Thursday 11 October 2012

A Productive Time in the Shed!

4oz raisins and 2oz sliced root ginger plus...


the juice and zest of 3 lemons
and one very large marrow (this one was from our courgette plant - it grew too big for a proper courgette so I let it grow into a marrow). Once it was diced, I added... 


4 L boiling water
1 small tin of white grape concentrate
1 Campden tablet
1 tsp. pectic enzyme
=
the 'must' for my first go at marrow wine!

After it has steeped for a few days, I'll add (about 1kg demerara) sugar to get the specific gravity to around 1080 - 1090
and then add the 'magic ingredient' -
yeast and yeast nutrient to get the bubbles starting.
Yummy - well hopefully!!!

34 comments:

  1. Good luck with the wine, sounds like you are off to a very organised start. Years ago I made Strawberry Wine and it was surprisingly good.

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    1. Thanks Ann, Strawberry Wine sounds very nice - I bet it didn't last long!

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  2. I can imagine that will make a lovely wine :) Reminded me of making wine with my dad years ago (he was always out collecting elderberries and flowers, dandelions etc.) but I don't think he ever tried Marrow.

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    1. That sounds like a lovely memory Ragged Robin. I too remember my Dad making Dandelion wine - we were all very sceptical but i recall the result was rather good - not something I've tried myself though... yet!

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  3. ¡Es muy interesante el proceso de preparación de este vino! Es desconocido para mi, parece muy interesante. ¿Lo conservas en botellas o se bebe en el momento? otro de mis hobbies es cocinar. Un abrazo.

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    1. No it will not be ready for many months and then it will need to mature in the bottles for at least another 6 months. I can imagine you are a good cook Sonia, does Francesc cook too? I'm not allowed in the kitchen!!

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    2. El proceso de preparación del vino es muy largo...seguramente será excelente.

      Francesc algunas veces me ayuda en la cocina, pero yo le doy las órdenes. El siempre me agradece mis preparaciones culinarias, el es muy amable conmigo:)
      Un abrazo.

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  4. Glad you enjoyed your break in Rye Jerry. It's a lovely part of the world. Your marrow wine looks interesting. My dad used to make all sorts of concoctions of wine when I was younger but never a marrow wine. Thanks for bring back lots of lovely memories with your last two posts. Enjoy the wine!!!

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    1. Thanks Laura perhaps there was a reason he didn't make marrow wine! Hope the exhibition went well.

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  5. Hi!
    It sounds lovely and tasty.
    have a nice day!
    /Ingemar

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  6. Hello Jerry
    Sorry I'm late,I think I might need to take a little break very soon as I have been feeling a little tired of late.

    I love to eat all the fruit and veg that you use in the preparation of your wine, so I can imagine that your Marrow wine will have a fantastic taste. How many bottles did you, or will you make?

    We finished our grape harvest three weeks ago,and although most of our grapes go to the "Cooperativo" we do make "Vinho Verde" which is a young
    wine meant to be consumed within the year.Ours is white,light,and fruity
    and I have a couple of glasses every day.What could be better than home grown produce Jerry!!:)

    Oh, and before I forget, these are excellent photos.

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    1. Hi there - as you can see we've had a break recently too; I think it's an essential thing to do. I hope yours is as nice as ours was! I think this brew will give me 6 or 7 bottles but I doubt they will taste anything like as as good as yours.

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  7. Another day in the family complete!
    I'm late with everything on my blog!
    But it is so rare for me.
    I will spend two months before meeting again
    my girls from life and not on skype!
     Dear Jerry,your wine looks something special ... this wine will sure delicious!

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    1. Rita have a special time with 'your girls', how wonderful and of course, way more important than blogging! I'm hoping my wine will be tasty but at its current stage (having just put the yeast in) it looks very unappetising!

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  8. ¡Sorprendente, vino de calabacín! Me gustaría probarlo a ver cómo sabe.

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    1. As I have not tried it either, I am just as intrigued as you Francesc. At the moment it looks disgusting (frothy and yellowy brown with bits floating in it) but smells nice!!

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  9. And you can cook, too! As can my Bob. I love my men to be good cooks.

    We are back from travels and I appreciate your checking in on my blog. Your photos are awesome. You, Karen and family know how to live life well. I was very taken with your small watercolor sketch. Oh my, the harps with painted flowers and butterflies are just gorgeous. I wish we had had time to visit your workshop while in England.

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    1. Great to hear from you Mary - glad you had a good time this side of 'The Pond'. Yes it would have been lovely to see you at the workshop but another time perhaps. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed catching up with my blog, "I'm feeling bored" is not a statement that is allowed in our family!

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  10. ...and chin chin Jerry, sounds delicious :-))) xx

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  11. Bonjour et merci pour votre recette je vais la noter
    j'aime vos photos

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  12. Your wine looks SO interesting, Jerry! You'll have to let us know how it tastes!!

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    1. Ok Hilda - but don't hold your breath!!!

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  13. Hi Jerry, you have been busy in that shed :-) My brother used to be a keen wine maker, I don't know what he did to one particular concoction but it was exceedingly potent!!! My grandmother made it regularly too and I have never forgotten the day a bottle exploded in the larder :-) Highly amusing to a child but no doubt an awful mess to clear up, I seem to remember the larder smelled nice for a while though :-) I also remember an elderly neighbour used to make it and my husband and I would dread the words 'Do have a glass of daddy's wine' (she always referred to her husband as daddy!), it was always vile!!! But she would be most offended if we tried to refuse.

    I hope yours turns out well and I loved the colourful photo of the lemons and marrow :-)

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    1. Thanks Jan, when I was little we visited my grandparents very regularly and they always had two demijohn's on the go set either side of the mantlepiece. I used to love watching them bubble away (I still do now). Yes it's quite easy to make disgusting wine so I like to be quite fastidious over it especially sterilising everything, checking I have the right amount of sugar and a good balance of acids.

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  14. I'll have that, it looks good and Ill bet it is brilliant taste, yum yum.

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  15. Looking at the first couple of pictures I thought you were making zucchini bread but no, wine, that's much better even with the longer wait.

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    1. Wow Jude, zucchini bread, you must give us the recipe for that!

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  16. ...Skaal , dear Jerry ( danish word for cheers ) :-) I'm sure it will be yummy !

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