6 cups whole muscadines (black has prettier color, but bronze has milder taste)

1 - 1.5 cups sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/3 cup cornstarch (may need a little more)

2 raw, 9" pie crusts

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon OPT

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg OPT

Wash muscadines. Put a colander over a medium sized bowl, allowing the juice to drip off the pulp. Pop the pulp of the muscadines into the colander and drop the hulls into a large saucepan. Add water just to cover the hulls. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and allow hulls to simmer for about 40 minutes, until hulls are tender.

Dissolve the cornstarch in a cup of water, then quickly pour into the simmering hulls. Stir for a few seconds to thicken then add the sugar and optional spices. Bring to a boil, stirring until mixture thickens.

Cool slightly then pour filling into crust until just below the top edge. Dot with butter. Lay second crust over the filling and crimp the edges. Cut a few slits in the top crust, sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at 425° for 40-45 minutes until browned. Cool and enjoy!