Ingredients:
For each demijohn (6 bottle batch) you will need
2lb elderberrys
1lb Oranges
7 pints water
1/4 oz wine yeast
3lb sugar
Note - I am making a double batch - which requires some pretty hefty pan sizes!
Strip the berries from the stalks by combing them off with a fork and weigh out the required quantity
Rinse the berries off. I bought one of these large "Over sink" collanders a few years back - very handy!
Peel a couple of large oranges per batch
Stick your water on to heat now. You'll want a big pan - for a double batch a large stock pot is needed
Whilst the water is heating, rough chop your oranges
Then take a glass of room temperature orange juics and add a teaspoon of wine yeast. Stir well and leave. It will go frothy which proves the yeast is activated
Weight out your sugar
Dissolve sugar in minimum necessary boiling water stirring constantly
By now your water should be boiling
Add the elderberries and chopped orange
Simmer for 10 minutes and leave to cool
Your yeast starter should now be frothy like this
Pour the starter into clean, sterilised demijohns along with the sugar solution.
Whilst your "must" is cooling, sterilise another large pan or food grade bucket and set a collander up above it. I do this out doors cos this stuff will stain!
Using a jug, pass the cool pust through the collander to remover the large fruit bits.
Now set up a funnel with a double layer of muslin over it.
Filter the must into the demojohn(s).
Bung in an airlock. The first fermentation will be violent so leave plenty of "headspace". Top up when things are calm.
When fermentation is complete, rack off and bottle. Leave for six months.
Red
looks delicious and a great method in pictures ...thank you x
