Blackthorn - bush with sweet and sour blue berries. It is almost impossible to overestimate the beneficial properties of these berries: thanks to the unique composition (vitamins of groups A, B, P, tannins, pectins, essential oils) they are used in medicine and in cooking.
It is added to pastries, jelly, stewed fruit, jam is prepared for the winter, and wine is made from blackthorn. Harvesting is recommended after frost: that is when they change their tart taste to sweet. Anti-inflammatory and astringent are considered
useful properties of the turn ; it has a powerful diuretic effect, and also relieves intestinal inflammation and fights against acne. Mostly the thorn grows in the wild, but most summer residents plant their lands with this shrub in order to prepare aromatic spicy
wine from blackthorn in the winter
. How to make this alcoholic drink at home, we will consider below.
The use of thorns in home winemaking
Homemade wine recipes are passed down from generation to generation. If earlier this drink was prepared only from fresh grapes, now it can be any fresh or canned fruits and berries, and even jam. Good homemade wine is prepared more than one day. After going through all the stages of winemaking, it is served at the table 2-4 months after harvesting the raw materials. There are several options for making a drink of thorns at home.
Cooking homemade thorny wine
The recipe for this drink is quite simple, based on the technology of making other wines.
Stage 1. Preparation of raw materials
The berries of the turn, which will become the raw material for the wine, are harvested after frost. During this period, they become unusually juicy and sweet. They are not washed, but left to fade for several days. Why can't berries be washed? On their skin are bacteria that promote fermentation. We prepare the berries thus prepared in a container and grind them to a homogeneous mass (mashed potatoes). Next, in a ratio of 1 to 1, add water. That is, the volume should double. We leave the prepared mixture in the open air or in a warm room, after covering the container with a loose cloth, such as gauze. A mosquito net is also suitable .
Stage 2. Filtering
That wine from blackthorn was of good quality, it is important to correctly, and most importantly, filter it in time. When the fermentation process begins (the appearance of foam and bubbles on the surface testifies to this), the separation of the pulp from the juice will begin. Your task is to filter the mixture, separate and squeeze the pulp and get a good juice that needs to be poured into sealed vessels, such as bottles, for further fermentation. Sugar must be added to the obtained thorn juice: if you are a lover of dry and semi-dry wine, then you need to pour 250 g. per liter, if semi-sweet or sweet - then 300-350 gr. Pouring juice into the bottle, fill them up to the top, enough for ¾ of the total volume. During fermentation, a plentiful foam will appear on the surface: we leave this place for it. The bottles should be covered with lids with water locks. They can be purchased or made independently. It is enough to make a hole in the lid and insert the tube. Some winemakers use rubber gloves that attach to the neck with thread. The shutter is installed so that the produced carbon dioxide leaves the tank and the air outside cannot get inside.
Stage 3. The fermentation process
At this stage, the fermentation process takes place. At the right temperature (not lower than 20 ° C), it lasts an average of about 30-45 days. The end of fermentation is indicated by the absence of gas evolution. Now in the bottles instead of juice - a young wine from blackthorn.
Stage 4. Ripening
At this stage, the maturation of young wine occurs . Thorny takes about 2 months. But even during this period a certain turbidity will remain in it. This is due to the presence of microscopic particles that are not amenable to filtration. The appearance of the drink does not affect its taste. Properly prepared thorny wine is hundreds of times superior to the expensive wines offered to us by supermarkets.