Calamondin Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 12-15 ripe calamondin
• 2 lbs granulated sugar
• 11-1/2 oz can of Welch’s 100% white grape juice frozen concentrate
• 6 pts water
• 1/4 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• wine yeast

Bring water to boil and add sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Meanwhile, wash fruit and prepare zest from 10 of them. Put zest in jelly bag, tie closed and put in primary. Pour boiling water over zest, cover, and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, juice the calamondins, strain the juice and cover until needed. When primary reaches room temperature, stir in calamondin juice, white grape concentrate, yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme. Cover and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast. Ferment 24-36 hours, stirring every few hours. Remove jelly bag and squeeze gently to extract flavor. Discard zest, transfer liquid to secondary and fit airlock. If required, top up when fermentation subsides. After 60 days, rack, top up and refit airlock. Repeat racking every 30 days until wine clears and no new sediments form over 30-day period. May be sweetened lightly or to dessert wine levels. Stabilize, sweeten as desired, wait 10-14 days, and rack into bottles. This wine should be cellared at least 4-6 months before drinking. [Author’s own recipe]