Rose Hip Wine

• Forage 3-4lb Rose Hips (hard work believe me) (Thanks to my best mate Cossi)
• 2lb sugar
• 1tsp yeast
• 1tsp yeast nutirent
• 1 litre red grape juice (They were sold out of white which I would have preferred)

• Boil the rose hips for a long time until they begin to soften
• Mash them
• Add the sugar
• Stir and allow to dissolve
• Once the must is well flavored with the Rose hip juice pour through a fine sieve to remove the flesh and seeds.
• Pour the filtered must into the Demi John
• Add the grape juice top up with cold water
• Wait until the liquid is lukewarm
• Add yeast and nutrient
• Pop the trap on and wait for 4 weeks for the fermentation to slow
• Rack off into a clean Demi John
• Wait another 4 weeks
• Bottle... wait... drink... enjoy!

Pear wine

Recipe: (per demijohn)

• 4 1/2 lb pears
• 2 lb Sugar
• Water
• 1 l white grape juice
• 1 tsp Yeast
• 1 tsp Yeast nutrient
• 1 tsp Citric acid

Method: (per demi john)

• Chop the pairs
• Add to very large sauce pan
• Pour over boiling water cover if possible mine were slightly above
• Simmer until softened

• Using a masher crush them a little just a couple of presses do not make pear soup!
• Add the sugar stir to help dissolve
• Allow it to cool a little (safety for the next bit!)
• Pour through a sieve try not to allow any of the pears drop into it (some will)
• Pour 1 l of grape juice into a demijohn
• Pour the stock into the demi through a funnel (filter if you have bits)
• Top up with cold water about an inch short of full
• Wait until lukewarm
• Add yeast, yeast nutrient, citric acid, rock the demi to mix a little, add the trap
• Wait about 4 weeks
• Rack off filtering the liquid
• Put back into clean demijohn
• Wait about 3 or 4 weeks until clear
• Bottle it
• Try to be patient but you can drink it from now!

This is 5 demi john's of pear wine, 14 bottles of elderberry and 6 bottles of plum (in bad light!) That is 50 bottles of wine :D

Ruby Rhubarb

So my Mum gave me some Rhubarb, which I could have used to make a nice Rhubarb crumble, but why not make a wine instead!

Recipe:

• 3lb Rhubarb (Chopped)
• 2 tins of Rhubarb in syrup (from super market)
• 1 litre Red Grape Juice
• 2lb Sugar
• 1 tsp Yeast
• 1 tsp Yeast nutrient
• 1 tsp Citric Acid (important)

Method:

• Chop Rhubarb into 1/2 inch chunks
• Place in saucepan and cover with boiling water
• It took about 10 minutes for them to soften
• Add contents of Tinned Rhubarb
• Add Sugar
• Stir to help it all dissolve
• Simmer for 5 minutes 
• Add 1 litre Red Grape Juice to the Demi John
• Strain the rhubarb collecting the liquid (careful hot sugary water is severely dangerous to your skin!)
• Filter that liquid through something fine (I use an old pillow case)
• Add the liquid to your Demi John
• Allow it to cool until it is Lukewarm
• Add yeast, yeast nutrient and citric acid

(I keep the Demi in a dark cupboard its only out for photography purposes)

Then wait 4 weeks, rack off into another Demi John within 2 weeks or so it should clear nicely and from then you can drink it, the longer you wait of course the better.

I will add a photo of the finished product when it is done!