Red Tomato Wine
- 4 lbs fresh, ripe red tomatoes
- 2 lbs granulated sugar
- 3-1/2 qts water
- 2 tsp acid blend
- 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1/8 tsp grape tannin
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- 1 pkg Champagne or Montrachet yeast
Boil water and dissolve sugar. Meanwhile, wash and cut fruit into chunks, discarding any bruised or insect-scarred parts. Pour fruit and any juice from cutting into nylon straining bag in primary. Tie bag and squash the fruit. Pour the boiling water with dissolved sugar over fruit. Cover and allow to cool one hour, then add acid blend, tannin, yeast nutrient, and crushed Campden tablet. Stir, recover and after 12 hours add pectic enzyme. Wait another 12 hours and add yeast. Stir twice a day for 7 days. Remove nylon bag and allow to drip drain, adding drained juice to primary; do not squeeze bag. Siphon liquid off sediments into secondary, top up, and fit airlock. Rack every 60 days until wine clears, then wait two weeks and rack again. Add stabilizer, wait 10 days, sweeten to taste with sugar water, then bottle. Wine will mature in one year and should be served chilled. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]