I mentioned muscadines in another thread so figured I might start a thread here with a bit of info about them. They really captured my attention a few years back but I never got round to getting hold of some.
Here is the basic info from wikipedia and some pictures..
Quote:
Muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia) are a grapevine species native to the present-day southeastern United States 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.
Muscadine berries range from bronze to dark purple to black in color when ripe. However, many wild varieties stay green through maturity. 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 berries range from bronze to dark purple to black in color when ripe. However, many wild varieties stay green through maturity. 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.
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Vitis_rotundifolia.jpg [ 81.68 KiB | Viewed 15757 times ]
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Muscadine_Black_Beauty (Medium).jpg [ 37.68 KiB | Viewed 15757 times ]
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Muscadine_Fry (Medium).jpg [ 88.25 KiB | Viewed 15757 times ]
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Muscadine_Supreme (Medium).jpg [ 85.32 KiB | Viewed 15757 times ]
They seem to be a fantastic fruit, especially for those living in places like QLD where it has traditionally been too tropical for the standard European grape (Vitis vinifera). I know they have worked on varieties of the European grape that are more resistant to the warmer more humid tropical conditions, but hey, here's one that grows naturally under those conditions.
