Herbal Alchemy

Making an Herbal Wine is EASY!


Yeast, Sugar, and Water are the main ingredients in turning an herb into wine. Yeast consumes the sugar and water to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide, the herbs provide micronutrients and give the wine it's flavor.


Some things you will need:

1. large glass container with a lid
2. sieve or cheese cloth
3. large enamel or stainless steel pot
4. small sterile jar or sterilized glass
5. a sterilized glass, or ceramic crock
6. plastic wrap
7. rubber bands
8. sterile bottles with crew on caps OR sterile wine bottles with new corks
9. sterile funnel or siphon
   
   *Note: instead of plastic wrap and rubber bands you can purchase a relatively cheap airlock from a brewing shop. These allow the escape of gasses without letting any enter the bottle :)
   
   
10. 6 quarts of Dandelion (taraxacum officinale) flowers
11. 2 gallons boiling water
12. 2 oranges
13. 1 lemon
14. 4 pounds of sugar
15. 1 packet of wine yeast

Now for the fun part... The "How to":

Place herbs in the large glass container. Pour the boiling water over the herbs, cover with the lid and let steep for 1 day.

Peel and juice the lemon and oranges, set the juice aside.

Strain the herbs from the infusion with the sieve or cheesecloth into the enameled or stainless steel pot. Add the rinds of the oranges and lemon to the infusion and bring just to a boil then remove and strain once again. Stir in the sugar.

Let this cool until it is lukewarm. Pour a small amount into a sterile glass and add the yeast to the glass. Let this sit for about 10 minutes or whatever the instructions may state on the yeast package.

Add to the crock: lemon/orange juice, herb/sugar infusion, and the yeast from the cup.

Cover with layers of plastic wrap secured with rubber bands or use an airlock. Let this sit for 1 month, until vigorous bubbling stops and there is a thick film of yeast on the bottom.

Siphon or funnel wine into the sterile bottles. Loosly cap or cork the bottles to continue to allow gases to escape. (otherwise you could have a little explosive mess to clean up!) Store the bottles in a cool dark place!

After about 1-2 months you can check the jars to see if there are anymore bubbles. If there are no more bubbles package then in sterile wine bottles tightly corked. Keep in a cool dry place for another 5-9 months before serving :)

Tips:

• 3 pounds of sugar to 1 gallon of water makes a very sweet wine
• 2 pounds of sugar to 1 gallon of water makes a dry wine
• Home brewing shops sell "specialty" yeast strains cultivated over centuries by vintners to make some of the best wines around.
• If in the fermenting process a cork pops off, you can use the wine for cooking instead of drinking.
• The sedimnent from the wine is rich in nutrients... add it to your composting :)
• Sneaking a taste of your wine before it's time.... may be a little yuk! LOL