Pitaya Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 6 lbs ripe red pitaya fruit
• 2 lb sugar
• 6 pts water
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1-1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt wine yeast

Put water on to boil. Meanwhile, carefully trim the greenery from the fruit, wash the fruit well, and chop it coarsely. Put chopped fruit, sugar and yeast nutrient into primary. When water boils, pour into primary and stir until sugar dissolves. Cover with a sanitized cloth and set aside to cool. When at room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet and stir. Recover primary and set aside for 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, stir, recover primary, and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast. Stir daily for 7 days. Strain through nylon straining bag and squeeze juice out of red pitaya pulp. Transfer liquid to secondary, top up if required and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit airlock every 30 days until wine clears and no new sediments form during a 30-day period. Stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. Like most wines, it should improve with age. [Author’s own recipe]