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Wine Making:
Elderberry to Prune


Wine yeast will give better results than bread yeast. Bread yeast will produce a product with a finished alcohol volume of upto 14% but will also produce a slightly cloudy product. Wine yeast will produce upto 17% to 18% in alcohol content and has the advantage of producing a cheeselike sediment with a clear liquid above it which is easy to siphon off without any residue to cloud the final product. Wine yeast is often sold in packages/packets that specify the amount of wine to be made. This is usually from 1 to 5 gallons.

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.

Elderberry Grapefruit Lavender Loganberry Oakleaf Parsnip
Elderflower Hawthorn Blossom Lemon May Wine Orange Plum
Gooseberry Herb Lemon Balm Mulberry Parsley Potato
Prune



on this pageElderberry Wine
Version 1

You will need a peck of elderberries for each gallon of water. To each gallon of elderberry juice use 3 lbs of sugar, ½ lb ground ginger, 6 whole cloves and 1 lb raisins. Use ¼ pint of brandy to each gallon of wine. Use 3 or 4 tbsp yeast for every 9 gallons of wine.

Pour boiling water onto berries and let stand 24 hours. Strain through a bag or sieve breaking the berries to extract the juice. Measure the liquid and to each gallon allow 3 lbs of sugar. Boil the juice with the sugar and other ingredients for 1 hour, simmering all the time. Let stand till lukewarm. Pour into a clean dry cask with yeast. Let ferment about 2 weeks and add brandy. Bung up cask and let remain for 6 months before bottling.

Version 2

Collect 3 gallons of ripe berries. Place into a crock and pour 2 gallons of boiling water over the berries. Cover and leave in a warm place for 24 hours. Strain, pressing the juice well out. Measure juice and allow 3 lbs of sugar, ½ oz of ginger and ¼ oz of cloves to each gallon. Boil for 20 minutes slowly, then strain it into a cask and ferment when lukewarm. Let it remain till it stops working before bunging. Bottle in six months. If a weaker wine is preferred, use 4 gallons of water to 3 gallons of berries and leave for two days before straining. If a cask is not available, large stone jars will do and then the wine need not be bottled.



on this pageElderflower Wine
Ingredients
1 gallon elderflowers
1 gallon water
3½ lbs sugar
1 oz yeast
2 lemons

Boil half the sugar in half a gallon of water and while boiling, pour over the flowers in the crock. Add the juice of the lemons and when the mixture is cool, add the yeast. Cover and ferment for 7 days. Strain out flowers and wring out well, but not too dry. Put the strained liquid in a gallon jar. Boil the rest of the sugar and water for 2 minutes and when cool, add to the rest. Cover or use fermentation lock and leave till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageGooseberry Wine
Ingredients
6 lbs gooseberries
3½ lbs sugar
7 pints water
1 pkg all purpose wine yeast

Crush fruit in crock and pour on 1 quart of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Mix well. Take 1/3 of the sugar and boil for 1 minute in 3 pints of water. Allow syrup to cool, then stir into pulp. Add yeast and ferment 3 days. Strain pulp through fine muslin and wring out dry as you can. Put strained liquid into a gallon jar and discard the pulp. Boil another 1/3 of the sugar in 1 pint of water for 1 minute and when it has cooled, add it to the rest. Cover neck of jar or fit a fermentaiton lock and continue to ferment in a warm place for 10 days more. Siphon off the liquid into another container, leaving the sediment behind. Clean and sterilize jar and return liquid to it. Boil remaining 1/3 of the sugar in the last 1 pint of water. Allow to cool and add to rest. Refit fermentation lock or cover again. Allow to remain in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased. If there is not enough room in the jar for any of the last lot of syrup, place in a sterile jar and refrigerate until fermentation has reduced the volume of the liquid and then add the remainder. Allow to sit until all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageGrapefruit Wine
Ingredients
8 large grapefruit
1 lb raisins
3½ lbs sugar
½ baker's yeast or 1 pkg wine yeast
1 gallon water

Drop the grapefruits (whole) into boiling water and push them down below the surface. Remove them and discard the water. Cut fruit into small pieces and combine with the raisins in a crock. Pour ½ gallon of boiled water which has cooled, over them. Cover and leave to soak for 48 hours, crushing and pressing the peel to extract the oil. Boil half the sugar in a quart of water for 2 minutes and when cooled, add this to the pulp. Add the yeast. Ferment in a warm place for 5 days. Crush, then strain through fine muslin and wring out dry. Discard pulp and return the liquid to the crock. Allow to ferment for another 10 days. Carefully our off into a gallon jar, leaving as much of the sediment behind as possible. Boil the rest of the water and sugar together and when cool, add to the rest. Cover or fit the neck with a fermentation lock and allow to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageHawthorn Blossom Wine
Ingredients
2 quarts of hawthorn flowers
3½ lbs sugar
1 oz yeast
1 gallon water

Gather flowers when they are about to drop off and shake into a crock. Pour 3 quarts of boiling water over the flowers and leave for 7 days, well covered. Stir daily and cover again at once. Strain and wring out fairly tightly and 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. Cover and ferment for 7 days. Pour off into a gallon jar being careful to leave the sediment behind. Boil the rest of the sugar in the remaining pint of water and when cool, add to the rest. Cover or fit the neck of the jar with a fermentation lock. Leave till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageHerb Wines
(quick)

  1. Choose a wine which will compliment the herb being used.
  2. Coarsely chop ½ to ¾ cup of herb depending on its strength. Place in a wide-mouthed jar. Add 1 pint of wine then set aside for 2 weeks, covered. Strain and place wine in a fancy bottle with your own label.
  3. Suitable herbs are borage, clary sage, clove, carnation, elderflowers, anise hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, mints, rosemary and sweet woodruff.



on this pageLavender Wine
Ingredients
½ oz dried lavender buds
1 gallon water
2½ lbs sugar
1 lb golden raisins
3 oranges (quartered)
1 pkg all-purpose wine yeast

Put lavender, raisins, and oranges in a crock. Pour ½ gallon boiling water over contents of crock and allow to sit 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 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 you can. 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 with a fermentation lock and continue to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageLemon Wine

NOTE: This wine is not usually made for drinking purposes, but rather for blending with fruit wines which do not measure up sufficiently in acid requirements.

Ingredients
8 lemons
4 lbs sugar
½ oz yeast
1 gallon water

Drop the whole lemons into boiling water. Push them under the surface of the water and then take them out and discard the water. Cut the lemons into small pieces, place in crock and pour over them ½ gallon of boiling water which has been allowed to cool. Cover and leave to soak for 48 hours, crushing and pressing the peel to extract the oil. Then boil half the sugar in a quart of water for 2 minutes and when cooled, add this to the orange pulp. Add the yeast. Ferment in a warm place for 5 days. Then crush and strain through muslin, wringing out as dry as possible. Discard pulp and return liquid to crock. Allow to sit for another 10 days. Carefully pour off into a gallon jug leaving behind as much sediment as possible. Boil the remaining water and sugar togethr and when cool, add to the rest. Cover neck of jug or use a fermentation lock. Continue to ferment in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageLemon Balm Wine
Source: 1788 Receipt Book of Richard Briggs) (ver. 1) and Herbal Simples by Dr. Fernie - 1897 (ver. 2)

Version 1


Place 20 lbs of sugar in 4½ gallons of water. Boil gently for 1 hour and place in a tub to cool. Place 2 lbs lemon balm tops (bruised) into a barrel with a little new yeast. Pour cooled liquor over and stir well together. Let stand 24 hours, stirring often. Bung tight. Improves with age.

Version 2

Boil 10 lbs moist sugar in 4 gallons of water for over an hour and skim well. Pour into crockery pot to cool. Bruise 1½ lbs lemon balm tops and place in a small cask with yeast spread on toast. Pour cooled liquid over balm and stir together well. Let stand 24 hours stirring frequently. Close it up lightly at first and more securely after fermentation ceases. After 6 to 8 weeks, bottle it up putting a lump of sugar into each bottle. Cork bottle well and keep at least one year before using.



on this pageLoganberry Wine
Ingredients
3 to 4 lbs loganberries
3 lbs sugar
1 pkg wine yeast
7 pints water

Crush fruit in crock and pour on 1 quart of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Mix well. Take 1/3 of the sugar and boil for 1 minute in 3 pints of water. Allow syrup to cool, then stir into pulp. Add yeast and ferment 7 days. Strain pulp through fine muslin and wring out dry as you can. Put strained liquid into a gallon jar and discard the pulp. Boil another 1/3 of the sugar in 1 pint of water for 1 minute and when it has cooled, add it to the rest. Cover neck of jar or fit a fermentation lock and continue to ferment in a warm place for 10 days more. Siphon off the liquid into another container, leaving the sediment behind. Clean and sterilize jar and return liquid to it. Boil remaining 1/3 of the sugar in the last 1 pint of water. Allow to cool and add to rest. Refit fermentation lock or cover again. Allow to remain in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased. If there is not enough room in the jar for any of the last lot of syrup, place in a sterile jar and refrigerate until fermentation has reduced the volume of the liquid and then add the remainder. Allow to sit until all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageMay wine
Yield = 3 quarts

Ingredients
12 or more sprigs of sweet woodruff
3 pints fresh, ripe strawberries
2 bottles Rhine or Moselle wine
½ cup sugar
woodruff sprigs and blossoms for garnish
edible flower blossoms such as violet, Johnny-jump-up, pansy, rose petals
1 bottle of champagne

Heat the woodruff sprigs on a baking sheet in a low oven for a few minutes to bring out the scent of coumarin. Rinse the berries lightly and pick them over, reserving a pint of the best for garnish. Remove stems for 2 pints of the berries and taste for sweetness. Add 1 pint of berries to each of 2 pitchers along with half the sugar, if the berries are tart, less if sweet. Crush berries with sugar, then add the woodruff (dividing it evenly). Pour a bottle of wine into each pitcher and stir well. Cover pitchers with plastic wrap and refrigerate upto 24 hours. To serve, strain the wine into a punch bowl. Stir in the bottle of champagne. Garnish with reserved strawberry, woodruff and flowers.



on this pageMulberry Wine

On each gallon of ripe mulberries, pour one gallon of boiling water and let them stand for 2 days. Then squeeze all through a sieve or jelly bag. Wash out the crock and return the liquid to it. Put in the sugar at the rate of 3 lbs to each gallon of the liquid. Stir up till quite dissolved, then put the liquid into a cask. Let the cask be raised a little on one side till fermentation ceases, then bung down. If the liquor be clear, it may be bottled in 4 months time. Into each bottle put one clove and a small lump of sugar and the bottles should be kept in a moderate temperature. The wine may be used in a year from time of bottling.



on this pageOakleaf Wine
Presented for its historical value.

NOTE: The shoots for this must be gathered very young and 16 lbs of sugar are allowed to 10 young oak leaves, 4 gallons of water and 4 lemons. For this quantity use 4 oz of yeast.

Put the oak leaves in to a pan and pour the water over them. Let them steep for 8 hours. Add the sugar and the lemons (cut into slices) and let the whole simmer for 20 minutes. Let it cool down and then add the yeast when it is lukewarm. Let stand for 36 hours, then place in a cask after fermentation has ceased. It should be ready for use in 6 to 8 months.



on this pageOrange Wine
Ingredients
12 large oranges
4 lbs sugar
½ oz yeast
1 gallon water

Drop whole oranges into boiling water, then push each one under the surface. Remove and discard the water. Cut the oranges into small pieces, place in crock and pour over them ½ gallon of boiled water which has been allowed to cool. Cover and leave to soak for 48 hours, crushing and pressing the peel to extract the oil. Boil half the sugar in a quart of water for 2 minutes and when cool, add to pulp. Add yeast. Ferment in a warm place for 5 days. Crush, strain through fine muslin and wring out dry. Discard pulp and return the fermenting liquid to the crock. Allow to ferment for another 10 days. Pour off into a gallon jar leaving as much of the sediment behind as possible. Boil the rest of the water and sugar together and when cool add to the rest. Cover or fit a fermentation lock to the neck of the jar and continue to set in a warm place till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pageParsley Wine
Ingredients
2 oz dried parsley
1 oz dried mint
½ oz dried sage
1 gallon water
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
3 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.



on this pageParsnip Wine

Version 1


Take 15 lbs of sliced parsnips and boil till quite soft in 5 gallons of water. Run through a sieve, squeezing the liquid well out of them. Add 3 lb of coarse lump sugar to every gallon of liquid. Boil the whole for 45 minutes. When it is nearly cold, add a little yeast on toast. Let remain in a tub for 10 days, stirring it from the bottom each day. Place into a cask for a year. As it works over, fill it up every day.

Version 2
Ingredients
2 lbs parsnips
½ lb raisins
2 oranges
2 lemons
4 lbs sugar
5 quarts water
1 oz yeast

Scrub and grate parsnips, then simmer gently for 5 minutes in 3 quarts water. Remove all scum. Strain and add half the sugar at once and stir till all is dissolved. Add cut-up raisins and cut-up oranges and lemons and their peels. Allow to cool and then add yeast. Cover and ferment for 10 days. Strain and wring out as dry as possible. Boil the rest of the sugar and water together for 1 minute and when cool, add this to the rest. Put into a gallon bottle and cover or fit fermentation lock and leave till all fermentation has ceased.

Version 3
Ingredients
4 lbs parsnips
4 oranges
3½ lbs sugar
5 quarts water
1 oz yeast

Directions are the same as in Version 2.



on this pagePlum Wine
NOTE: Dark red, fully ripe fruits are required for this wine to be at its best.
Version 1
Ingredients
10 lbs plums
7 pints water
3½ lbs sugar
1 pkg port type 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.

Version 2
Ingredients
8 lbs plums, any fully ripe red variety
7 pints water
3 lbs sugar
1 pkg burgandy style wine yeast

Directions are the same as in Version 1.



on this pagePotato Wine
Ingredients
2 lbs potatoes
1 lb raisins
4 oranges
4 lbs sugar
1 oz yeast
5 quarts water

Scrub and grate potatoes and place in ½ gallon of water. Bring slowly to boling point and simmer for 1 minute. Strain into crock. Add half the sugar at once and stir till all is dissolved. Add cut-up raisins and cut-up oranges with their peels. Allow to cool and add yeast. Cover and ferment for 10 days. Strain, wringing out pulp as dry as possible. Boil remaining water and sugar together for 1 minute and when cool add this to the rest. Place all into a gallon bottle and cover or fit a fermentation lock to the neck. Leave till all fermentation has ceased.



on this pagePrune Wine
Ingredients
6 lbs prunes
2 lemons
3½ lbs sugar
9 pints water
1 oz yeast

Wash prunes and place in crock. Boil 2 lbs sugar in 7 pints of water and pour over fruit while still boiling. Allow to cool and add the yeast. Cover and ferment for 10 days, crushing well each day as soon as fruit becomes soft. After 10 days, crush well and strain out the solids. Wring out as dry as possible and put the liquid in a gallon jar. Boil the rest of the sugar in the remaining 2 pints of water and when cool, add to the rest. Cover neck of jar or fit a fermentation lock. Leave till all fermentation has ceased.




©1999 by Ernestina Parziale, CH

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