Gooseberry wine

[wiccanlou]

Does anyone have a good recipe for gooseberry wine?? I have a large glut about to ripen and would like to make some, hopefully dry wine too. Thanks for any help.

[Hilary B]

Does anyone have a good recipe for gooseberry wine?? I have a large glut about to ripen and would like to make some, hopefully dry wine too. Thanks for any help.

Are these cooking type gooseberries, or the ones you can eat straight off the bush? It does make a difference....
(not that I have a specific recipe, but most fruit you can get by on the '3lbs of fruit, 2½lbs sugar' basic style).

[wiccanlou]

I don't actually know alot about wine making and as for the bushes they were there when we got the plot I just ensured we got a good crop this year

[Hilary B]

I came across one recipe, here simplified,
3lb fruit, mash,
3lb sugar, pour over fruit,
about 7 pints boiling water, pour on,
allow to cool, add pectic enzyme, yeast and yeast nutrient. 24 hours later, strain into demijohn and top up when ferment is not too violent.
Might be worth tasting the gooseberries, because some make lovely pies, while others can be eaten straight from the bushes.

[wiccanlou]

thank you for that, mine are almost ripe fairly sweet but leave a bitter after taste still. I will definately be using that recipe.

[Hilary B]

To get more gooseberry flavour, (my variation on the recipe) leave the sugar-and-mashed-fruit overnight before adding the boiling water.