Pea-Pod Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 4 lbs empty pea pods
• 2 lbs granulated sugar
• 2 lemons
• 2 oranges
• 3-1/2 qts water
• 1/4 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• wine yeast

Use fresh young pea pods as soon as possible after they have been picked and shelled. Freeze them if you need more than one shelling session to collect enough. While bringing the water to a boil, thinly peel the oranges and lemons and add the peelings and the pea pods to the water. Hold at a low boil for 30 minutes and remove from heat until cool. Strain the liquor over the sugar, yeast nutrient and tannin and stir well until dissolved. Discard pods and peelings. Add juice from lemons and oranges, stir and add yeast. When ferment is active, transfer to secondary and fit airlock. When fermentation is complete (specific gravity of 0.990 or less), rack into bottles and age at least 6 months before tasting. Makes a light, attractive, German-type wine. [Author’s own recipe]