Muscadine harvest

[captainl]

Well I just figured out what was supposed to be my "Jumbo" muscadine isn't. Houston garden center is worthless. Thats ok I tasted a few and they taste very good, a lot better then the wild ones. I am guessing the are Carlos or Fry??

Also I went to pick some of the wild ones and I noticed there where a lot on the ground around the vine. Is it bad that I picked up most of the better looking ones off the ground? I can't imagine they have been there more than a day or two and they tasted fine. Then i shook the vine lightly and picked up the ones that fell. I came home and threw away the lighter colored ones. Here are some pictures.

 

[tonyandkory]

hey cool Nice Pics ................... I have no idea!

 

[toddrod]

Carlos is a small grape muscadine variety, 1/2" avg size, so I do not think that those Bronze ones are Carlos.

 

[captainl]

You can't tell by the pics but the bronze ones are noticeably smaller. When I bought them they had southern home, jumbo, Carlos, and maybe fry all mixed together but individually labeled. Any chance they are southern home?

 

[bob1]

Better than what I got. The big freeze took out every thing. Just watching them grow for another year.

 

[Julie]

Well I just figured out what was supposed to be my "Jumbo" muscadine isn't. Houston garden center is worthless. Thats ok I tasted a few and they taste very good, a lot better then the wild ones. I am guessing the are Carlos or Fry??

Also I went to pick some of the wild ones and I noticed there where a lot on the ground around the vine. Is it bad that I picked up most of the better looking ones off the ground? I can't imagine they have been there more than a day or two and they tasted fine. Then i shook the vine lightly and picked up the ones that fell. I came home and threw away the lighter colored ones. Here are some pictures.

The golden ones do look like bronse and I must say they make a dam good wine. The smaller darker ones are Nobles and again they make a dam good wine.

 

[captainl]

Hey Julie. I could definetely see those bronze ones making a good wine. Unfortunately I won't have enough this year. I'll probably be picking the rest of them in the next couple of days. The black ones are just the local wild ones. The skins are thick, not really edible. Definetely some sugar in there but the acid leaves a dry burning feeling in my mouth. I will be picking a lot more over the next couple of weeks. There are some areas that are mostly still green right now. I'll see what I have at the end of August and probably just mix them all together. Im also planning on reducing the acid with calcium carbonate and cold stabilization to reduce the acid. I need some lessons on how to though....

 

[JohnnyRico]

I wanted to wake this tread up a little....

I’m in Md and my Muscadine grapes all appear to still need time to ripen. I have sampled a few off the vines and they still taste very tart and the flesh is very solid, much like an apple. What gives?!

 

[WindyCoastWine]

I don't think the green ones are Carlos. If they are, they are not ripe. Carlos turns a very dark bronze when they are ripe. The black grapes can be Noble, and if they are they make great wine. I make both Noble and Carlos wine every year.

 

[WindyCoastWine]

JohnnyRico- There are still grapes here in southeastern NC that have not fully ripened. Just have patience and let them go until they are done. Several people here have had problems with both young and old vines taking longer to riped than vines in their prime. The variety of muscadine may also have something to do with it.

 

[JohnnyRico]

I have all the patience in the world.. too bad the birds dont feel the same way. D'oh!