Redcurrant is a unique berry which is famous for its healthiness and accessibility. Cottagers like it for its unpretentiousness and fair yield. There are seasons when there’s so much currants, they don’t know what to do with it. If you have plenty of Redcurrant’s I recommend to try this simple red currant wine recipe.
You can’t make Redcurrant wine without sugar and water because currants have low contents of sugar and juice. On the other hand, there are a lot of wild yeasts on their surface which are required for normal fermentation. That’s why we don’t have to use other yeasts or sourdough and this will have a positive impact on the taste of the beverage.
Red Currant Wine Recipe
Ingredients:
• Water – 1.3 gal / 5 liters
• Sugar – 5.5-9 lb / 2.5-4 kg
• Red Currants – 11 lb / 5 kg
Preparation:
1. Sort out red currants, removing leaves, stems, tainted and unripe berries. You shouldn’t wash them.
2. Mash currants, by hands, with a wooden tool or in a mixer.
3. Prepare syrup by mixing warm water and sugar (5.5 lb / 2.5 kg).
4. Put mashed red currants into a fermentation container, mix it with sugar syrup and stir it thoroughly. Fill the container up to 2/3 of its volume. Otherwise, the must might overflow during the fermentation.
5. Tie up the bottleneck with gauze and leave it for 3-4 days in a dark warm place with optimal temperature of 65-74F° / 18-23°C. In order to prevent the must from souring, stir it with a wooden spoon or clean hands 1-2 times a day.
6. After 3-4 days the fermentation has started, pour the juice through a straw into another container. Install an airlock and leave the container at a temperature of 59-77F° / 15-25°C for 20-35 days. If fermentation did not start, means that there was not enough wild yeast on currants – thus you have to use Wine Yeast. Thus it’s better to have them beforehand.
7. When the fermentation is finished, pour the new wine into another container, add sugar to your taste (not necessary), install an airlock and leave the container for at least 50-60 days in a cellar for infusion, but if impatient you can already consume it within few weeks.
8. Pour the wine from the sediment, bottle it and seal it with corks. It can be stored like this for about a year, then its taste will gradually deteriorate.
The only flaw of Redcurrant wines is that they don’t have a pronounced flavor. If properly prepared these beverages can be very tasty and transparent but with up to no smell.