Need advice.

[Kleftiwallah]

Picked 16 lbs of brambles (and have the scratches and nettle stings to prove it), 4 lbs extract is already as juice and another 4 lbs on the go as we speak, this is to make bramble jelly. This is using the ordinary simmering method, not steam extract.

That leaves me with 8 lbs of brambles to make 2 gallon of wine. How much more wine could I make if I bunged in the 'solids' from the 8 lbs of extracted juice ?

To help me come to a decision, just what are the pros and cons of leaving the fruit solids in the wine at the early stages, or removing them and just using the juice obtained from them ? Cheers, Tony.

 

[docanddeb]

I'm not sure what "brambles" are... but I'm thinking some sort of blackberry or raspberry. The seeds will make it bitter, so if it's mostly seeds, I wouldn't think you'll get much flavor out of them. Better to have a really good wine in a small amount, than a large amount that is watered down.
You could come up with a complimentary fruit to make it go further... like Niagara grapes or apple juice.

Debbie

 

[Wade E]

I agree with above statement of this fruit. You wont get anything out of the skins unless there is a decent amount of juice still in them. youll get no tannins or anything out of those skins.

 

[Kleftiwallah]

'Scuse terminology.

Brambles are indeed blackberries, another name (in the North of England) is 'blackites'. I'll drain the liquid from off the solids and carry on with that. I've had the pectin destroying enzime and the camden tablet in there for the requird 24 hours. Thanks for both your knowledgeable answers.

Off out again tomorrow to another patch of blackites ! Cheers, Tony.

 

[docanddeb]

Sounds like work to me!! Whew!!
It's past blackberry season here, I believe. Our everbearing raspberries are still going, though. 10# on Saturday. He picks every 4 days.

Debbie

 

[Kleftiwallah]

Don't forget Michaelmas Day !

In British folklore, Old Michaelmas Day, 10th October, is the last day that blackberries should be picked. It is said that on this day, when Lucifer was expelled from Heaven, he fell from the skies, straight onto a blackberry bush. He then cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, spat and stamped on them and made them unfit for consumption! And so the Irish proverb goes:

“On Michaelmas Day the devil puts his foot on blackberries”.

This year, Michaelmas is said to be the 29th of September, but as I know a cracking 'bramble' patch, I'll stick with the old date, just in case ! ! ! Cheers, Tony.

 

[docanddeb]

Since you are all about tradition... I would stick with the Oct 10 date too! That was very interesting... thanks for sharing!

Debbie

 

[ibglowin]

Sounds like the Irish just wanted to keep all the blackberries to themselves!