Im interested in adding some muscadines or scuppernogs, but before I bother, are they musky flavored/scented like how black currants are? I cant even fathom eating the black currants and jostaberries I grow because I cant stand the smell.
I do not know about musty. Whether wild or domestic musty does not come up as a descriptor I would use
Maybe wild Fox grapes. We have tons of wild Muscadines and tart sweet is what I’d call most. We sometimed graft wild ones that are sweeter then tart. Close to most domestic ones.
The best for eating are Fry, Isom and Supreme by far. While great flavored, Supreme needs a pollinator. Fry and Isom are SF.
Musty ones tend to be “wet” stem Muscadines meant for juice and wine. Though they all have lip puckering tannic skins.
2 Likes
they have a bit of a foxy taste like concord grapes, if thats what you mean? i think less musky than concord but i have only had them once.
If you dont know what i mean, try some concord grape jelly or juice and see if you dont like the foxy/musky taste in those
1 Like
Thank you! Good to know. I grow concords and love them, so maybe Ill give muscadines a try. The black currants and jostaberries remind me of the smell of a skunk, and thats what I was trying to avoid haha
No skunk that I ever tasted … I would say they are like Concord but dial up the flavor… they are strongly flavored.
I need to figure out something to do with mine, I love eating them but I only eat a small fraction of the harvest since they are so strong-flavored.
2 Likes
No I wouldn’t describe them as musty. I agree with Scott. People who i’ve given muscadine jam to say it tastes like concord on steroids. The vines smell like a delicious dessert wine in late summer approaching peak ripeness.
I love them for fresh eating. They are different than table grapes but taste excellent to my wife and I.
I’ve been putting them in pies this winter and love the flavor. Great replacement for cherry.
If you’re worried about odd flavor you could stick to the newer commercial varieties like Paulk and Black Beauty and Supreme that are little sweeter and mass appealing. Paulk has been extremely vigorous and productive for me in 7A. Darlene has been exceptionally hardy in the cold but I can’t speak to production because it’s in a container. Black Beauty was vigorous but died in an unexpected late frost after a prune. Lane was less vigorous and was killed by a deep freeze. 6B Ohio could be a little tough. Don’t follow conventional southern wisdom on timing pruning. Do it in like the middle of April… as late as you can before it breaks dormancy.
5 Likes
My Black Beauty also died sometime this spring after pruning…
Darlene is super vigorous and productive for me, I get more Darlenes than all the others combined.
3 Likes
That’s a good data point for Darlene. I’m probably only a few beltway exits away from you.
Darlene has lived in a white walled root trapper pot for 4 years on my property now. I’ve neglected and abused the hell out of it. I’m sure it has survived dozens of nights at sub 10 degrees.
Seems like a good bet for northern zone pushers!
2 Likes
Thank you guys! Im going to check out Darlene. Were pretty sure the previous owner had a vine of muscadines growing on a cattle panel buried in a bunch of brush when we bought out property. My husband unknowingly ripped out the vine when removing the panel and clearing the brush with a backhoe, so Im hoping I have some luck trying to zone push with them as well🤞
2 Likes
@KrisRos … I would recommend you try Oh Yes… it is the new seedless edible skin black muscadine from Gurneys.
I am adding one this spring.
I have an Oh My now seedless white and they are quite delicious and you can simply eat the whole dime… no seeds, no thick tuf skins. They dehydrate well too.
I have a older variety Isons that has seeds and tuf skins… and even though it is very flavorfull… i am removing it to add a Oh Yes.
No seeds and tender edible skins is the way to go.
Makes processing into jams and such much easier.
TNHunter
3 Likes
are oh yes self fertile? or would i need a second one with seeds to pollinate
2 Likes
I’ll be the next to echo, Muscadines are awesome. I do think it’s tied to if you like Concord, even though they don’t taste “the same”. My dad and I both prefer muscadines and Concord over any table grape you could buy. My wife prefers seedless table grapes to both muscadine and concord. If you like concord, stick with the purple muscadines. The bronze don’t seem to be in the same league to me personally, though I’ve only sampled from one vine.
1 Like
Darlene is also super-productive for me and hardy to at least a little below zero. And my mom’s favorite variety, though I prefer Black Beauty.
2 Likes
I also prefer the black ones, they have more fruity flavor. I’m getting an Oh Yes! to replace my dead Black Beauty. I expect it won’t taste quite as good but I hope I can get some other people to eat them… nobody wants to eat seeded grapes any more.
2 Likes
Well mostly. Though I have never found a seedless grapes that holds a candle to huge, sweet and juicy Red Globe grapes.
I would not think that muscadines are recommended for northern Ohio. However, the first folks that i would talk to is your local state extension office, if you have one.
Maybe you get some lake effect on climate. Just curious, what is your local yearly average low temperature?
Oh yeah, definitely in a bit of a micro climate here right on the coastline. Hmm, I cant find a very good, accurate source that shows average lows and highs 
. Any good recommendations where to look for that info?
1 Like
I think it depends on taste preferences and what you want to do with muscadines. I like Fry better than Darlene, if picked before fully ripe, Fry has more acid and is more aromatic. Darlene is sweeter and bigger. Yields of muscadines are 60 lb or more, with Darlene you have to grow at least one other self fertile variety (Darlene is female). So that is a lot of grapes, if you just think about fresh eating. I would go with Ison, that is a self fertile black all purpose variety. Good for fresh eating, jam, juicing and wine. Black varieties are more resistant to Black Rot than bronze varieties like Darlene.
This gal is in zone 6a and grows razzmatazz in containers (hanging baskets, larger containers on her deck).
Brings them inside over winter.
Think I will try growing one in a large container (half whiskey barrel) on the south side of my home. I am in zone 7b so no need to bring it in over winter.
A source of fresh grapes that produces for a several months sounds ideal to me.
TNHunter
1 Like