Honeysuckle Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 6 cups honeysuckle flower petals
• 7-1/2 pts water
• 2 lbs finely granulated sugar
• 3 tsp acid blend
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• Champagne or Montrachet wine yeast

Rinse fresh flowers under cold water to remove dust, insects, etc. Put flowers in 2 quart saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Add 1 quart water and bring to a simmer. Fit lid and turn off heat. Let steep for three hours. Meanwhile, bring remainder of water to boil and stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, put lid on pan and allow to cool. Strain flower water into primary. Add all remaining ingredients except yeast, stirring until Campden powder is dissolved. Cover well and set aside for 24 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily until s.g. drops to 1.015. Rack into secondary and fit airlock. After 30 days, rack into sanitized secondary, top up and refit airlock. Set aside in dark place for 6 months, racking at 3 months and 6 months if deposits require it. Stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles. Store in dark place six months before tasting. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]

• 6 cups honeysuckle flower petals
• 7-1/2 pts water
• 2-1/2 lbs finely granulated sugar
• 2 lemons or 1 lemon and 1 orange
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• Champagne or Montrachet wine yeast

Thinly peel citrus, retaining peel and juicing fruit. Rinse fresh flowers under cold water to remove dust, insects, etc. Put flowers and citrus peeling in 2 quart saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Add 1 quart water and bring to a simmer. Fit lid and turn off heat. Let steep for three hours. Meanwhile, bring remainder of water to boil and stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat, put lid on pan and allow to cool. Strain flower water into primary. Add citrus juice and all remaining ingredients except yeast, stirring until Campden powder is dissolved. Cover well and set aside for 24 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily until s.g. drops to 1.015. Rack into secondary and fit airlock. After 30 days, rack into sanitized secondary, top up and refit airlock. Set aside in dark place for 6 months, racking at 3 months and 6 months if deposits require it. Stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles. Store in dark place six months before tasting. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]