Some time back I stopped by a health food supermarket and bought several pounds of mixed dry fruit. This is sold in bulk along with dozens of other goodies and I put a dent in my pocketbook at the check-out counter. The particular mix I bought had dried apples, peaches, plums, rhubarb, mangoes (2 varieties), strawberries, and blueberries. I bought some dried cherries, bananas, dates and apricots separately and added some to the mix. I later lamented that I had not also purchased some dried papaya, cranberries and pineapple. When it comes to mixed dried fruit, the more the merrier.
The key consideration when purchasing each of these was that the only preservatives used on the fruit were sulfur dioxide and ascorbic acid, neither of which will impede fermentation.
I weighed out 2 pounds of fruit and diced them on a chopping block to increase the surface area. This took longer than I anticipated and quite a bit of elbow grease. Had I thought it out beforehand, I would have used a large shredding blade and run them through my food processor.
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2 pounds mixed dry fruit, diced or minced
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1 lb 12 ounces sugar
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1 tsp powdered pectic enzyme
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1/8 tsp powdered grape tannin
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6 pints water
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1/8 tsp yeast energizer
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1 tsp yeast nutrient
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Champaign yeast in starter solution
Put water on to boil. Dice or mince the dried fruit and place in primary. Add sugar, grape tannin, yeast energizer and yeast nutrient.. When water boils, pour over contents of primary and stir with wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When approximately 100 degrees F., add pectic enzyme. Recover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast in starter solution but do not stir. Wait 6-8 hours and stir must. Make a note of when active fermentation begins and set aside, covered, for 5 days. Strain fruit but do not discard. Transfer liquid to secondary and affix airlock without topping up. After additional 5 days, crush and dissolve 1 Campden tablet in 1/2 cup water and use this to top up secondary. Set aside for 3 weeks. Rack, top up and reaffix airlock. Repeat after 30 days and top up with 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate dissolved in 1/4 cup water. Wait 45 days, rack and add 1 crushed and dissolved Campden tablet in 1/4 cup water. Let sit overnight and rack into bottles. Drinkable after 3 months but improves to 1 year. Do not allow it to age too long beyond it’s bottling anniversary. [Jack Keller’s own recipe]
Bonus! Re-use the mixed fruit!
Mixed Dried Fruit (from the wine) Jam
The strained fruit from the winemaking can be used in various ways. You can make a second wine, but it will not be as robust as the first. You can make small tarts using prepared crescent roll dough, or you can make jam. If you use the jam recipe below you will have some fruit left over. Try the tarts. Just lay out the individual pieces of crescent roll dough . Place a tablespoon of fruit in the center of each, sprinkle the fruit with 1 teaspoon of sugar and fold the crescent roll dough over the fruit. Crimp the edges sealed and bake at 350 degrees F. on a non-stick cookie sheet until lightly browned on top. Remove, carefully turn them over and return to oven for 4 more minutes.
Combine fruit, zest, lemon juice and water in stainless steel saucepan. Heat rapidly to a boil and reduce heat to just maintain the boil. Slowly stir in sugar and continue stirring until completely dissolved. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until mixture forms a gel — about 25-30 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and ginger. Ladle onto hot jars, seal with new rings and lids and process in boiling bath for 10 minutes. [Author’s own recipe]
Mixed Dried Fruit Pie
The strained fruit from the winemaking can be used in various ways. You can make a second wine, but it will not be as robust as the first. You can make small tarts using prepared crescent roll dough, or you can make jam. If you use the jam recipe below you will have some fruit left over. Try the tarts. Just lay out the individual pieces of crescent roll dough . Place a tablespoon of fruit in the center of each, sprinkle the fruit with 1 teaspoon of sugar and fold the crescent roll dough over the fruit. Crimp the edges sealed and bake at 350 degrees F. on a non-stick cookie sheet until lightly browned on top. Remove, carefully turn them over and return to oven for 4 more minutes.
Combine fruit, zest, lemon juice and water in stainless steel saucepan. Heat rapidly to a boil and reduce heat to just maintain the boil. Slowly stir in sugar and continue stirring until completely dissolved. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until mixture forms a gel — about 25-30 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and ginger. Ladle onto hot jars, seal with new rings and lids and process in boiling bath for 10 minutes. [Author’s own recipe]