By Lyn Funnell
Returning to England after five years in Malta was a cultural shock.
Everything was so affordable there and all the alcohol was duty-free.
So my parents and other ex-pats started exchanging recipes and making their own wine and beer. It worked out even cheaper than the drinks in Malta!
I’ve brewed my own wine and beer for many years, and it used to be a popular hobby. But to my surprise I’ve watched a lot of the home-brew shops and suppliers go out of business.
I don’t understand this, especially in these hard times when life is a financial struggle and alcohol is ridiculously expensive due to the tax that’s charged per bottle.
My only cost is the sugar, and yeast with nutrients.
Vegetables like carrots, parsnips and potatoes are boiled, then the liquid is strained and the vegetables can be frozen and kept.
Yesterday I made lemon wine. It will be ready in time for the summer.
So how do you start?
You need a bucket, a couple of gallon jars, a plastic tube to remove the wine from the residue, bottles, and airlocks which go in the top of the gallon jars to keep any dirt out.
Here is a basic recipe for vegetable wines.
3 kilos/7lbs parsnips
2 tablespoons citric acid/lemon juice
2 gallons water
1.5kilos/3lbs sugar
Yeast & Nutrient
Pectic Enzyme.
Wash & dice the parsnips, then slice them & boil in 4 pints until tender, but not mushy.
Drain into the bucket & add 4 pints of cold water.
Add the sugar & citric acid & stir, then the yeast & nutrient when the water has cooled down.
Cover well & leave for 10 days, stirring every day.
Pour into a gallon jar, fir the airlock & leave to clear.
If a layer of sediment forms, rack into a clean gallon jar, top up again & leave until clear.
Place the plastic tube into the jar & suck the end to start the wine flowing into bottles.
Label, fit the top & store until wanted. Enjoy!
The best book ever written about home-made wine making is First Steps in Winemaking by CJJ Berry.
It’s available online.
There are of course many other books, so do pick up any that you see around.
You can of course google the recipe of your choice. And you can buy any winemaking equipment online.
A selection of labels can be downloaded free of charge, which gives a professional finish to your bottles.
It’s a great hobby because you never stop learning.
I love the way that you can make one batch of wine, spread into two gallon jars. And Mother Nature can turn both jars different colours with slightly different tastes.
So instead of paying a high price for a bottle of wine that you may not enjoy, why not make your own for a few pence?
And it’s really handy to add flavour to your cooking!
