Muscadines are dropping

[Waldo]

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

 

[pkcook]

Waldo,


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

 

[Waldo]

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

 

[bj4271]

Waldo, Black Beauty is one of the varieties I've planted. Others are Hunt, Cowart (died), Carlos(died), Fry Seedless(died), Supreme, & several others I can't remembe offhand (old age). Some were for wine & 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.

 

[sangwitch]

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?

 

[NorthernWinos]

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

 

[peterCooper]

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?

 

[sangwitch]

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]

 

[bj4271]

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.

 

[sangwitch]

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.

 

[bj4271]

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

 

[sangwitch]

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.

 

[Waldo]

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.

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

 

[Waldo]

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

 

[Caroline1]

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

 

[bj4271]

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?

 

[Waldo]

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?

 

[Waldo]

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

 

[NorthernWinos]

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...

 

[rgecaprock]

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!!


RamonaEdited by: rgecaprock