Clemetine Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 1 box (5 lbs) clementines
• Zest from 5-7 clementines
• Juice from 5 small Valencia oranges
• 1-1/2 lb granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp tartaric acid
• 1 crushed and finely ground Campden tablet
• 1/4 tsp tannin
• 7 pts water
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Gervin B wine yeast

Bring 1/2 gallon of water to a boil and in it dissolve sugar. Save zest of 5-7 Clementines and peel and section all of them, being careful to remove all pith. In a large bowl, cut each section in half. Place zest and cut sections in nylon straining bag, tie closed and mash in primary. Add juice of oranges, tannin, tartaric acid, and yeast nutrient. Pour boiling water with dissolved sugar over fruit. Add remaining water, cover primary and set aside to cool. When must has cooled to room temperature add pectic enzyme, recover primary, and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast, cover the primary again and set aside. Stir daily several days (until specific gravity drops to 1.010). Drip drain bag (do not squeeze) and transfer liquid to secondary with finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet. Top up if required, attach airlock and ferment to dryness. Rack when fermentation ceases, top up and reattach airlock, Rack again, top up and refit airlock every 60 days for 6 months. Taste. If too tart, stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait additional 3 weeks and rack into bottles. Age one year before tasting. [Author’s own recipe]