Start the Mead Now for the Harvest

Traditionally Mead wine is started in the beginning of February (Candlemas) to be ready for the Harvest festivals of the next Autumn.
 
Like everything else (think soap….) I thought winemaking would be difficult and that it would require some extensive left brain activity.  As is so often the case, once you decide to try something, it is surprisingly simple.  A neighbor who took the following recipe and ran with it turned her garage into a “winery” where she had all sorts of fruit juices in bottles, perking away.  I’ve talked to people who made wine using a simple sweetened TEA!!! 

Wine happens when sugar – usually from grapes – and yeast combine and form alcohol.  Mead uses honey as the sugar source instead of fruit, but many meads still have fruit juice added.  This mead will be ready to decant after a month, but don’t drink it for at least 6 months.  I broke that little rule once, and it was very … what’s the opposite of smooth?  We left it corked for another 6 months, and it was a completely different beverage. 

Ingredients:

• 1 t Cloves           
• 1 c fresh apple peel       
• 1 c fresh orange peel           
• ½ c fresh lemon peel       
• 2 cinnamon sticks (6”)   
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 nutmegs           
• 1” sliced ginger, crushed   
• 1 t vanilla extract   
• ¼ t allspice           
• 1 gallon water           
• 1 package champagne yeast*
• 2.5# honey

Place all ingredients except honey and yeast in a large stockpot.  Bring slowly to a boil so that it smells heady with the spices and citrus.  Add honey and stir until completely dissolved.  As the mixture slowly boils and the honey is dissolved, scoop off the froth that will form.  Remove from heat when the honey has dissolved.

Activate the yeast by suspending in ¼ c warm water.  When honey mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add yeast and cover pot with a thick towel.  Allow it to stand for three days.

Strain and bottle the mead mixture in loosely corked containers or a gallon jug with a loose top to allow fermentation pressure to escape.  I always use a balloon as a stopper, as it will inflate and deflate as the pressure changes.  When the bubbling stops, sample to be sure the mixture is sweet enough.  If you want it sweeter, pour into a pot and add more honey until the results are pleasing.  You can also add fruit juice such as raspberry, apple, elderberry, or strawberry. 

Cork or close the bottle tightly.

In September or October, you will have wonderful mead, ready to share and enjoy.

*Regular bread yeast will work, but have less alcohol content.  Champagne yeast can be found on-line.