Last spring we visited Cottle Organics and Uncle Henry’s Organics, two farms in Rose Hill, North Carolina, who supply us with muscadine grapes, in addition to other fruits and vegetables, through Eastern Carolina Organics (ECO). The grapes had just begun to flower when Owen Rouse showed them to our staff in the vineyard. Four months later, the grapes are here!
Muscadines are full of antioxidants, including vitamin C and ellagic acid. They’re a great source of fiber and make an excellent alternative to sugary snacks. While the skin can be slipped off easily, eating the skin and/or seeds gives the full health benefits.
Eat muscadines whole, or chop them and toss in a green salad or grain dish. Sandi from ECO recommends freezing them and then eating them like hard candy (cold hard candy) throughout the afternoon. Owen likes to get the full benefit of the antioxidants by grinding the grapes, with skins and seeds, in his Vitamix to make smoothies. (A normal blender might struggle with the seeds.) Try them in stores this weekend: 11-2 on Saturday in Southern Village, and 11-2 on Sunday in Carrboro and Hillsborough.
Take a peek at the vineyard in the video from our visit, below.