There are certain things, such as taste or scent, that take me back to my childhood. One in particular... muscadines! My grandparents had muscadines growing in their yard when I was a young girl and I loved the smell and taste. I recently discovered that we have muscadines growing right here at the RV park, bordering our site! A couple of the neighbors have been eating them so now mostly just those high up in the trees remain. I did manage to get a couple of hands full over the weekend and oh man, did I ever enjoy the sweet taste and the nostalgic trip back in time. Here are some interesting facts I discovered regarding muscadines. I didn't realize they are native only to the southeastern US although they do grow in other areas now. Muscadines are a grapevine species native to the present-day southeastern US that has been extensively cultivated since the 16th Century. Its recognized range in the United States extends from New York south to Florida, and west to Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. They are well adapted to their native warm and humid climate; they need fewer chilling hours than better known varieties and they thrive on summer heat. The muscadine berries range from bronze to dark purple to black in color when ripe. They have skin sufficiently tough that eating the raw fruit often involves biting a small hole in the skin to suck out the pulp inside. Muscadines are not only eaten fresh, but also are used in making wine, juice, and jelly. Muscadine grapes are rich sources of polyphenols and other nutrients studied for their potential health benefits. Reports have indicated that muscadine grapes may contain high concentrations of resveratrol — a polyphenol with reported beneficial health effects. So who knew... they not only taste delicious and smell heavenly but they are good for you too! Most of the vines I have seen over the years grow high up into trees. The hulls are very tough, sometimes I eat them and other times I spit them out after getting the good stuff from the inside out. I bet all the healthy part is in the hull. If you have never tried muscadines I highly recommend you do!
very black and oh so good!
a single muscadine clings to the vine, looks like it is in eclipse as the sun is hitting only part of it
