DRIED ELDERFLOWER WINE
Elderflower wine is by far the most regal and majestic of all summer home made wines that you could ever wish to make. It simply has so much appeal on so many fronts.
The humble Elderflower is so commonplace throughout both the cultivated British garden and the untamed wilderness, you will never be in short supply of this highly scented flower (unless of course, you live on a remote island in Orkney!)
The humble Elderflower is so commonplace throughout both the cultivated British garden and the untamed wilderness, you will never be in short supply of this highly scented flower (unless of course, you live on a remote island in Orkney!)
The wine itself is divine, and makes a floral white which has stood a true test of time and ranks highly amongst the best Muscat wine styles.
Elderflower wine is quick to ferment and quick to mature, so if started in early summer it will be most brilliant by Christmas, but if you can tuck it aside until spring / next summer you will have a bottle of the finest wines in your hand. Trust me, make it!
If you can’t find fresh Elderflowers to make your Elderflower wine, you can use dried Elderflowers in your recipe. I tend to use this method as I lack fresh Ederfowers. The best Elderflowers I have found are below:
Elderflower wine is quick to ferment and quick to mature, so if started in early summer it will be most brilliant by Christmas, but if you can tuck it aside until spring / next summer you will have a bottle of the finest wines in your hand. Trust me, make it!
If you can’t find fresh Elderflowers to make your Elderflower wine, you can use dried Elderflowers in your recipe. I tend to use this method as I lack fresh Ederfowers. The best Elderflowers I have found are below:
Below you will find the recipes for both 1 gallon and a 5 gallon batch.
5 GALLON |
1 GALLON |
|
|
Method:
- Dissolve your sugar with boiling water in a clean and steralized fermentation vessel, and whilst the liquid is still hot, add the dried Elderflowers.
- Add the juice of 1 lemon, and squeeze in the juice of an orange, throw the rest of the orange into the mix as well!
- Allow the mix to infuse and the flavours to extract with the hot water. When cool, top up with cool water to 1 or 5 gallons.
- Add your yeast of choice.
- Leave the must under an airlock for 5 - 7 days before straining and racking into a demijohn.
- When the wine has finished fermenting, rack again and set it aside for 3-6 months.
