Recipes: Blackberry-Elderberry Wine

This homemade wine is similar to Bergamais.

Here, at the Cottage, blackberries and elderberries ripen at the same time. I freeze and can some of the blackberries and sometimes infuse some into brandy for gifts of blackberry brandy during the Holidays.

Each season elderberries (Sambucus) are soaked in vodka or brandy - with added simple syrup - to create a tasty, immune-enhancing drink to sip during flu-ridden, Winter months. It also makes a nice after-dinner libation.

Each Summer I always hope that the elderberry and blackberry harvests will yield enough so that I can make Blackberry-Elderberry wine, too. This year, despite heat, drought, and wind, both berries yielded well.

You can vary the proportions of fruit in the recipe to accommodate what you have of each. However, you will need at least four pounds of combined fruit.

This recipe is worked in stages.

Recipe: Blackberry-Elderberry Wine (makes 4 to 5 bottles)

3-1/2 pounds of elderberries

1-1/2 pounds of blackberries

Water

6 cups sugar

1 tsp yeast (or 1/4 cup live, liquid starter)

Put fruit in a very large pot (one that holds over a gallon of liquid). Add one quart water. Bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and add half (3 cups) of the sugar. When cool, add six cups of water and the yeast.

Let the mixture sit, covered for seven days. The fruit will rise and sit atop the foaming yeast. You'll need to stir this "cap" down twice a day for the seven days. This prevents mold from forming on the fruit.

The berries are beginning to give up their juice when they begin to turn green. You can see the yeast foaming as I stir the berries down.

After seven days strain the juice through a large mesh strainer or colander into a large bowl. Gently press the berries to release additional juice. You may need to run the fruit and juice through the strainer in manageable batches.

Pour the juice into a gallon jug (carboy). Then boil one pint of water in a pot, stirring in the remaining three cups of sugar. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved and remove from heat. Cool completely, then add to the wine in the carboy.

Attach a fermentation lock. Let sit until fermentation slows. Using clear plastic tubing, siphon (rack) the liquid into a clean gallon jug leaving behind as much of the muddy sediment (lees) as you can. Attach the fermentation lock.

Several rackings will clarify the wine or you can order clearing agents from on-line wine supply shops. I seldom use clearing agents as the wine goes clear after three to five rackings.

When all fermentation ceases - usually after several months - siphon the wine into wine bottles. Or, you can simply bulk store the wine in the jug by screwing on the cap (hopefully you saved it!). Store the wine in a dark, cool spot for at least six months before drinking.

I save screw top wine bottles for my homemade wines. The corks sold for home wine making are often of poor quality and can allow your homemade wine to oxidize, ruining it. So I've taken a hint from the New Zealand vintners and am transitioning to screw top wine bottles.

I and the Kiwis have gone to screw-top wine bottles for better results!