Scuppernong Pie

Muscadines are one of my favorite parts of summer. Growing up, though, I never appreciated them. I was spoiled on grocery store grapes, the seedless kind, and wasn't too sure about these tough-skinned, robust, seed-bearing scuppernongs. These days, I've changed my tune a bit and look forward to picking (and eating) them each year-- and here's why: Muscadine Pie. If you have muscadines (or scuppernongs, same thing) where you live too, please do everyone a favor and make. this. pie.

4 C purple scuppernongs
2/3 C sugar*
Pastry for 2-crust pie (9")
2 T cornstarch
3 T butter
Cinnamon or Apple Pie Spice

*Adjust to your taste.

Preheat oven 300 degrees F.
Wash grapes. Using two medium sized enamel pans, squeeze grape pulp into one and use the other for the hulls. Cover hulls with water and cook until tender. Drain.
Cook pulp until soft enough to run through a sieve to remove seeds. Add to hulls. Mix sugar, cornstarch and spice. Add to grapes. Pour into bottom pie shell, dot with butter, cover with strips of pastry (I use the cookie cutter method usually, and roll out the top pie crust, then cut out little shapes with a cookie cutter-- to mimic a lattice without the extra effort). Bake until filling bubbles and pastry browns. Try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.