Garlic Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 6 clusters of elephant garlic
• or
• 15 clusters of regular garlic
• 1 lb golden raisins
• 1-3/4 lbs granulated sugar
• 7 pts water
• 1 tsp acid blend
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• Champagne or Sauterne wine yeast

Break cloves from garlic clusters and peel cloves. Slice cloves very thinly. This may take up to an hour to accomplish. Put water on to boil. Finely chop or mince the raisins and combine with sliced garlic in nylon straining bag and tie bag. Put one pound of the sugar and all remaining ingredients except yeast in primary and stir well to dissolve sugar in water. Cover primary with cloth and allow to sit 24 hours. Sprinkle yeast over surface of must (do not stir into liquid). Yeast will activate within 1-2 days, at which time it can be stirred. Ferment 7 days, stirring twice daily. Lift bag of pulp and squeeze well to extract maximum juice (wear sterlized rubber gloves to prevent hands from smelling of garlic for the next week !). Discard pulp, add remaining sugar, stir very well to dissolve sugar, transfer liquor to secondary, and fit airlock. Rack after 30 days and then every 3 weeks until wine clears, but rack at least four times. After clearing, wait 3 additional weeks, stabilize, wait another 10 days, rack, and bottle into bottles using screw caps. If wine does not clear after 6 rackings, stabilize and add fining. Wait 14 days, rack and bottle into wine bottles with screw caps. This is a cooking wine and can be used immediately. Refrigerate after opening. [Author’s recipe]