Strawberry Wine

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Pick any ripe strawberries for the wine, but make sure none are shriveled or rotten.

2. Step 2:

   

   Then, without washing them or removing the stems, mash all the berries by hand - taking care not to crush any seeds - into a suitable fermentation vessel. Cover it tightly with a lid to keep out uninvited guests and leave it undisturbed for 3-4 days at 64-73°F (18-23°C). After those first 3-4 days, you'll need to stir the must from the bottom up several times over about two weeks, once every 2-3 days.

3. Step 3:

   

   Before you start removing the pulp from the must, let it rest for a day. Under the pressure of the carbon dioxide, part of the pulp will rise to the surface.

4. Step 4:

   

   Skim it into a fine sieve or a cheesecloth bag and let it sit for a few hours over an empty container so the juice trapped in the pulp drains out.

5. Step 5:

   

   Drain all the juice into a suitably sized jar.

6. Step 6:

   

   Fit it with an airlock and leave it to ferment for another 8-10 days.

7. Step 7:

   

   After that time, remove the airlock and take out the pulp that's risen, squeezing it lightly.

8. Step 8:

   

   Strain the young wine through a sieve to remove the rest of the pulp.

9. Step 9:

   

   Squeeze lightly and pour it back into the jar under the airlock for another 8-10 days.

10. Step 10:

    

    During this time, a substantial sediment will settle in the jar of wine.

11. Step 11:

    

    Using a long flexible tube, carefully rack the wine off without disturbing the sediment. And back under the airlock it goes! But this time for a few days longer than the previous period - and do this with each subsequent racking. Keep a log so you don't lose track, especially if you have several different wines going!

12. Step 12:

    

    Over time the wine will start to change color - that's perfectly normal.

13. Step 13:

    

    That means it's time to start aerating it - during the next racking, hold the tube so the stream falls about 5 cm above the jar, so the wine picks up oxygen.

14. Step 14:

    

    It's also time to taste the wine; if there isn't enough natural sugar and the wine is too tart, add a third or a quarter of the sugar. To do this, set aside a little wine and dissolve the sugar in it.

15. Step 15:

    

    Pour the sweetened portion of wine back into the jar. Add the rest of the sugar in stages during the following rackings and aerations.

16. Step 16:

    

    Keep racking and aerating until the wine turns clear and stops throwing sediment or film. The whole process is long - two months or more, depending on conditions and how the fermentation goes. Bottle the finished wine, but don't cork it tightly - strawberry wine tends to keep fermenting. Store it in a dark, cool place. Enjoy the aroma and flavor!