Have you Scuppernonged?

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Scupper what? That's right Scuppernong! Not a fancy dance nor a hip new club. Scuppernong is the new fruit of the week. I live in South Carolina and have seen these delicious fruits and always been a little intimidated. How do I describe the Scuppernong? It was originally known as the "Big White Grape" (Thanks Wikipedia!). Think grape on steroids. They looked interesting but it was the name that caught my interest. Trying a Scuppernong sounded daring and risky. But again I refer to the fact that they looked like grapes that had been pumping their iron and taking their vitamins. I had no idea how to prepare these intriguing fruits. When I picked them up at the store because I no longer could handle the mystery I wasn't sure if they belonged with grapes, berries, or stone fruit. But this adventure is all about being fearless and trying new things. I got on the google :) to see what tasty recipe would be recommended. My options seemed to be wine, jam, or jelly. Though I am breaking out the Suzy Homemaker skills I haven't quite reached the canning process or fermenting my own fruit. But who knows the journey is just beginning. So since the recipes seemed a little out of my league. I decided this morning I am bringing these intriguing characters for lunch. However, I didn't want my first taste to be at the office and find out I was deathly allergic or that it was just plain yucky without my toothbrush handy. So with a little rinse in the sink, into my mouth I popped the pumped up, plumped out Big White Grape and my new friend, the Scuppernong! It was quite tasty. VERY SWEET! My initial reaction was that it tasted like a pear crossed with a grape. Because the outside skin is quite firm and squishing it between the teeth one feels a little resistance. The peel then forces the juicy meat out of the fruit with a squirt! I am enjoying the pleasant surprise of sweetness (I have a crazy sweet tooth!) Then I began to chew and became not as big of fan. The seeds are horribly bitter! I am not a big fan of grape seeds, really not a big fan of Scuppernong seeds. However, my tip around this bit of unpleasantness is to either discreetly spit out the seeds. They are noticeable in your mouth and easily can be extracted once you open the fruit's skin. or swallow them whole with the juicy pulp. So I give the Scuppernong a big friendly Southern nod as a great way to bid farewell to Summer. (and a big farewell to the Scuppernong seeds). Y'all come back now, ya hear! As we tune in tomorrow for the Tales and Fables of Nutrition Labels!