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a white for me! If I win, WineXpert LE2016 2016 Vermentino please. I have had many very successful transactions with Home Brew Supply, both in ordering supplies for my wine making, and to order gifts for my son, whose preference is beer. Always helpful & knowledgeable service and...

Absolutely you can process it to be shelf stable. I am of course assuming you have more storage space than $ for freezing! Ok, here's what I have on canning apple juice, depending on the pressing method. With 800 lbs, I'm assuming you are using a press operated at room temp with no...

Wow, thanks Joe! I just happen to have a Sangiovese kit in my root cellar, and this is great info. Some Q's though: First, my kit comes with both oak and tannin. Is what you suggest adding with the raisins in addition to what came in the kit? Second, the nitrogen topper sounds like a great...

You don't say where you are, what kind of fruit was in the jelly/jam, but here's what I can tell you from my many years of experience in jelly making. Jelly involves only 2 ingredients, fruit juice and sugar. Therefore: 1) you definitely lack acid. The only fruits I know that would have any...

Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer--I would not trust this for wine I'm no expert winemaker, but I've been canning for over 40 years and I think this is questionable. The reason is that vacuum sealers also depend on the jars, lids, and contents being completely sterile at the beginning. Sterile, not...

Analysis by my DH (PhD organic chemistry) based on the thread: Bernard is correct that this smell is one or more mercaptans. Don't use elemental copper (ie copper wool), it will not give good results. Instead use copper sulfate solution and the process known as "copper sulfate fining" --...

Hey Arne! Great to hear from you again. Yes of course I know why they're called chokecherries. I've been making jelly & syrup for many, many years. My g-mother taught me. I've made 2 batches of Chokecherry wine, both with whole berries in a bag, submerged and squished by hand for the...

What a great find! Remember though that when sausage is run through it there is a lot of fat/oil naturally deposited onto the parts, and just wiping it clean would be appropriate. Since you are going to run grapes, the only oil is from the seeds. My instinct is that after you soak off the...

I just bought a steamer! It is a EuroCuisine brand, model 9500, stainless steel with glass cover. Four piece unit with 8qt juice container with spigot. I processed 15 lbs of chokecherries & got 4 1/2 qt juice, much more than traditional draining through cheesecloth. It only took about 4...

chokecherries You might be mistaking astringency/tannic acid for an acid (sour) flavor. I can eat them right off the bush and don't find them sour. But they are quite astringent, giving a dry feel in the mouth.

Thanks, guys. This seems like very good common sense advice. I will definitely follow it.

So I have so many 5 lb bags of chokecherries in the freezer that I finally bought a steam juicer on Amazon. I have always processed chokecherries in the same way my grandmother did it: Fill the stock pot half full, add water until it was about 1" below the height of the chokecherries, just...

Freezer contents Well I have filled up my big freezer--there are at least 60 lbs of chokecherries.

Thank for your input. Of course, codeman, isn't all of Oregon shade & damp? (just kidding). But today we took a hike up one of the ridges starting at the summit of Teton Pass (el ~ 8400) and all along the trail, both in dry and shady areas there it was Mahonia repens, with "grapes," and the...

Picked another 13 lbs today. I did have some help from #2 son who has come to visit. :h I have just found out there is an alternate fruit market on Saturdays here. (that sentence does seem really strange, doesn't it?) We have a Saturday morning "farmers market" here in Jackson, but IMHO...

You are so more experienced than I on the wine knowledge. But I ran across this peach wine recipe in a book and it looks absolutely incredible, so I'll be buying peaches in bulk this Saturday to give it a try. Do you have a particular recipe or do you use a generic fruit recipe for your...

So the chokecherries are gradually ripening. I've been picking a couple hours a day for the last 3 days and have about 25lb. I know I posted that a lot of blossoms froze in late spring, and that is certainly true, but what did survive those frosts--Wow. I think it is the same situation as in...

You made my day. I love the RBros!

Ha! Time to come help me pick! The chokecherries are finally ripening, I've been picking a little every day for 3 days. Being very fussy about ripeness, and I've already put 30 lbs in the freezer. A good, good thing. Don't you want to come visit Jackson Hole and help me pick?

Fruit Fresh The primary active ingredient is Ascorbic Acid, but I don't think there's enough acid in FF to affect a wine chemistry. There certainly isn't enough sugar to make any difference at all. @Bill: Peaches will degrade in color in the freezer over time. When I freeze or can...