Category Archives: Okra Paradise Farms

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

Beautyberries almost ripe 2025-09-14

You can eat beautyberries now, but they will be riper in a few weeks.

[Beautyberries, Callicarpa americana]
Beautyberries, Callicarpa americana

They’re no longer mealy, and they have some flavor. They’re ripe enough to be made into jelly.

But in a few weeks they’ll be in full flavor. Even better then for eating or wine-making.

Callicarpa americana is native to the U.S. southeast, from Maryland to east Texas, plus Mexico and parts of the Carribean.

No, it’s not the same as pokeweed, which Continue reading →

Grape vinegar 2025-09-09

Update 2025-09-22: Sunrise over Woodhenge, Fall Equinox 2025-09-22.

I asked what can we do with the grape husks?

Gretchen looked it up and started grape vinegar.

[Grape vinegar, Scuppernong, Muscadine, Vitus rotundifolia, sugar water 2025-09-09]
Grape vinegar, Scuppernong, Muscadine, Vitus rotundifolia, sugar water 2025-09-09

These are the husks from the recent wine-making.

Scuppernong is a large variety of Muscadine grapes, Vitus rotundifolia. They are native and grow wild here. These ones we grew on our arbor, which we call woodhenge. They came from our neighbor the late Barney Ray.

Continue reading →

Grape wine into carboy 2025-09-09

Update 2025-09-11: Grape vinegar 2025-09-09.

Here’s how Gretchen gets the grape wine into the carboy: with a strainer and a funnel, plus a wood spoon to smush them.

[Strainer and funnel]
Strainer and funnel

The grapes had been in the buckets for a while, with water and champaigne yeast to start fermenting. Now the wine will stay in the carboy in the cool room for quite some time.

Scuppernong is a large variety of Muscadine grapes, Vitus rotundifolia. They are native and grow wild here. These ones we grew on our arbor, which we call woodhenge. They came from our neighbor the late Barney Ray.

-jsq

Grape pie 2025-09-04

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

What better dessert?

[Grape pie]
Grape pie

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.

-jsq

Scuppernong grape jelly 2025-08-25

Update 2025-09-09: Grape pie 2025-09-04.

The essence of ripe grapes in a jar.

[Scuppernong grape jelly]
Scuppernong grape jelly

This jar is from an earlier batch made like you see in the previous post.
http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/blog/?p=9851

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.

-jsq

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.

-jsq

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.

-jsq