Rose-Petal Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads
- 3/4 lb. chopped dried apricots
- 6 oz. raspberries
- 3 oz. dried elderberries
- 1-1/4 lb. granulated sugar
- 1/2 pt. white grape concentrate
- 1 cup mixed red and yellow rose petals
- 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 1 gallon water
- crushed Campden tablets
- Burgundy wine yeast and nutrient
Before you start, dissolve sugar in 6 pts. warm water, then chill the water overnight in refrigerator. Chop or mince dried apricots and elderberries, crush raspberries, and mix together in primary fermentation vessel with chilled sugar-water, nutrient, pectic enzyme, and two crushed Campden tablets. Stir well, cover and set aside 24 hours. Add activated Burgundy yeast, cover and ferment on pulp three days, stirring daily. Strain pulp in fine nylon sieve and press lightly to extract juice without pulp particles. Add grape concentrate, cover and ferment additional four days. Add rose petals and ferment additional three days before straining and add sufficient water to bring volume to 1 gallon. When S.G. drops to 1.000 or lower, add another crushed Campden tablet and rack, without splashing, to secondary fermentation vessel as soon as fermentation restarts or a heavy deposit of yeast forms, whichever is sooner. Fit airlock and store bottle in cool place (65-70 degrees F.) without disturbing for three months. However, check after two weeks and, if pulp debris is detected in sediment, carefully rack again without splashing and add another crushed Campden tablet. After total three months in secondary fermentation vessel, rack again, being careful to avoid splashing, add one crushed Campden tablet, and top up with water before refitting airlock. After additional three months, rack again as before, add another crushed Campden tablet, top up with water, and bottle. May taste after six months but matures at 18 months. [Adapted from Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan’s Making Wines Like Those You Buy]
- 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.