passion-fruit Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads
- 1 qt loosely packed feijoa flowers
- 1 11-oz can Welch’s frozen passion fruit concentrate
- 1 11-oz can Welch’s 100% white grape juice frozen concentrate
- sugar to bring s.g. to 1.090
- 6 pts water
- 1/8 tsp tannin
- 3/4 tsp acid blend
- 3/4 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
- Sauterne, Hock or Montpellier (Lalvin K1V-1116) wine yeast
Wash flowers and add to 1 quart water in 2-qt pan, covered, on medium heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. In primary, add remaining water to passion fruit and white grape concentrate. Strain off flowers, adding flower-water to primary. Stir and take hydrometer reading. Use hydrometer chart (see chart at Using Your Hydrometer ) to calculate sugar required to raise specific gravity to 1.090. Add sugar and stir well to dissolve. Add all remaining ingredients except yeast, stir, cover primary, and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast. Stir daily for 7 days, then transfer to secondary and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit airlock after 30 days. Repeat racking every 30 days until fermentation ceases and wine is clear. Rack again, top up, refilt airlock, and set aside 60 days. Rack into bottles and enjoy. [Author’s own recipe]
- 4 lbs passion fruit
- 2-1/4 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 7 pts unsweetened white grape juice from reconstituted concentrate
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- 1/2 oz pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Lalvin 71B-1122 (Narbonne) (1st choice) or
- Lalvin D-47 (Côtes-du-Rhône) wine yeast
Clean fruit and discard any that are unsound or under-ripe. Chop fruit coarsely and place in nylon straining bag, saving any juice that emits during chopping. Tie bag and place with juice in primary. Crush fruit well with hands. Add sugar, crushed Campden, yeast energizer, and white grape juice. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Cover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, recover primary and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Squeeze bag and stir must daily until specific gravity drops between 1.010 and 1.015 (about 5-7 days of vigorous fermentation). Drip drain pulp (squeeze bag gently only), rack into secondary, top up, and fit airlock. Ferment to dryness, racking every 30 days until wine clears. Stabilize and sweeten if desired, although it is best as a dry wine. Wait 10 days and rack into bottles. Aging of this wine depends on its astringency. Taste after 6 months and age longer if not ready. May take a year. Served chilled. [Author’s own recipe]
- 5 lbs passion fruit
- 2-1/2 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 7 pts water
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- 1/2 oz pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Lalvin 71B-1122 (Narbonne) (1st choice) or
- Lalvin D-47 (Côtes-du-Rhône) wine yeast
Clean fruit and discard any that are unsound or under-ripe. Chop fruit coarsely and place in nylon straining bag, saving any juice that emits during chopping. Tie bag and place with juice in primary. Crush fruit well with hands. Add sugar, crushed Campden, yeast energizer, and water. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Cover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, recover primary and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Squeeze bag and stir must daily until specific gravity drops between 1.010 and 1.015 (about 5 days of vigorous fermentation). Drip drain pulp (squeeze bag gently only), rack into secondary, top up, and fit airlock. Ferment to dryness, racking every 30 days until wine clears. Stabilize and sweeten if desired, although it is best as a dry wine. Wait 10 days and rack into bottles. Aging of this wine depends on its astringency. Taste after 6 months and age longer if not ready. May take 2 years, but will be worth it. Served chilled. [Author’s own recipe]