Category Archives: Okra Paradise Farms

Half way between Atlanta and Orlando and all the way to paradise!

Grape jelly making 2025-08-29

Update 2025-09-07: Scuppernong grape jelly 2025-08-25.

Another thing Gretchen does with grapes from woodhenge: grape jelly. It’s like the essence of ripe grapes.

[Grape jelly into jars]
Grape jelly into jars

Scuppernong is a large variety of Muscadine grapes, Vitus rotundifolia. They are native here and grow wild. These ones we picked from our arbor, which we call woodhenge. They were given to us by our late neighbor Barney Ray.

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Wine in Carboy 2025-09-03

Update 2025-09-10: Grape wine into carboy 2025-09-09.

Update 2025-09-06: Grape jelly making 2025-08-29.

These are the same grapes you last saw in a bucket with water and champaigne yeast.

[Scuppernongs in wine carboy]
Scuppernongs in wine carboy

Gretchen put them in this carboy, a large glass jug, where they will stay for quite some time, fermenting into wine.

Scuppernong is a large variety of Muscadine grapes, Vitus rotundifolia.

-jsq

Grapes smelling like wine 2025-08-26

Update 2025-09-05: Wine in Carboy 2025-09-03.

These grapes have been in this bucket for a while, and they already smell like wine.

[A marvelous smell]
A marvelous smell

Gretchen put these grapes in the bucket with water and champaigne yeast.

Scuppernong is a large variety of Muscadine grapes, Vitus rotundifolia.

-jsq

Picked grapes 2025-08-25

Update 2025-09-02: Grapes smelling like wine 2025-08-26.

Many gallons of grapes picked; still more on the vine.

[Picked scuppernongs]
Picked scuppernongs

These are scuppernongs, a variety of muscadine, Vitis rotundifloia.

They came from the late Barney Ray’s arbor; now they grow on ours.

Many wild ones grow in the woods, but mostly the critters get them.

These we’ve let grow up in pine and sweetgum trees on the arbor, so most land-bound animals can’t get to them.

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Ripe Grapes 2025-08-24

Update 2025-09-01: Picked grapes 2025-08-25.

Thanks to the late Barney Ray for these Scuppernong grapes, which came from his arbor. Now they’re growing on ours, which we call woodhenge.

[Ripe grapes on the vine]
Ripe grapes on the vine

Very tasty.

Scuppernongs are a variety of Muscadine grapes. They are native here.

Gretchen says these are champaign scuppernongs, because of their color.

-jsq

Toad in the Hole 2025-08-18

Gretchen baked this tasty dish.

Think pizza with no cheese or tomatoes.

Or pastry with beef and not sweet.

If that doesn’t help, you’ll just have to try it.

[Toad in the Hole]
Toad in the Hole

She loosely followed a recipe by Max Miller on Tasting History.

It’s basically flour and eggs with a bit of salt with meat baked in an oven.

-jsq