The ripest, shiniest apples will end up in your local food market, leaving only the misshapen and oddly-colored apples left on the tree by the end of the season. Whether you know it or not, the chances are you’re just a short walk away from a fruit-bearing apple tree.Īpple production is a big business in the US, and most orchards are used commercially, to produce juices, sauces, desserts, and yes, cider. Voila – good as new!īy far and away the best method of getting your apples is picking them off a tree! This is a lot easier than it might sound, as apples grow in abundance in all 50 states of America. Take them out, rinse them and leave them to dry naturally. one tablet per gallon) and leave your equipment to soak for at least ten minutes. Just crumble them up in some water (approx. You can use hot water or bleach, but I prefer to use campden tablets.
For this reason, I usually recommend investing in good-quality pieces right from the get go – that means glass demijohns instead of plastic ones (although a gallon-sized milk carton is a great budget-friendly substitute in a pinch), and no recycled straining bags if you can help it (there is a chance that a previously used bag may still contain yeast solids from an earlier batch of wine – or worse – washing detergent).It is also absolutely vital that you sterilize every single piece of equipment before using it.
The list below is not specific to apple wine – you can use this equipment to make any kind of fruit wine, flower wine or herb wine that tickles your fancy. Section 2: What equipment you will need to make apple wine
This recipe will teach you how to make traditional, refreshing apple wine from scratch – the sort of wine you will want to make (and drink!) over and over again. As delicious as these drinks are, they are no substitute for the subtle fruitiness and smooth consistency of real apple wine – the fuzziness will be instantly off putting to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of wine, and the alcohol content is practically negligible (5-8% on average). Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing complicated about the process or the ingredients involved, it’s just that most recipes for apple wine are actually recipes for apple beer or cider. It is the sort of wine you drink on a warm summer’s day, or with homemade cake and good friends.