Currently Crazy about Currents

Well, its that time of yr when the currents all 3, black, red and white are ready for wine making. How did i start to make wine you ask. Well i will tell you since your so curious. When i first came to the Arctic, I sat outside one day drinking a glass of black current wine. I got to thinking about how i was going to start my organic gardening, and just where to put it too. There already were currents, all 3 kinds growing here. But i got to thinking on the organic part of it. Then I looked at my glass of wine bought at a wine store from i have no idea what country, and thought, I wonder if they sprayed their berries. Well the thought process got a little outta hand and i ended up dumping the rest of my glass of wine. So now i make my own.

Heres the beginning of this yrs red current wine. I started with these, slightly ripe, you don't want them over ripe because they lose their natural yeast on the skin and natural pectin as they get ripe.



Then the mashing starts. Well it is modern times so i use a hand help mixer. I am not going to stand there all day and hand beat berries,,,lol.. ummm no. There is already quite a few litres in this bucket already.



Next I have added half the water, i'm waiting on the other half to cool down to add. And the sugar is added also. I will add the last kilo of sugar a few months from now if its not sweet enough. I am not a fan of super dry to dry wine. I like it a little sweet. In 5 days i will strain all the seeds and pulp out and the liquid will go into this carboy. There it will sit and ferment for a few months. I'll check on it and clean the carbon tube as it needs it.



When this is all ready for bottling i will have 10 bottles of red current wine. One important thing about the current, is it is very high in vitamin C, has more antioxidents than blueberries, its not proven but is believed to help the body to function longer bringing about a ripe old age.

I'll be picking more red currents before the birds can beat me to them, and make saft (norwegian kool-aid) just a few jars of jam, for layering between cakes and for cookies. So there you have it, my secret to surviving the Arctic,,,lol.

 

Thanks Eileen. Most of the recipes i have are handed down or handed down on KB's side of the family. I have alot of time on my hands, since i don't have children here with me,,plus their all grown. Cooking is something that has always facinated me and comes natural to me, in the kitchen and out. I try to live an organic lifestyle, and eat what is offered by nature. But sometimes the grocery store just calls my name,,,lol. And anything ethnic wise in food just intrests me to no end.

Now gardening, were talking a whole other story,,,lol. I just can't get the hang of the whole flower thing,,,lol. You folks amaze me constantly with all the beautiful flowers you all can grow with so much ease....

 

This is interesting Biita.
It looks like some of your tourists must have departed. That means you will start postiung this sort of threads again. I always find these sorts of posts of yours so interesting.

 

I know that procedure, we do it too. Lots of work but worth the effort.

 

Were down to 1-2 tourist a day now. So I do have alot more time. So now i rush around getting ready for winter, and alot more time to tend the fields. And more time for me.

I left out alot of the steps because I didn't know if putting the full procedure is aloud. But I will post as the wine progresses.

It sure is worth it Droopy. Its so much better than the store bought wine in my opinion.

 

Now that is intresting Toni, the pepper wines. Do they lose their heat or does it get more intense. I'm not sure I could handle that, but i know KB would love it.

 

I made plain ole grape wine once it really was good but a pain is my rear end.I want be making more but I am glad others do make it.

 

Hola Toni!! I don't think i'll be making any of that,,,lol. I pretty much just do the currents, altho i do make one other wine dandelion and Mjødurt wine. Sweet Meadow wine, made the same way i make the dandelion wine. The only difference is I let the sweet meadow dry before i use it. makes it stronger taste, since its so mild. It tastes like honey and roses wine....so darn good.

KB wouldn't mind the hair i think as long as it concentrated on the head,,,lol.

You know Glenda thats the one wine that is common that i think i have never made. But then i don't have grapes either growing here,,,,lol,,,or i think i probably would at least give it a try.

 

Biita, you should try the pepper wine once. You'll find out how tough the local Vikings are. I used a half pound of Serrano and a half pound of Habanero peppers for a gallon of wine. The heat intensifies during fermentation. I washed the peppers thoroughly and sliced them in a food processor. I didn't grind them. I added that mixture to a little over a gallon of water and threw in a couple of cups of sugar. I used a packet of Champagne yeast (started in a cup with some yeast nutrient) and added it when it started foaming. I had to add yeast a couple of times to get it fermenting properly. When I bottled it I labeled it as "Gently Refined Jet Fuel", "Come on Ice Cream!", and a few other things. A friend drank nearly an entire bottle by himself. He had a glass of ice tea in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. He'd drink the wine until he couldn't take the heat, then he'd cool down with the tea and switch back to the wine. He took a bottle in to his store and told his employees that I'd sent them a bottle of wine. They got excited because they've had my mead before. He didn't tell them what it was. After work, he opened the bottle and poured everyone a glass. He proposed a toast and everyone took a drink. I'm surprised they didn't hurt him. They did, however, finish the bottle.

 

Yum! I would love to make wine. It is something Mark and have often spoken about doing but just don't know where to start. One day maybe, when there are a few more hours in the day.

 

OMG!!! LOL!! Thank every god out there I can't get those peppers easily...LOL! I would have to order over the net just to get them. I do know the Vikings here make a drink out of what they call "Spirit" and with a lot of different herbs. Its made what would be the equivelent to everclear, or grain alchohol. I do know there is a drink called Gammel Dansk or Old Danish and if you get past that first shot, the rest aren't too bad,,lol. I personally could not drink your wine,,no offence, i just don't like hot peppers that hot! But i would take a sip to try. Then i would be done. lol. Its kind of like how KB does with my wine, he don't drink but a glass just to try, then he goes to his beer he makes and whiskey. He don't make the whiskey, only likes to drink it. Geez we sound like a couple of lushes out here,,lol, honestly we don't drink that much, for me a glass or 2 of wine maybe 1-2 a week and a beer or 2 for him usually at the end of a work week. the whiskey is usually if there is a gathering of somekind, or someone comes and visits or fishing is involved,,,lol. I give most of my wine as gifts. But that is a wine that KB would love to try, i just know him. And my son would love that, i swear when it comes to peppers, he has no taste buds, the hotter the better. I cry for him! I bet I end up making it. lol.

I do love the names you gave your wines tho,,that's great!

EJ theres not much to it, just the first week is all, after that its pretty much just leave it for a few months then bottle it up and leave for a few more months or even longer. I usually let mine stand 6 months to a yr after they been bottled. By Jul i'll be opening last yrs wines.

 

I've often thought about making currant wine since I have a very productive red currant bush in our back yard. But my oldest son (4 1/2) thinks that these are the most delicious berries in the whole world and regularly cleans off the bush. Good to know that they are so healthy. How many currants do you need to make a batch of wine?