Last autumn I collected a large number of plums from some old plum trees near where I work - they’d not previously fruited much, but the combination of a warm spring and a wet summer seemed to set them off. With around 7kg of plums I’ve been making jam and bottling them, but the need for some more freezer space led to me making plum wine.
Recipe
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3kg Plums
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2 tsp Pectic Enzyme (pectinase)
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200ml Strong Black Tea (provides tannin)
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2 kg Sugar
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8 litres Water
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Wine Yeast
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Chop and destone the plums into a muslin bag. (I mashed up the plums and picked out most of the stones, as destoning 3kg of tiny plums would take weeks!)
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Place the bag in a brewing barrel, add the water and sugar, pectin enzyme and tea, and fit a lid with an airlock.
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leave in a warm place for 24 hours, to allow the pectinase to break down the pectin. (This prevents the wine from being too hazy).
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After 24 hours, add the yeast as per the manufacturers instructions.
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Take the muslin bag out of the barrel after 1 week, and leave the liquid to continue fermenting for another 2-3 weeks.
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Rack the wine off into a demijohn and leave to settle for another 2-3 weeks.
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Rack again, adding more sugar if necessary.
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Bottle and keep for at least 6 months before drinking.
This is a very tasty, summery wine - best served slightly sweet and chilled.
