TOP 6 simple recipes for making wine from watermelon at home
Many are skeptical about the idea of making wine from a juicy summer product. They make strong arguments, forgetting that by adding some ingredients, you can make an alcoholic drink from almost any berry or fruit. Wine made from fresh watermelon will diversify the usual diet, will become the main highlight on the festive table.
Content
Features of product preparation
Watermelon wine will preserve many of the beneficial properties of this giant berry. The drink prepared according to the recipe has an extraordinary pinkish color. Acquires an amber warm lamp tone.
Since watermelon contains a lot of water, evaporation is mandatory in some recipes. This will make the aroma and taste more intense, add strength to the finished drink.
You should be very careful when choosing berries for preparing a drink. Only high-quality options are suitable, in which there is a lot of sugar. Usually, these watermelons are late varieties, have an orange spot and a dry root. They choose foods with a minimum sugar content.
It can also be made from watermelons of average attractiveness, but in this case more sugar is added, the fermentation process will take much longer.
How to make watermelon wine at home
Pick one of your favorite recipes.
Simple recipe
In order to make wine according to the simplest recipe, you do not need special skills. It is taken:
- 10 kg of juicy red watermelon pulp;
- 4 kilograms of sugar;
- 100 grams of citric acid;
- 100 grams of raisins.
Prepare a large enamelled fermentation vessel. All the ingredients are put there, mixed and left in a warm place. After three days, as the pulp appears, you need to install the shutter, leave at room temperature for 3 weeks. If you need to speed up the fermentation process, then add three drops of ammonia, but it can give a slight specific flavor.
Then the young wine is decanted, leaving a minimum must content. It is bottled and placed in a dark place.
From the evaporated juice
The evaporated juice makes the wine richer in taste, bright and extraordinary. In order to prepare it, you need a regular list of ingredients, but the cooking technology itself is changing.
The watermelon is turned into juice, heated over low heat, but at the same time make sure that the liquid does not start to boil. A third of the volume should go away.After that, the concentrated juice is cooled, wine yeast or raisins are added, the mash is set and the end of fermentation is waited for a month. To enhance the taste and better preservation, you can take lemon juice and immediately add it to the composition.
With oak chips
Tannin is a substance found in wood, it is it that gives a specific taste to wine, which is contained in oak barrels. But since it is quite difficult to find such, you can take special oak chips that resemble a natural aroma. You can buy them in shops for winemakers or make your own.
If the second method is chosen, then you first need to get wood. Better fit French oak, which is not always found in the latitudes of Russia. But you can take any other. Raw wood is not used, it must be roasted in a pan until golden brown.
Oak chips are placed at the stage of long aging of wine. In this case, the recipe can be used one of the above, since it will work out great with both.
With added acid
Citric acid acts as a preservative that prevents wine from spoiling. In addition, it improves taste and aroma. You will need to take:
- 11 kilograms of watermelon pulp;
- 15 grams of wine yeast;
- 600 grams of sugar;
- 10 grams of tannic acid.
All ingredients must be mixed. They put a water seal, rearrange a large container in a warm room. Fermentation takes up to a month. When it stops, you need to pour the wine. Filtration is carried out in a convenient way, the wine is poured into cans. But you can't use it yet. It should ferment itself up to 3-4 months in separate vessels. Only then will the watermelon notes in combination with the sourish tinge unfold in full force.
Strong watermelon wine
Strong watermelon wine tastes like expensive liquor. Great strength is achieved by adding the maximum amount of sugar. In this case, first, ordinary dessert wine is obtained, and only then, after fermentation, more sugar is added to it. You will need for this recipe:
- 10 kilograms of watermelon pulp;
- 12 kilograms of sugar (half for fermentation and before infusion).
Strong watermelon wine is made according to the standard algorithm. But no sugar is added in the second stage. It needs to be made in the form of a syrup. To do this, you need to dilute it in a ratio of two to one, add it to the total mass.
If this method does not give sufficient strength to the drink, then you will need to resort to extreme measures. You can add strength to the drink by adding another alcohol, for example, ordinary high-quality vodka. You can also take pharmacy alcohol, but in reasonable quantities.
With lemon and grapes
Such a watermelon wine will amaze you with an unsurpassed aroma and taste, they will not be ashamed to treat guests during the festive table. Lemon and grapes will set off the sweetness of watermelon, mask these notes a little, and add sourness and citrus tones. You will need to take:
- 10 kg of watermelon pulp;
- 2 large lemons;
- 3 kg of small grapes, but juicy, sweet;
- 4 kilograms of sugar;
- 100 grams of citric acid;
- 100 grams of raisins.
Prepare an enamelled fermentation vessel. All the ingredients are put there, mixed and left in a warm place. After a few days, decant the cloudy sediment, ferment for 3 weeks. Then they act according to the classic scenario.
How much can and how should be stored?
Store in a dark room for up to 1.5 years. Can be consumed upon reaching maturity.
How and with what to taste homemade watermelon wine
The best combinations of a drink with:
- lime and lemon;
- sprigs of fresh mint and lemon balm;
- cream cheeses;
- ice cream and chocolate;
- fresh exotic fruits.
Light dessert wine is drunk chilled to 6-10 degrees. It is also served as an aperitif.