If you find that you like making wines, I strongly recommend an excellent book. Although it is currently out of print, you should be able to locate a copy through your local libraries, either directly or through loan. With any luck you can locate a copy of your own through the various used and antique book stores. Successful Wine Making at Home by H.E. Bravery. Since wine making has become a popular hobby, you will find a good number of suppliers for the containers, tools, supplies and recent books on this topic.

The term crock used on this page simply refers to the first fermentation container. Although traditionally done in a crock, it simply needs a container of suitable material. I have always used a large 12-quart stoneware dough bowl for this purpose and a good kitchen muslin (sold in cooking supply stores) to cover the bowl as the ingredients are fermenting.

At the stage where the liquid is decanted off into a glass jug, compensation must be made for the fermentation that is still ongoing and gases still being produced. One method of stoppering the neck of the jug was a loose plug of cotton wool. More recently balloons were simply fitted over the neck and is the preferred method in many kitchens. A better method is to purchase a fermentation lock which is fitted over the neck of the jug and will indicate when all fermentation has ceased. All activity must cease before it can be decanted off into bottles and securely corked.

Apricot	Balm	Beet	Black Currant	Blackberry	Broom	Burnet
Cherry	Clary	Coltsfoot	Comfrey	Cowslip	Dandelion	Date

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Apricot Wine

Ingredients
6 lbs dried apricots 2 oranges 3½ lbs sugar 9 pints water ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast 1 tbsp freshly made tea

Place apricots in crock with the oranges (cut-up) and their peels. Fold the orange peel and squeeze to extract as much oil out as you can. Boil 2 lbs of sugar in 7 pints of water for 2 minutes and pour over the contents of the crock while it is still boiling. Allow to cool, then add the yeast. Cover and allow to ferment for 10 days, crushing by hand each day and covering at once again. After 10 days, strain and wring out as dry as you can and put the strained liquid in a gallon jug. Boil the remaining sugar in the last 2 pints of water for 2 minutes and when cool add to the rest, then add the tea. Cover or fit with a fermentation lock and leave till all fermentation has ceased.

Balm Wine
Version 1

Remove rinds from lemons, discard rinds and break up fruit. Combine balm and lemons in a crock. Pour ½ gallon of boiling water over them. Leave for 2 to 3 hours, covered. Boil half the sugar in a quart of water for 2 minutes and add this to the rest while it is still boiling. Mix well and when cool enough, add the yeast. Cover again and ferment in a warm place for 10 days, stirring daily. After 10 days, strain out the solids and wring out as dry as possible. Put the strained liquid into a gallon glass jug. Boil the other half of the sugar in the remaining quart of water for 2 minutes and when cool, add this to the rest. Cover or fit a fermentation lock. Continue to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased.

Beet Wine

Ingredients
5 lbs of beets 2 oranges 2 lemons 4 lb sugar 5 quarts water ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Peel beets and slice them finely (be careful not to lose any juice). Place them in 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for not more than 10 minutes. Strain to a crock and add half the sugar, stirring till dissolved. Cut up and add oranges and lemons and their peels. Allow to cool, then sprinkle yeast on top. Cover and allow to ferment for 10 days. Strain out oranges and lemons and wring out dry. Boil the rest of the water and sugar together for 2 minutes and when cool add this to crock. Place liquid in a gallon jug. Cover or fit with a fermentation lock and leave till all fermentation has ceased.

Blackberry Wine

Ingredients
3 lb blackberries 3 lb sugar 7 pints water ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Crush fruit in a crock and add 1 quart of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Mix well. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring a couple of times. Strain through muslin and squeeze gently. Discard fruit pulp. Boil 1/3 of the sugar in 2 quarts of water for one minute, then allow to cool. Mix with the juice and return to the crock. Add the yeast and allow to ferment for ten days. Cover crock with muslin or cheesecloth tied down. Into a gallon jug siphon off the top wine, avoiding the sediment at the bottom. Boil the second 1/3 of the sugar in 1 cup of the water for 1 minute and allow to cool. Add to jug. Plug the neck of the jug with cotton wool or a fermentation lock and allow to ferment in a warm place for 2 full weeks. Boil the remaining 1/3 of the sugar in the remaining cup of water for one minute and when cool add to the jug. Plug neck of jug again with cotton wool or fermentation lock and allow to sit until all fermenttion has ceased.

Blackcurrant Wine

Version 1 Ingredients
3¾ lb blackcurrants 3½ lb sugar 7 pints water ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Crush fruit in a crock and add 1 quart of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Mix well. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring a couple of times. Strain through muslin and squeeze gently. Discard fruit pulp. Boil 1/3 of the sugar in 2 quarts of water for one minute, then allow to cool. Mix with the juice and return to the crock. Add the yeast and allow to ferment for ten days. Cover crock with muslin or cheesecloth tied down. Into a gallon jug siphon off the top wine, avoiding the sediment at the bottom. Boil the second 1/3 of the sugar in 1 cup of the water for 1 minute and allow to cool. Add to jug. Plug the neck of the jug with cotton wool or a fermentation lock and allow to ferment in a warm place for 2 full weeks. Boil the remaining 1/3 of the sugar in the remaining cup of water for one minute and when cool add to the jug. Plug neck of jug again with cotton wool or fermentation lock and allow to sit until all fermenttion has ceased.

Broom Wine

Ingredients
2 oz dried broom flowers 1 gallon water 2 lemons, quartered 1 lb raisins 2½ lbs sugar ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Place all ingredients (except sugar, yeast and water) into a crock. Pour ½ gallon of boiling water over the contents of the crock. Leave for 2 to 3 hours, covered. Boil half the sugar in 1 quart of water for 2 minutes and add this to the rest while still boiling. Mix well and when cool enough, add yeast. Cover again and ferment in a warm place for 10 days, stirring daily and covering immediately again. After 10 days, strain out the solids and wring out as dry as you can. Place the strained liquid into a gallon glass jug. Boil the other half of the sugar in the remaining quart of water for 2 minutes and when cool, add to the jug. Cover or fit a fermentation lock and continue to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation ceases.

Burnet Wine

Ingredients
3 oz burnet herb 1 lb raisins 1 lb wheat 2 oranges, quartered 2 lemons, quartered 3 lb sugar 1 gallon water ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Place all ingredients (except sugar, yeast and water) into a crock. Pour ½ gallon of boiling water over the contents of the crock. Leave for 2 to 3 hours, covered. Boil half the sugar in 1 quart of water for 2 minutes and add this to the rest while still boiling. Mix well and when cool enough, add yeast. Cover again and ferment in a warm place for 10 days, stirring daily and covering immediately again. After 10 days, strain out the solids and wring out as dry as you can. Place the strained liquid into a gallon glass jug. Boil the other half of the sugar in the remaining quart of water for 2 minutes and when cool, add to the jug. Cover or fit a fermentation lock and continue to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation ceases.

Cherry Wine

Ingredients
8 lb black cherries 7 pints water 2½ lbs sugar ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Crush fruit in a crock and add 1 quart of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Mix well. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring a couple of times. Strain through muslin and squeeze gently. Discard fruit pulp. Boil 1/3 of the sugar in 2 quarts of water for one minute, then allow to cool. Mix with the juice and return to the crock. Add the yeast and allow to ferment for ten days. Cover crock with muslin or cheesecloth tied down. Into a gallon jug siphon off the top wine, avoiding the sediment at the bottom. Boil the second 1/3 of the sugar in 1 cup of the water for 1 minute and allow to cool. Add to jug. Plug the neck of the jug with cotton wool or a fermentation lock and allow to ferment in a warm place for 2 full weeks. Boil the remaining 1/3 of the sugar in the remaining cup of water for one minute and when cool add to the jug. Plug neck of jug again with cotton wool or fermentation lock and allow to sit until all fermentation has ceased.

Clary Wine

Ingredients
3 to 4 oz clary sage flowers 1 lb raisins 2 lemons, quartered 3 lb sugar 1 gallon water ½ oz baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast

Place all ingredients (except sugar, yeast and water) into a crock. Pour ½ gallon of boiling water over the contents of the crock. Leave for 2 to 3 hours, covered. Boil half the sugar in 1 quart of water for 2 minutes and add this to the rest while still boiling. Mix well and when cool enough, add yeast. Cover again and ferment in a warm place for 10 days, stirring daily and covering immediately again. After 10 days, strain out the solids and wring out as dry as you can. Place the strained liquid into a gallon glass jug. Boil the other half of the sugar in the remaining quart of water for 2 minutes and when cool, add to the jug. Cover or fit a fermentation lock and continue to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation ceases.

Coltsfoot Wine

Version 1 Ingredients
2 quarts coltsfoot flowers 1 gallon of water 3 lbs sugar ¼ cup raisins 3 oranges 2 lemons ½ tbsp yeast

Collect 2 quarts of coltsfoot flowers, then spread them out on trays to dry. When quite dry, place them into a crock and pour the boiling water over them and let them stand for 3 days, stirring 3 times each day. Strain off the liquid, add the sugar and boil well for half an hour. When cold, put the yeast on a piece of toast and place in the liquid to ferment. Next day, remove the toast and put the liquid into a jug and add the raisins, oranges and lemons, cut up. Use cotton wool or a fermentation lock and allow to stand for 3 months and then it will be ready to bottle.

Remove the petals and place in a crock. Pour 3 quarts of boiling water over and leave to soak for 7 days, covered. Stir each day. Strain, wringing as much from the petals as possible. Return the liquid to the crock. Boil half the sugar in a pint of water and when cool add to the liquid. Add the yeast and the juice of 2 lemons. Cover with muslin and ferment for 7 days. Siphon liquid off into a gallon jug avoiding the sediment at the bottom. Boil the rest of the sugar in the remaining pint of water and when cool, add to the jug. Cover or use a fermentation lock and leave till all fermentation has ceased.

Comfrey Wine
NOTE: Comfrey is no longer recommended for internal use. This recipe is presented for its historical value.

Clean, peel and cut up the roots into pieces about 4 or 5 inches long. Boil till quite tender and then remove the lid to allow the strong smell to escape. Strain off the liquid and to every gallon allow 3 lbs of sugar. Boil these together for 45 minutes, then pour the liquor into a pan and when tepid, add a very little yeast on toast. Let stand for at least 10 days covered over, and stir it every day. Then put it into a cask or stone jar to work. In 6 or 7 months, the wine will be ready to bottle.

Cowslip Wine

Version 1

Dandelion Wine
Version 1

When liquid has cooled to lukewarm, stir in 1¼ tsp dry yeast which has been dissolved in a small amount of the warm liquid. Add the dissolved yeast mixture to the crock and stir in well. Cover with muslin and use a large rubber band to hold the cloth over the top of the crock. (You can also use a large jug with a fermentation lock and wine yeast). Allow to sit while the mixture works or bubbles (this is the fermentation stage). This will take about 10 days and it will not be attractive to look at.

When the mixture has finished working and seems pretty quiet and still, siphon off the liquid into a large bottle or jug (fish tank tubing works well). Siphon off the upper portion without disturbing the sediment at the bottom. Place a rubber balloon over the top of the bottle (this allows for any residual gaseous action which would pop a cap off the bottle). After one month, either siphon or carefully pour off the top liquid, avoiding the sediment, and bottle and cork. Allow to age at least 6 months before using.

Version 2
Collect 1 gallon of flower heads and remove the petals. Place petals in crock and pour over them 3 quarts of boiling water. Leave to soak for seven days, well covered, and stir daily. Strain and wring out fairly tightly and return the liquid to the crock. Boil 1½ lbs sugar in 1 pint of water and when cool, add to the liquid. Add 1 oz of yeast and the juice of 2 lemons. Cover and ferment for seven days. Then pour carefully into a gallon jar, leaving as much sediment behind as you can. After this, boil another 1½ lbs sugar in 1 pint of water and when cool add to the liquid. Cover neck with muslin or a fermentation lock and leave till all fermentation has ceased. Bottle as in version 1.