Making blackberry wine is a relatively simple process, but it can get quite messy. It also takes nearly two weeks. If you're ready to spend a little time and make a little mess, you can make wonderful homemade blackberry wine.
Instructions
1. Gather a couple of large baskets of blackberries.
2. Put blackberries in a larger strainer and wash with water to remove the dust, debris and sticks. Once the berries are clean, allow some of the water to drip and dry. Be aware that damaged blackberries may drip juice through the strainer. Set the strainer in a sink or in area that won't stain.
3. With the blackberries "drip dry" (some residual water is OK), place them in a large container (bowl, pot or bucket). Put on your rubber gloves and old clothes to manage stains and begin crushing the blackberries with your hands.
4. Pour the crushed blackberries over some thick cheesecloth, preferably draped over a large bowl. Pull the sides of the cheesecloth up to form a bag of crushed blackberries. Squeeze the bag to force all the juice out of the bag and into the bowl or large container.
5. Measure the juice and add the appropriate amount of sugar; the proportion should be about a gallon of juice to three pounds of sugar. Stir well to mix and begin dissolving the sugar. Let the mixture stand for a few hours, stirring occasionally.
6. Once the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, pour the mixture into wide-mouthed fruit jars, using a funnel if necessary. Fill all the jars and place in an area where they can stay secure for a couple of weeks. Do NOT cover or seal the jars--the mixture needs to breathe during the process. You can place cheesecloth over the tops of the jars.
7. For nine to 12 days, skim off and remove the material from the tops of the jars.
8. After nine to 12 days of skimming, the mixture should clear and the fermentation will subside. Then you can pour your blackberry wine into bottles. Wait a few days before corking the bottles, to make sure the transformation is complete. Once the bottles are corked tightly, store them in a cool, dry place.
Tags: blackberries drip, blackberry wine, crushed blackberries, large container, nine days, tops jars
