Elderberry Wine

When NAH and I got married, we were given a book on making home-made wine by one of my cousins. Whilst we were looking at all the wedding gifts, my mum spotted the book and told me her brother had started out in business by supplying Boots with fermentation locks. So I just had to have a go at making some wine - beer I leave to NAH. As we'd moved to a very small town in Wiltshire (Corsham), it seemed natural to make use of the bounty of the hedgerows close to where we lived. Elderberries were in abundance that year, so that's the first wine I ever made. This sweet version's been a regular ever since.

And the now well thumbed book my cousin gave me? First Steps in Wine Making by the aptly named C. J. J. Berry

Ingredients:

• 3lb (1.5 kilos) Elderberries
• 3.5lb (1.5 kilos) Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Citric Acid
• 1 gallon (4.5 litres) Water - boiled
• Yeast and nutrient

Method:

1. Strip the berries from the stalks using the prongs of a table fork (it's quicker and less messy that way)
2. Weigh the berries and crush them in a bowl (I use a large, clean bucket instead)
3. Pour on the boiling water and let it cool to about 21 degrees centigrade before adding the yeast and citric acid
4. Leave for 3 days, stirring daily, then pour through a fine sieve onto the sugar (another large, clean bucket)
5. Pour the liquid into a dark glass demijohn (the wine tends to lose its colour if a clear one is used), but do not fill completely until the first vigorous fermentation has subsided. Plug the neck with cotton wool during this time
6. When the fermentation is quieter fill the demijohn to the top of the neck and fit the airlock
7. Leave to ferment in a dark place - an airing cupboard is ideal. Leave until fermentation is complete - it may take up to 6 months
8. Siphon off into clean, dark bottles, cap (or cork) and keep for 6 months at least

Measure converter - for ounces, cups, grammes etc.