Fruit Season... Cherries mmmmm

I found a bunch of cherry trees nearby where I live!!! Within about 30 minutes I had picked 12lb of cherries.. we are making this in bulk. The problem is going to be balancing making wine and having demi johns free as each fruit comes into season.

Recipe:

• 3lb Cherries
• 2lb Sugar
• 1 tsp Yeast
• 1 tsp Yeast nutrient
• 1 tsp pectolaise
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 1 litre grape juice
• Enough water to fill demi john

Method:

• Bring the cherries to the boil, allow to soften enough to mash.
• Add the sugar to dissolve.
• Pass the stock through a sieve.
• Pour into demi john
• add water
• add the various powders
• add yeast
• top up with water
• put the trap on and wait

We actually made 3 demijohns (18 bottles of wine) but the camera batteries died lol.

Oak leaf wine

An old school friend told me that Oak leaf wine was a good one to make. Whilst waiting for the fruit season it seemed like a good idea. So early one Sunday morning I went to the local park with my daughter to pick oak leaves. Apparently you have to get them as soon as they have sprouted.

We managed to pick about 2lbs of leaves (which wasn't enough) due to feeling a little bit guilty and also it takes a lot of leaves to make up the estimated 6lbs that I think you would need to do this wine justice.

To make up for the lack of leaves I added some oranges and lemons. Making the mixture it certainly had a nice aroma.

Recipe:

• 2lb Oak Leaves (new) took these from 400 year old tree and several other trees.
• 2.2 lb Sugar
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 1 tsp Yeast
• 1 tsp Yeast nutrient

The usual method was used, boil up the leaves, oranges, lemons, sugar, then give it a good stir in a bucket and allow the aromas to flavour the stock.

This made a light green liquid which then was put into the demi - john.

After about 4 weeks the wine was ready it was extremely clean and looked great, however the taste was a bit bland, but I will be attempting this again next year.

As you can see the wine looks great, but unfortunately the flavour is not strong enough. Next year I will use more leaves and some white grape juice to give the wine body. Not a failure, a lesson!