Loganberry Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 4 lbs ripe loganberries
• 1-3/4 lbs granulated sugar
• 7 pts water
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• wine yeast

Bring water to boil and add sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Meanwhile, wash and inspect fruit for ripeness. Put in nylon straining bag and tie closed. Put bag in primary and crush berries. Pour boiling water over fruit, cover, and set aside to cool. When at room temperature, stir in crushed Campden tablet, recover and set aside for 12 hours. Stir in pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient, recover and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast and ferment 4 days, stirring twice daily. Remove nylon straining bag and press to extract maximum liquid. Discard pulp, transfer to secondary and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit airlock every 30 days until wine clears and no new sediments form over 30-day period. Stabilize, sweeten if desired, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. If bottled dry, this wine typically requires two years to mature but will then be exceptional. In rare cases, it may require up to four years to mature. If bottled sweet, this wine may be consumed immediately, but improves considerably with 6 months aging. [Author’s own recipe]