Almost any fresh fruit can be made into wine. Apples, peaches, pears, berries and even watermelon have made their way into the winemaker's arsenal. Making fruit wines at home is relatively simple and does not require a lot of expensive equipment. Anytime you have an abundance of fresh fruit, whether you've found a great deal at the local farmer's market or grown it yourself, making wine is another way to extend the harvest.
The Equipment You'll Need
You need a brewing vessel. This can be a 12-quart stock pot, a large stoneware crock or a food-grade plastic pail. You also something to cover your brewing vessel, which can be a lid or a large square of cheesecloth. A four-foot length of food grade plastic tubing makes siphoning the wine into bottles an easy task. A wire mesh colander will make straining the juice from the fruit a very simple process. For simplicity's sake, you can also purchase complete wine-making kits at any brew shop or online.
The Ingredients
For every gallon of wine you plan to make, you need approximately four pounds of , after cleaning and pitting. For berries, this is simple: Four pounds of berries will make one gallon of wine. For apples, peaches or other fruits, the four-pound measurement is taken after the seeds or cores have been removed. For every gallon of wine, you will also need two pounds of sugar and one package of wine yeast. Yeast nutrient will help feed the yeast in order to ferment the wine faster but is not necessary to the process.
Making the Wine
Berries should be mashed with either your hands or a potato masher in small batches and placed into a separate stockpot over medium low heat. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the juices are released from the berries. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved into the liquid. Pour the berries and juice through the strainer over the brewing vessel and allow to cool before adding the yeast. For fruits such as apples or peaches, cut the fruits into slices and cook in a small amount of water until soft. Mash with a potato masher, add enough water to make one gallon and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Strain into the brewing vessel and allow to cool. Add the yeast.
Fermenting the Wine
Cover the vessel with a lid equipped with an airlock or with cheesecloth or thin cotton. Secure the cheesecloth with string around the vessel or if you have a lid to the pot, set it slightly ajar to hold the cheesecloth in place. Place the vessel in a warm area where it will not be disturbed. Let the wine ferment for 60 days.
Bottle the Wine
Use the food-grade plastic tubing to siphon the wine from the vessel into bottles. Take care to keep the tubing an inch or so off the bottom of the vessel so that the wine sediment doesn't enter the tubing. Cap the bottles and store in a cool, dry place. You can let the wine age up to six months or drink it immediately.
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