Rose Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads
- 1/2 lb dried rose hips
- 2-1/2 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 7-1/4 pts water
- 1 tsp acid blend
- 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Montrachet wine yeast
Crush the dried rose hips, rinse and soak in water overnight. Put sugar in water and set on stove to boil. Meanwhile, drain, put in nylon straining bag and tie closed. Put bag in primary and pour boiling sugar-water over bag. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When room temperature, add pectic enzyme, acid blend and yeast nutrient. Recover and set aside 12 hours. Add yeast. Stir and squeeze the bag twice daily for 8-10 days. Drain and squeeze bag to extract flavor. Pour liquid into secondary. Fit airlock and set in dark place for 2 months. Rack into sterilized secondary, top up and refit airlock. Return to dark place and rack again after additional 2 months, top up and refit airlock. When wine clears, stabilize wine and sweeten to taste. Wait 10 days and rack into bottles. Age additional two years in dark place. [Author’s own recipe]
- 6 cups fragrant rose petals
- 1/4 lb white raisins, chopped
- 1 gallon water
- 2 lbs granulated sugar
- 2 tsp acid blend
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- Rhine wine yeast and nutrient
Pick the rose petals just before starting, so they’re fresh. Boil 6 pints water and pour over all ingredients except yeast and pectic enzyme, stirring gently to dissolve sugar. Cover with cloth or plastic wrap and set in warm place for 24 hours. Add pectic enzyme, yeast and half remaining water. Set aside until vigorous fermentation subsides (7-10 days), stirring daily. Do not exceed 10 days. Strain liqueur into secondary fermentation vessel, top up to neck with water, and fit fermentation trap. Rack after 30 days, then again after additional 30 days. Bottle when clear and store in dark, cool place. It will be fit to drink after 6 months, but will improve enormously after a year.
- 4-6 cups rose petals, depending on fragrance
- 2 lbs green pea pods
- 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
- 2 lemons
- 1 orange
- 2 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 gallon water
- 1 used tea bag
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- Rhine wine or Champagne yeast and nutrient
Use pea pods as soon after shelling as possible. Rose petals may be picked up to two days earlier and frozen in plastic freezer bag. Juice the lemons and orange and combine juice with all ingredients in crock except water, pectic enzyme and yeast. Bring water to boil and pour over ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cover and set aside 24 hours. Add pectic enzyme and yeast, recover, and set aside one week, stirring daily. Strain through a muslin cloth or bag onto secondary fermentation vessel, topping up to neck of vessel. Fit fermentation trap and allow to ferment completely (45-60 days). Rack and bottle when wine clears. Allow it to age six months in the bottle before tasting. Will improve with age.
- 2 lb honey
- 1 pint fragrant rose petals
- 1/4 tsp citric acid
- 1/4 tsp grape tannin
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Champagne yeast
Boil 1/2 gal water and honey for 20 minutes, skimming scum off surface. In primary,
pour boiling mixture over all dry ingredients except yeast. When water cools to
lukewarm, add remaining water and sprinkle yeast on top. Cover with cloth and ferment
10 days. Strain out flowers and transfer liquid to secondary. Fit airlock. Ferment
60 days and rack. Refit airlock and allow to sit another 60 days. Rack into
bottles and allow to age one year. [Adapted from a traditional recipe]
- 3-1/2 pounds of rose hips
- 2 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 7-1/3 pts water
- 1 tsp acid blend
- 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Montrachet wine yeast
Put the water on to boil. Meanwhile, cut the stems and ends off the rose hips. Chop the hips coarsely, put in nylon straining bag, and tie bag closed. Put bag and sugar in primary. Pour boiling water over these and stir well to dissolce sugar. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When room temperature, add pectic enzyme, acid blend and yeast nutrient. Recover and set aside 12 hours. Add yeast. Stir twice daily for 8-9 days. Drain and squeeze bag to extract juice. Pour juice into secondary. Fit airlock and set in dark place for 6 weeks. Rack into sterilized secondary, top up and refit airlock. Return to dark place and rack again after 3 months, top up and refit airlock. Return to dark place for 3 months. If wine has not cleared, fine with gelatin, wait two weeks, and rack again. When clear, bottle. Age additional 18-24 months in dark place. [Adapted recipe from Steven A. Krause’s Making Wines from the Wild ]
- 2 pounds of rose hips
- 2-1/2 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 7-1/4 pts water
- 1 tsp acid blend
- 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Montrachet wine yeast
Put the water with sugar in it on to boil. Meanwhile, wash and inspect the rose hips for insects. Chop the hips coarsely in a blender or food chopper, put in nylon straining bag, and tie bag closed. Put bag in primary and pour boiling sugar-water over bag. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When room temperature, add pectic enzyme, acid blend and yeast nutrient. Recover and set aside 12 hours. Add yeast. Stir and squeeze the bag twice daily for 8-9 days. Drain and squeeze bag to extract juice. Pour juice into secondary. Fit airlock and set in dark place for 2 months. Rack into sterilized secondary, top up and refit airlock. Return to dark place and rack again after 4 months, top up and refit airlock. When clear, stabilize wine and sweeten to taste. Wait 10 days and rack into bottles. Age additional 18-24 months in dark place. [Adapted recipe from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]