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What Shall We Drink?
pound of raisins. Let ferment for three weeks or a bit longer
if not quiet by then.
Siphon off into large bottles hghtly corked and wait until
sure the wine isn't "working"(fermenting) any more. Then
siphon into bottles and cork tightly. This wine should be
tasty in about nine months.
CHERRY WINE
To every four povmds of crushed, sour cherries (Italian),
add six pounds of granulated sugar or brown sugar and two
gallons of cold water. Let stand in crock for five weeks,
covered,and stirring twice a day. Siphon off juice into large
bottles, but do not squeeze out the pulped cherries—throw
them away. Add about two pounds of brown sugar to each
5-gallon bottle and let ferment tiU quiet, then bottle.
RHUBARB WINE
Rhubarb wine is best when made with about30 pounds of
rhubarb cut into small stubs and crushed to each five gallons
of water. To each gallon of this mixture add two and a half
pounds of brown sugar and the juice of a lemon, adding the
oily yellow rinds only. Do not let any of the wMte pith get
into the mixture. Put into crock or crocks and let stand for
not more than two weeks, stirring twice a day. Siphon into
new crocks and add about a half pound more of brown sugar
for each resultant gallon. Let this stand about five days,
then siphon into 5-gaIIon bottles to end fermentation.
Bottle, cork tightly and use in about a year.
The making of wines is useless if air is permitted to con
tact the mixtures, no matter what kind, for any length of
time. Acetic acid results and the wine turns into vinegar
instead of the gracious beverage you seek.
The foregoing recipes are time-tried and certain to pro
duce excellent wines. If you desire particular flavorings of
the grape mixtures, it is easy to suit your own taste with
additions of slight amounts of brandy, rhatany, ground
cinnamon or cloves, cardamom or other flavorings. By thus
experimenting, you may counterfeit the flavors of many of
the wines which you buy as Port, Sherry, etc. In fact, it
might not be a bad idea to use some of these purchased wines
themselves to mix with your home-made wines.