Kitchen Garden Forum

Has anyone got a simple..as in very very simple recipe for gooseberry wine?We've just picked 6/7lbs.We've got a brewing bin demijohns airlocks e.t.c but it's years since we made any wine so any tips would be gratefully recieved

Gooseberry wine

Thsi is the one I use:

4lbs gooseberries
1 gallon boiling water
handful of raisins
1 teabag
1 lemon sliced
2 1/2 lbs sugar
1 tbsp yeast, activated

Top and tail fruit and place in bucket or similar; pour over boiling water, cover. When cool enough, mash fruit with hands, then add lemon, raisins, teabag and sugar. Stir well to dissolve sugar. When it has all reached blood heat, then add yeast and stir well. Cover tightly, leave in warm place for 3 - 4 days, strain and put into demi-john. Rack off after 6 weeks or so, then bottle after another 4. Leave 6 months at least before drinking.

That's tehyw ay I do mine, and it's always been good; I usually just use bread yeast, but you could use a sparkling wine yeast which would give a lovely sparkling wine.
Hope this helps.

Thanks MrsL i've got the gooseberries in the boiling water as we speak Any suggestions what i could put with the two pounds i've got left to make another gallon?We grow blackcurrants,raspberries,strawberries e.t.c. but i guess they wouldn't work with gooseberry

Tell you what would be nice - gooseberry and elderflower - get yourself outside and get some while they're still about. With 2 lbs gooseberries I'd use about 6 good heads of flowers (no more, or it will taste "catty"). Just put them inw ith the gooseberries as they are, and continue woth the recipe.
They go well together - wine, fools, icecream, pies, jams, etc.

I've inspired myself now

Mrs L
I like the sound of the gooseberry and elderflower. I started off some elderflower last weekend and was wondering whether to do another batch, but I'm going to give your suggestion a go now instead.

Macmac
Don't feel you have to make the wine as soon as you pick your fruit. Stick it in the freezer - this is actually recommended by a lot of wine-makers because it helps break down the fruit when thawed. We did this last year with the gooseberries and they were a lot easier to squash than the fresh ones! Some people even half-thaw then re-freeze their fruit before using it for wine! Not tried that one though.
Good luck - and enjoy!

Thanks Mrs.L i'd pick some elderflower (there's loads on the lottie this year )but it's raining this morning.Remember doing some years ago for a friend and it did smell like cats but the resulting wine was lovely not a moggy in sight
I'll take your advice Caz and freeze the rest for now .Thanks for that

I now have 9 gallons of wine "working" the original gooseberry,gooseberry and elderflower.rhubarb,ribena,blackberry, marrowx2 and another blackberry just started, tell me is there a helpline I could call winemakers annonomous?

Yes; coincidentally, it's my home number 3 gallons of marrow and apple started this morning here. Lots of racking to do next week.

MrsL wrote:Yes; coincidentally, it's my home number 3 gallons of marrow and apple started this morning here. Lots of racking to do next week.

Any chance of the recipe for apple and anything?a neighbours given us lots of windfalls