Plums are in the genus Prunus, along with peaches and cherries, and are further divided into the subgenus Prunus. They are classified into New World and Old World species, but the fruit is generally sweet and juicy. Plums can make extremely good wine, but each variety should use its own recipe. The following steps will show make wine from the Texas plum.
Instructions
1. Improve on the properties of these plums for wine making. The wine would be thin with a strong bite if these plums are used by themselves. The addition of golden raisins will give body and the bananas will add smoothness to the plum wine.
2. Wash the plums and remove any unfit portions. Allow them to dry for at least two hours. Refrigerate the plums for one to two weeks until they turn dark. Allow the bananas to begin ripening so they will be overly ripe, even mushy, when the plums are ready. Discard only pieces of banana that are actually rotten.
3. Boil the water and chop the raisins. Put the plums in a sterilized plastic container and mash them up with a sterilized baseball bat. Add the bananas in thin slices, sugar and raisins. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Add in a crushed Campden tablet when the mixture cools to room temperature. Add the pectic enzyme in 12 hours and sprinkle the yeast on 12 hours after that. Allow the mixture to stand for up to three days until it is fermenting strongly.
5. Stir the mixture twice a day until the specific gravity (a comparison of its density to water) drops to 1.02. This should take a week to 10 days. Squeeze the pulp to extract the remaining juice in the bag. Ferment for another two days, transfer the liquid to the secondary container and fit the airlock.
6. Rack the liquid into a clean secondary container every 60 days until it is clear. This will require at least three racks before it can be racked into bottles. This wine must age for at least three years.
Tags: days until, least three, secondary container, these plums
