Wild blackberries taste best, but don’t fret if you don’t have access to them. A good quality frozen blackberry from your local market will more than suffice. I’ve used store-brand in a pinch, and they’re great! This recipe makes a dry, medium-bodied wine.
Ingredients:
- 4 lb blackberries
- 2-1/4 lb granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme
- 1/2 teaspoon acid blend
- 1 Campden tablet, crushed
- 7 pints water
- 1 package wine yeast and nutrient
Preparation:
Thoroughly wash the berries and place them in nylon jelly bag bag. Crush them and strain the juice through the bag into the primary fermentor. Be sure to press as much juice as possible, leaving the solids relatively dry. Tie the jelly bag tightly, and insert it into the fermentor, along with the sugar, pectic enzyme, acid blend, Campden, and 7 pints water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, cover, and allow it to rest for 24 hours.
Sprinkle the wine yeast and nutrient over it and allow it to sit, stirring once daily, for 5 days. Strain the solids and rack into a dark 3-gallon secondary fermentor. Add additional water to make up the volume, and apply an airlock. Rack the wine in 3 weeks, and again in 2 months. Bottle. For the best flavor, allow a year for the wine to mature before enjoying it.
Makes 3 gallons.
