It's my favourite time of the year - elderberry time. There is nothing more delicious than the smell of elderberries boiling and all the merriement that heralds. Today I slogged through deep mud to find the meagre pickings of elderberries that are found on Gower. It is not elderberry territory. And yet I love it and I love elderberry wine too. I was famous for it when I lived in the rich soil of Wiltshire. Here the Atlantic saltwinds prevent the flowers from setting fruit - so we're okay for elderflower wine but the berries do take some finding. However I would encourage everyone who has access to an elderberry bush to make some of this nectar.
Here's the recipe:
In old money -
4 lbs of elderberries, stripped from their stalks (takes time -use music and contemplation)
3 - 4 lbs of sugar (bog standard but I'm using soft brown organic this time) depending on ripeness and sweetness of the fruit - taste it
wine yeast (according to label instructions)
1 gallon of good water (not so daft as it sounds London water is crap and will ruin your wine)
Put the stripped berries in the water and boil for 10 minutes - this is bulky and you'll probably need a preserving pan for the volume
Pour into a fermenting bucket (sterilised)
Add yeast when lukewarm.
Leave for saliva inducing week as you smell the fermenting must and stir once a day if you remember. Decant into a sterilised demi-john with a bubble cork and put in the airing cupboard for at least 6 weeks or in my case until xmas when I suddenly have a passion for it. Rack off into another clean demijohn until no sediment appears in the bottom - prob about March and then decant into sterilised bottles. Try and save it until the following Xmas but you probably won't make it. I never do.
This year I couldn't get 4 lbs of fruit (which leads to a rich and porty wine) so I've made do with 2 lbs and added 3 black peppercorns for spice, ginger (a thumbsized piece) for warmth and a chopped lemon for extra Vit C. I 'll let you know if it works. You could also try a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, star anise - any of the usual flavours for spiced wine.
IN the meantime, I shall harvest more and make a conventional gallon.
For the unitiated not only is this wine truly and utterly blissful on the palate but it is extremely good for you, being rich in vitamin C, and anti-viral. It is a heavenly flu, cold and misery remedy for winter and is a general standby in times of frugality, famine, illness and boredom. I rely on it to get me through til I can pick its sister, the elder flower which makes a champion champagne.
Elderflower is the queen of wines and Elderberry the king. Enjoy.
In old money -
4 lbs of elderberries, stripped from their stalks (takes time -use music and contemplation)
3 - 4 lbs of sugar (bog standard but I'm using soft brown organic this time) depending on ripeness and sweetness of the fruit - taste it
wine yeast (according to label instructions)
1 gallon of good water (not so daft as it sounds London water is crap and will ruin your wine)
Put the stripped berries in the water and boil for 10 minutes - this is bulky and you'll probably need a preserving pan for the volume
Pour into a fermenting bucket (sterilised)
Add yeast when lukewarm.
Leave for saliva inducing week as you smell the fermenting must and stir once a day if you remember. Decant into a sterilised demi-john with a bubble cork and put in the airing cupboard for at least 6 weeks or in my case until xmas when I suddenly have a passion for it. Rack off into another clean demijohn until no sediment appears in the bottom - prob about March and then decant into sterilised bottles. Try and save it until the following Xmas but you probably won't make it. I never do.
This year I couldn't get 4 lbs of fruit (which leads to a rich and porty wine) so I've made do with 2 lbs and added 3 black peppercorns for spice, ginger (a thumbsized piece) for warmth and a chopped lemon for extra Vit C. I 'll let you know if it works. You could also try a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, star anise - any of the usual flavours for spiced wine.
IN the meantime, I shall harvest more and make a conventional gallon.
For the unitiated not only is this wine truly and utterly blissful on the palate but it is extremely good for you, being rich in vitamin C, and anti-viral. It is a heavenly flu, cold and misery remedy for winter and is a general standby in times of frugality, famine, illness and boredom. I rely on it to get me through til I can pick its sister, the elder flower which makes a champion champagne.
Elderflower is the queen of wines and Elderberry the king. Enjoy.
