiana. The muscadine may drop later where you are if you're further north. Here, they've slowed considerably already.




I'm about 30 minutes north of Waldo in Little Rock, AR. My friend who owns the orchard said about the first week of Sept, but she's gonna check with her Dad tonight.


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## bj4271 (Aug 22, 2006)

I hope one of them actually looks at the orchard. They dropped earlier than usual here.


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## sangwitch (Aug 22, 2006)

bj4271 said:


> I hope one of them actually looks at the orchard. They dropped earlier than usual here.




My friend works with me and her family runs the orchard so she's gonna call her Dad tonight. I see that Waldo already picked some the other day in AR so yea... I need to find out for sure.


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## Waldo (Aug 22, 2006)

sangwitch said:


> bj4271 said:
> 
> 
> > Sangwitch, where are you located? Waldo is in south/central Ark &amp; I'm further soutn in NW Louisiana. The muscadine may drop later where you are if you're further north. Here, they've slowed considerably already.
> ...


I bet they are ready now sangwitch, or pretty danged close anyway


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## Waldo (Aug 23, 2006)

Went back yesterday evening picked me another batch. I now have 7 gallon in freezer bags preparing themselves to be transformed into wine and these ( about 4 gallon)that are needing a little more ripening before freezing. 

*Edited by: Waldo *


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## Caroline1 (Sep 1, 2006)

So, are you freezing them whole or pressing them first? How does that work?
*curious*!


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## bj4271 (Sep 1, 2006)

Waldo,


I know I read why you freeze the muscadine; it had something to do with easier extraction of juice, I believe. I can't find the post now. Problem is, I tried it this year &amp; froze what I had collected. Upon thawing, I noticed a distinct reduction in flavor compared to pre-freezing. Have you encountered this?


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## Waldo (Sep 1, 2006)

Caroline...I freeze them whole. The freezing helps break down the enzymes which makes the juice extraction more productive
No I havent bj..were they all fully ripened when you froze them?


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## Waldo (Sep 3, 2006)

Saturdaymorning, Nikki, my Niece who has been battling cancer, her husband Waylon &amp; daughter, Taylor met me at I-Hop where we had a great breakfast and then headed out to pick some Muscadines. We were in the vineyard and picking at daylight.




Taylor proved to be quite a Muscadine picker










Waylon was for sure no slouch either












Nor was Nikki






The evidence of their picking skills....This was less than two hours after we started






And then it was time to head home






*Edited by: Waldo *


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## NorthernWinos (Sep 3, 2006)

You guys did great..it is such fun to go early in the morning and gather fruit, or anything for that matter. We enjoy the picking more than the growing, picking fruits and vegetables is almost a Religious Experience.
Nikki is looking good, looks like she is recovering well. I am also battling Cancer, but my battle has been so much easier than expected, my Chemo drugs flow through like water with very few side effects....I am very fortunate. Hope that she lives a long healthy life.
Your Mucadines are beautiful, am sure they are fun to pick and I imagine the wine is awesome.
keep the photos coming, want to see the wine process...


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## rgecaprock (Sep 3, 2006)

Waldo. 


Are those the vines you showed that you planted earlier this spring?? Nice looking grapes and I know the wine will be great too!!


Ramona*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## Waldo (Sep 3, 2006)

Thanks Wino...Nikki has had a battle but is winning it with her faith in God and support of all those around her. She is quite the warrior. 


I wish those were mine Ramona..Hopefullly that is what mine will be looking like in another couple of years though


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## pkcook (Sep 3, 2006)

Waldo,


So glad to hear Nikki is beating the cancer! It is such a terrible disease. She looks very happy and upbeat, and that is so important! Godly faith will see you through the worst of times and the best.


The muscadines look awesome. How many lbs did you end up with and how much wine will it make?


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## Waldo (Sep 4, 2006)

ok they are averaging about 5 lbs per gallon so we got close to 80 lbs which will make around 15 gallon of wine. I use between 5-6 lbs Muscadines per gallon of wine


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## bj4271 (Sep 5, 2006)

Great pix Waldo. 


Yes, mine were ripe, but a noticeable reduction in aroma &amp; taste upon thawing. I started a 6 gal batch with them anyway.


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## Waldo (Sep 5, 2006)

Were they wild or domestic bj?


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## bj4271 (Sep 5, 2006)

Wild as can be; I had to fight off the squirrels to pick them.


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## Waldo (Sep 5, 2006)

Not sure that being wild made the difference bj but I know that I have never been able to detect any loss of quality in mine from freezing them.
I may need to get you to ship me that 6 gallon of wine once it is bottled for a thorough analysis


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## bj4271 (Sep 5, 2006)

Waldo, It's perking away in the kitchen (actually, have never seen anything perk so merrily - even my old coffee percolator at the deer camp) &amp; every time the wife passes it I see wine glasses in her eyes. I don't think it will make it to bottling.


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## Waldo (Sep 6, 2006)

What yeast did you use bj?


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## bj4271 (Sep 6, 2006)

Montrachet


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