Muscadine Grape Butter

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Muscadine grapes
• 5 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. ground mace
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Wash grapes; drain and remove stems.
2. Plunge grapes into rapidly boiling water to cover; boil 2 minutes. Drain well.
3. Slip off grape skins, reserve the pulp and set it aside.
4. Grind or chop the skins finely.
5. Place pulp in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until seeds begin to separate from pulp.
6. Press pulp through a sieve to remove seeds; discard seeds.
7. Return pulp to saucepan; add reserved skins and remaining ingredients.
8. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens.
9. Quickly ladle butter into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
10. Cover at once with metal lids and screw bands tight. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes.

Yield: 8 half pints.

Source: Cooking with Muscadine Grapes, Tammy Kelly, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension