Blackberry-Elderberry Wine (1)

• 4 lb blackberries
• 2 lbs fresh elderberries
• 2-1/3 cups granulated sugar
• water to 1 gallon
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• wine yeast

Put 3 quarts water on to boil. Meanwhile, wash and sort blackberries and elderberries. Put fruit in nylon straining bag, tie end, put in primary, and mash fruit. Add sugar to primary and pour boiling water over fruit and sugar, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Cover and allow to cool. When lukewarm, stir in acid blend, pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient. Recover, add yeast after 12 hours and gently squeeze bag twice daily for 7 days to extract flavors. Drain bag squeezing gently, pour liquid into secondary and fit airlock. After fermentation dies down (5-7 days) top up and refit airlock. Ferment 2 months and rack into clean secondary, top up and refit airlock. Repeat after additional 2 months and again after additional 3 months, racking into bottles. Age 6-12 months. [Author’s own recipe]