The sun, the bottle and the brew

This morning we woke to blazing sunshine, we thought great, off the the markets and then breakfast. I checked the temperature and it was nearly -20C, we thought we should go and support the markets anyway. Off we rolled all dressed up like teletubbies going out in the snow. We get to the market and only about 10 stalls from a normal 100 or so were there. Yes, you guessed it, we weren't too happy. Luckily it was only a short walk there and back and whilst there we were still able to visit our favourite apple and pear stall, to grab some much needed vitamins and healthy snacks. Not much else was available and with the limited stalls each was packed with elbowing grannies and sniffling old men. So we darted home and nipped up to the local fruit shop for the other things we were missing. On the return I wanted to get a move on with the brewing culture I have. So I went and finally bottled my nettle beer brewed here. I have been dabbling in the Wisnowka every now and again such as at Christmas time, but I am still yet to commit that to bottles it sits safely in the corner enjoying the parrots chirps above it.

13 Green and one brown bottle sitting on the wall

Then I decided to rack off the elderberry wine. I probably should have done this about 3 months ago, but, m'eh I was lazy. I must tell you the elderberry wine is amazing. I really am shocked at just how good it tastes! For such a poor sorry bunch of late season berries (you can see that post here)it has really come on well. It has a scent of stewed fruit on the nose, then a strong alcohol entry onto your palette but then finishes with a has a really lovely long finish of rich cherries, almost like a dry port. I don't think it will win any awards, but I really wasn't sure what to get from it. I will certainly make it again next year and with more "prime" fruit.

Bucket o' wine

The old workhorse Demijohn

The now removed elderberries

Has a nice deep red colour

Swirled.

Elderberry Wine - well let's hope so!

So we will return to Torun in the next blog. But, just a quick alcohol related note. You may recall me making some Elderflower wine, champagne and cordial. Well the wine has matured after about 3 or 4 months in the demijohn and has made a magnificent floral white wine. It looks something like this on a nice warm day when chilled.

So if you don't pick all the flowers you end up with some berries remaining later in the year. Also, if you remember to go and pick them you can make some wine, apparently. I found when I got to my harvest ground that someone who was sneakier than I, had already been and pillaged the area. Luckily, they must have been short as there were still some berries on the upper branches, but the wind had thinned out the density somewhat. I even picked a few dried bunches as well just to try and get more flavour into the wine as I was worried that I didn't have enough. I have never tried to make it but, most recipes called for like 1.5kgs of berries. I only had about 450g, so, we will have to see how it goes.

So now a quick little wine making maths:

This

Minus this

And this

Gives you these

And then later this.

So the crushed berries have now been added to 2.5L water, some sugar (500g), some citric acid (1tsp probably too much to be honest) and some yeast (1 packet of red wine yeast) of course. We will see what happens, it isn't bubbling away with any intensity yet, but we will hope to hear it soon!