Elderberry Wine Recipe

Elderberry

Spiced Elderberry Wine

 Makes 1 gallon of wine ( 5 bottles)

                        2 lbs. elderberries

                                    1 organic lemon

                                    2 campden tablets (I don't use these)

                                    1 tsp. nutrients

                                    1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme

                                    water

Crush the elderberries and place in primary fermentor.  Add 12

cups cold water, lemon juice and rind, campden tablets if you

use them, nutrients and pectic enzymes.  Let sit overnight.        

                                                                     The next day add

                                                                                                          packet of wine yeast (I use Lalvin K1-V1116)

                                                                                                         1/2 ounce thinly sliced ginger root

                                                                                                         2 inch cinnamon stick

                                                                                                         1 cup chopped organic raisins

                                                                     Stir daily until frothing stops -- about 3 days.  Then add:

                                                                                                         3 lbs. brown sugar. (this all turns into alcohol)

                                                                    

                                                                     In a couple of days, place in secondary fermentor (add some oak chips if 
                                                                     you like - I do) and attach airlock.

For a dry wine: rack in 1 month, and every 2-3 months about 3 more times.  Bottle

For a sweet wine: rack in 1 month.  Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine.  Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every 6 weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar.  Rack every 2-3 months until one year old.  Bottle

     I'm going to walk you through all this again in the fall when I am making it.  In the mean time, find yourself a beer/wine making supply shop.  Let the store owner help you with your selections, including a little basic book on getting started.  Do your homework now, before the garden chores set in.  At the same time the elderberries are ready to be picked, the tomatoes will be going crazy :-)  You won't have time then :-)           

     Why is elderberry high on my list of medicinal herbs?  The elderberry's berries have ingredients in them that stop the replication of viruses.  This is one of my "go to" herbs when I feel a cold coming on.  I start it right away.  I have personally known it to knock out that cold over and over.  I don't care if it is juice, tincture, or wine, it all has medicinal value.  Just one elderberry bush in your backyard can give you a good supply, or if you are like me, you plant half the orchard in elderberries to supply yourself and all of your friends :-)