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From apples They prepare light wine drinks that are not inferior in quality to many store-bought wines. During the preparation process, it is necessary to adjust the taste and strength of the drink.
Apple wine stabilizes sugar and blood pressure levels, stimulates the stomach, relaxes muscles and relieves physical stress. To obtain it, in addition to apples, you will need sugar and special containers for fermentation and storage of the drink.
Preparatory stage
Apple wine is prepared from fruits of any variety (green, red or yellow). You can use summer or winter ripening apples.
It is not recommended to wash apples after picking, as bacteria accumulate on their skins and promote fermentation. To remove dirt, wipe the fruits with a dry cloth or brush.
To avoid a bitter taste in the wine, you need to remove the seeds and core from the apples. If the fruits have been damaged, then such places are also cut out.
Simple Apple Wine Recipes
Homemade apple wine can be prepared according to a traditional recipe.To do this, you will need several glass containers in which the fermentation process will take place. The finished wine is bottled.
At home, apples are used to make both light cider and fortified wine. The drink becomes especially tasty after adding lemon or cinnamon.
Traditional recipe
To make apple wine using the classic method, you will need the following ingredients:
- 20 kg apples;
- from 150 to 400 g of sugar for each liter of juice.
The cooking process includes the following steps:
Getting juice
You can extract juice from apples using any suitable method. If you have a juicer, it is better to use it to get a clean product with a minimum pulp content.
If you don’t have a juicer, use a regular grater. Then the resulting puree is squeezed out using gauze or under pressure.
Juice settling
Applesauce or juice is placed in an open container (barrel or pan). The container is not covered with a lid; it is enough to cover it with gauze to protect it from insects. Yeast activity will begin within 3 days.
As a result, pulp is formed in the form of apple peel or pulp and juice. The pulp is concentrated on the surface of the juice.
On the third day, a dense layer of pulp forms, which must be removed using a colander. As a result, juice and a film 3 mm thick remain in the container. When foam appears, juice hisses and an alcoholic smell appears, proceed to the next stage.
Adding sugar
The amount of sugar depends on the initial sweetness of the apples. If sweet fruits are used, then sugar is added in small quantities. If its concentration exceeds 20%, then fermentation stops. Therefore, this component is added as carefully as possible.
Sugar is added in several stages:
- immediately after removing the pulp (about 100 g per liter);
- after the next 5 days (from 50 to 100 g);
- after another 5 days (from 30 to 80 g).
When first added, sugar is added directly to the apple juice. Next, you need to drain a little wort and pour the required amount of sugar into it. Then the resulting mixture is added to the total volume.
Fermentation process
At this stage, it is necessary to exclude contact of apple juice with air. Otherwise, vinegar will form. Therefore, for preparing wine, sealed containers are chosen: glass or plastic bottles.
During the fermentation process, carbon dioxide is released. To drain it, a water seal is installed. You can purchase it in a store or make it yourself.
When making it yourself, a hole is made in the lid of the container with wine, and a small diameter hose is passed through it. One end of the tube is placed as high as possible in a vessel with apple wort, while the other is lowered 3 cm into a glass of water.
Fermentation of apple juice occurs at temperatures from 18 to 25°C. The best temperature is 20°C. The whole process takes about 30-60 days. Its completion is indicated by the absence of bubbles in the water container, the deflated glove, and the presence of sediment at the bottom.
Wine maturation
The resulting apple wine is ready for consumption. If there is a strong taste and smell, you need to give it time to mature.To carry it out you will need a dry glass container. First you need to wash it with hot boiled water and dry it thoroughly.
Apple wine is poured using a tube into a prepared container. The upper layers move first, then move on to the lower ones. The sediment should not get into the new container.
The resulting apple wine is stored in a cool place at a temperature of 6 to 16°C. It will take 2 to 4 months to fully mature. If sediment appears, the wine must be drained. At first, this procedure is performed every 2 weeks.
Apple wine has a strength of 10-12%. It is stored for 3 years in a dark room at a low temperature.
Homemade cider
Cider is a light apple wine that originated in France. Classic cider is prepared without added sugar and is completely natural. For cider, apples of sour varieties (3 kg) and sweet (6 kg) are selected.
If the wine turns out too sour (cheekbones shrink), then adding water is allowed. Its content should not exceed 100 ml for each liter of juice.
You can learn how to make homemade wine from apples in a simple way from the following recipe:
- The apple juice is squeezed out and left for a day in a dark place where room temperature is maintained.
- The juice is removed from the sediment and poured into a container where fermentation will take place. A water seal is placed on the vessel.
- For 3 to 5 weeks, the apple juice is kept in a dark place where the temperature is maintained in the range of 20 to 27°C.
- When fermentation stops, the apple cider is poured into a new container, leaving sediment at the bottom.
- The container is tightly closed with a lid and kept for 3-4 months at a temperature of 6 to 12°C.
- The resulting apple wine is filtered and bottled for permanent storage.
The result is a wine with an alcohol content of 6 to 10%, depending on the sugar content of the apples. When stored in a cool place, the shelf life of wine is up to 3 years.
Sparkling cider
Apple wine can be carbonated. Then the process of preparing it changes:
- First, apple juice is obtained, which is allowed to settle.
- Then the fermentation process in apple wort is activated, as in the case of making regular wine.
- After fermentation is complete, the resulting wine is removed from the sediment.
- Several glass or plastic bottles need to be rinsed and dried well. Sugar is poured onto one of each container at the rate of 10 g per liter. Due to sugar, fermentation occurs and carbon dioxide is released.
- The containers are filled with young wine, leaving about 5 cm of free space from the edge. The bottles are then tightly capped.
- For the next 2 weeks, the wine is stored in the dark at room temperature. If there is an increased accumulation of gas, its excess must be released.
- Sparkling cider is stored in the basement or refrigerator. Immediately before use, it is kept in the cold for 3 days.
Cider with lemon
Light apple cider can be made using the following simple recipe:
- Apples of sour varieties are cleared of seed pods, and damaged areas must be cut out. The fruits are cut into several parts. In total you will need 8 kg of apples.
- Lemons (2 pcs.) need to be peeled, then zested and ground with sugar.
- Apple slices, zest and sugar (2 kg) are placed in wide-necked containers and filled with water (10 l). Cover the container with a clean cloth.
- The containers are left for a week in a room with a temperature of 20-24°C.
- After the specified time, the liquid is drained and filtered through gauze folded in several layers. The wine should acquire a light shade.
- The finished apple drink is bottled and capped.
Dried apple wine
If you only have dried apples, you can use them to make delicious wine.
- Dried apples (1 kg) are poured into an enamel bowl and filled with warm water overnight.
- In the morning, you need to drain the water and dry the remaining mass a little. Then it is crushed using a blender.
- Add 1.5 kg of sugar to applesauce and pour boiling water over it.
- Another 1.5 kg of sugar is poured with warm water and 20 g of yeast are added. The components must be completely dissolved, after which they are added to containers with apple wort.
- When the mass has cooled, you need to filter the liquid and fill the bottles with it. Place a water seal or glove on the container.
- When the fermentation of the apple must is complete (after about 2 weeks), the young wine is drained and filtered.
- The prepared drink is bottled, capped and placed in the refrigerator for several hours.
- Apple wine is sent for permanent storage.
Fortified wine
Get wine mount apples can be made by adding alcohol or vodka. Then the drink acquires a tart taste, but its shelf life increases.
Fortified apple wine is produced using the following technology:
- Apples (10 kg) are wiped with a cloth to remove dirt. Then they need to be cut, cored and crushed in a blender.
- Add 2.5 kg of sugar and 0.1 kg of dark raisins to the resulting mass.
- The mixture is placed in a container, which is covered with a glove. The wine is left to ferment in a warm place for 3 weeks.
- When sediment appears, young apple wine is poured into a prepared container. A glass of sugar is added to the drink.
- The container is again closed with a water seal and left for 2 weeks.
- After a specified period of time, the wine is again drained from the sediment. At this stage, vodka (0.2 l) is added.
- The wine is stirred and kept for 3 weeks in cool conditions.
- The finished wine is stored in the refrigerator or cellar.
Spiced wine
Delicious wine is made by combining apples with cinnamon. It can be prepared according to the following recipe:
- Apples (4 kg) are cored and cut into pieces. The fruits are placed in a large container, 4 liters of water and 40 g of dry cinnamon are added.
- Place the container on the fire and cook until the apples become soft.
- After cooling, the mixture is rubbed through a sieve and placed in an enamel container, which is covered with a cloth. The pulp is stored at a temperature of 20°C. The mass is stirred every 12 hours.
- The pulp is removed after 3 days; it is enough to leave a thin layer. Sugar is added to apple juice (no more than 1 kg) and placed in a fermentation container and a water seal is placed.
- The container is kept in a dark place for a week; it is turned over daily to mix the contents.
- On day 8, the water seal is removed and the container is closed with a regular plastic lid. The wine is kept for another week, periodically turning the container over.
- The resulting wine is drained from the sediment and filled into bottles.
Conclusion
Apple wine is made from fresh and dry fruits. To obtain the drink, you will need to create the necessary conditions for fermentation and maturation of the wine. During the cooking process, you can add raisins, lemon zest, and cinnamon to apple juice.