Winter Coming No Fresh Fruit

[FutureFarm]

I'm so new that my introduction is still probably on one of the latest pages of the introduction post, but I have spent many hours searching the forums and haven't found an answer to a question. If it has been answered please point me to it.

Unfortunately I picked started this new and exciting hobby in the fall, just after fruit season. I live in an apartment in town so I don't have room for a freezer full of farmstand fruit. What do people do in the winter if they want to start a new batch of wine? I'm specifically looking into a blueberry, strawberry, or plum wine. Walmart sells frozen blueberries, canned blueberries (Oregon Fruits), and blueberry juice. Which of these / what combination of options yields the best wine? With the hard apple cider I started, I was told that I should buy cider which has sediment which leads me to believe that the frozen blueberries would be the best (lots of pulp). But isn't the goal of using fruit to extract the juice? Should I use the juice? Is the canned fruit some sort of happy medium? Is there an answer? I don't really want to wait until next summer. I want to be drinking it next summer.

It seems the more I read and think the more confused I get.

 

[Julie]

Welcome to winemakingtalk. If the juice from the grocery story does not list sorbate, you should be good to go on that. There are a handful of recipes in our recipe section using frozen juice and shelf juice from the grocery store. Also, you can go to homewinery.com and buy concentrate.

 

[Rocky]

I assume you are not aware of there alternatives:

Winexpert
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Island Mist Premium Fruit Flavored Wine Kits[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]These Fruit Wine Kits are a perfect marriage. The clean, crispness of a fine wine plus the luscious refreshment of juicy orchard fresh fruit which produce a light alcohol (6.5%) drink that is lighter and more fruity than table wines. Deliciously walking the edge between coolers and table wine, this truly luscious fruit wine satisfies in every way! Simple, succulent, satisfying, it's all yours in a variety of tongue teasing flavors. These fruit wine kits contain 7.5 liters of juice packaged in an aseptic, nitrogen purged juice bag and make 6 gallons (28-30 bottles). The kits contain an F-pack flavor pack.[/FONT]

RJ Spagnols
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Orchard Breezin Mist Wine Kits[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A Refreshing Alternative
Easy to make and easy to drink, Orchard Breezin’™ Mist Wine Kits provide a refreshing alternative to wine or coolers. They are a perfect balance of fruit and wine – not too sweet, and not too dry. Enjoy it in a tall glass over ice with good food and good friends. Orchard Breezin’™ Mist Wine… sure to please![/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

Vintner's Harvest
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fruit Wine Base[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fruit bases are solid pack fruit in their natural juices. Making wine with them is much like processing fresh fruit in that the winemaker needs to ferment and press out the fruit. Recipes for 3 gallon and 5 gallon batches are included on the label. The recipes also require yeast, table sugar, acid blend, yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, campden tablets or potassium meta bisulphite, and potassium sorbate. Muslin bags are helpful if pressing out the fruit by hand.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Packed in 96 oz. tins.[/FONT]

 

[FutureFarm]

I had seen something about the Vinter's Harvest once or twice, but I didn't know exactly what it is. How similar are they to the canned fruit in the grocery store? We only have a 1 gallon carboy (Empty Carlo Rossi jug) free now. And once our 3 gallon is free (Mid-November hopefully) we're going to start a DragonBlood so we have something to drink while our pineapple and whatever we start soon finish.

 

[BernardSmith]

Hi , Welcome, pilgrim. I've used the Vintners Harvest fruit juices to make rhubarb and gooseberry wines. There is a line of VH that contains only the pressed juice. A 96 oz can makes a good 3 gallons ( although if you prefer wine with less body you can squeeze 5 gallons from it). The other thing you might try are meads - wines from honey. I would look for varietals rather than low end blends but 2.5 lbs to 3 lbs of honey will provide you with enough flavor and sugar to make a very drinkable brew. Unlike some fruits, honey does not have enough nutrients in it to really keep the yeast happy so you would want to add nutrient. And if you use wine yeasts and ferment dry you can backsweeten or drink dry just like a fruit wine.

 

[the_rayway]

When I'm making a fruit wine (or just grocery shopping for fruit), I try to keep in mind that I want the ripest, most delicious fruit. Always.

That being said, during the long, cold winter I've found that the only fruit I'll go for is either: a) frozen fruit because it goes straight from field to freezer; or b) fresh fruit that is 'in season' as it has the most flavour of the fresh fruits at the store during the winter. Think citrus fruits in Jan/Feb, Pears in November, etc.

I have also found that if you go with either of these options you can a) plan your future batches of wine accordingly; and b) get the best stuff on sale. When they sell off 2Kg bags of wild blueberries, or clear out the seasons last of lemons - that's where I am!

 

[jethro]

I am a newbie too. I have heard of DIY winemakers getting grape juice in frozen juice buckets, about 6 gallons of juice. Can I get these year-round, or only during the fall (grape harvest season)?
I'm asking because I don't live anywhere near Napa valley. Hope my question doesn't disturb you, even if you regard it as not relevant to your inquiry.

 

[Julie]

I am a newbie too. I have heard of DIY winemakers getting grape juice in frozen juice buckets, about 6 gallons of juice. Can I get these year-round, or only during the fall (grape harvest season)?
I'm asking because I don't live anywhere near Napa valley. Hope my question doesn't disturb you, even if you regard it as not relevant to your inquiry.

Not sure about the frozen buckets, never got one of those but there are juice buckets right now, where do you live at? You do not need to live in Napa valley to get some juice buckets.

 

[jamesngalveston]

most companies that sale juice buckets are concentrates in the wine shops get the best quality fruit juices they can find, there business depends on it.
whom ever you get from and what ever you get, will be better then a quality grocery store juice...and lot less the hassle then the frozen fruit route. probaly less expensive .