Cherries

[sheena]

I'm not sure if this is the right place or not, but i'm wanting to make some wine and jam from a big glut of cherries.

the only problem is the cherries are very small with very little flesh, and stoning them would take a lifetime. Is it possible that I could simmer them into a pulp like form and just use the extract after straining through muslin, or would a colander work better... if it can be done at all?

[Hilary B]

I'm not sure if this is the right place or not, but i'm wanting to make some wine and jam from a big glut of cherries.

the only problem is the cherries are very small with very little flesh, and stoning them would take a lifetime. Is it possible that I could simmer them into a pulp like form and just use the extract after straining through muslin, or would a colander work better... if it can be done at all?

Last year I found some cherry-plums. I wanted to make jam, but thought taking stones out would take forever.
I found the best compromise was to cut them open before cooking, then the stones come out into the cooked mass and they can be fished out (they float once you've added sugar).
For wine making I really wouldn't bother about the stones at all, they will be removed when you strain the 'must' into the demijohn.

[SarzWix]

I'm almost certain I've read that the stones give a bad taste to wine... But the OH has made wine with bullaces without de-stoning them first and it didn't seem that nasty!

[sheena]

After much faffing around, and several pots and pans later, I have managed to get some of the flesh to make a couple of jars of jam, but only after virtually mashing the pulp through a strainer did I think of straining it through a cloth... I feel a bit of a plonker but at least it's done now.

3 hours later!!!

[ohbeary]

sheena, for jam boil fruit and ram it through a coarse strainer, add 1lb sugar per pint and cook gently to setting point, for wine freeze and defrost, mash add pectolase and sulphite, after 24hs adjust SG to 1080 add yeast starter, ferment for 48 hrs, coarse strain(to remove stones) and ferment on pulp for 5 days, strain again and ferment to dry.