Saskatoon Serviceberry Wine (1)

• 3-4 lbs Saskatoon berries
• 2 lbs granulated sugar
• 2 lemons (juice only)
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 5 pints water
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• wine yeast and nutrient

Pick only ripe berries. Wash, destem and crush berries. Put in primary with sugar, lemon juice, water, and crushed Campden tablet, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Cover with muslin and put in warm place. Add pectic enzyme after 12 hours and wine yeast and nutrient after additional 12 hours. Stir twice daily for 5 days. Strain through a medium-meshed nylon sieve, pressing lightly to extract juice, returning liquor to primary.. Recover primary and wait 24 hours, then siphon off sediment into secondary and fit airlock, adjusting volume to allow 3 inches of space for foamiing. Move to cooler place. When vigorous fermentation subsides (10-14 days), top up with water or reserved juice. Ferment additional 2 weeks, then rack into clean secondary. Refit airlock and rack after 30 days. Wait another 30 days, rack again and bottle. This is a very good dry wine, fit to taste after 6 months. Improves with additional aging. Two gallons of berries should make 5 gallons of wine. [Author’s recipe.]