Plum Wine. How I Make Plum Wine And Other Country Wines

[@LizZorab]

Do you have a favourite homemade drink? If so, please let me know what your favourites are.

[@HappyHomestead]

Mine has to be Blaand for sure! Fermented whey from the cheese making process. It's an old viking drink and seems to be having quite a revival at the moment with lots of people making it!

[@LizZorab]

I know that Rose over at Wholesome Roots has made some Blaand, it sounds like it's a great way to use up the whey.

[@HappyHomestead]

She has indeed! Slightly different recipes - she used goats milk, I used cow's milk (we have a lot of cows up here but no goats! - A few buffalo which may be interesting) Not heard how Roses' turned out - but mine was cracking... So bright and clear.

[@DaybirdAviaries]

Lemonade and Iced Tea.

[@mrsmcadie8592]

Happy Homestead I’ve been watching your wine videos also, you’ve shown me that wine can be made out of almost anything, can you recommend a wine for a newbie?

[@Immanuel6468]

Trinidadian here Your blessings to everyone in the world was certainly appreciated

[@sjf1162inf]

I love it.. Nice job..thank you

[@dannpd1955]

Thank you kind lady. Ive just started my journey to wine making. Ill turn 68 on the 29th of August so I guess im a late comer to it. Ive got 3 jugs of fruit juice started. I live in central Texas and raise goats for a living. I liked and subbed and Im looking forward to see whats next.

[@MyKharli]

Plum wines beat grapes everyday but a mix of both is heavenly . I leave in the stones and use fresh sliced ripe plums for extra fresh flavour then decant to demijhons after 7 ..10 days leaving a pulp that smells too nice to throw on the compost bin , mind you wasps think its christmas .

[@georgiosdretakis]

Very good "honest" work

[@LizZorab]

Thank you!

[@jamesmorgan2130]

Great little video, I’ve just followed to so hopefully it turns out nicely. Thanks 😊

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

I really need to make some wine! With all that sugar that yeast is going to be having a party.

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

Would it be easier to warm the plum juice on the hob and mix the sugar into that before you added it to the jar? Save you having to mix it in the jar... Or does that cause an issue of you do it that way?

[@LizZorab]

It causes washing up! lol yes I really am that lazy!

[@NicoleGrow]

Awesome! I have so many plums! 🤗

[@robertsouthernsouthern5524]

Great way of making wine

[@littl3misstt775]

Started soaking plums today.... 🤞

[@AlmostHomestead]

I want to try making some. Our son has a lot of plums at his place. Thanks Liz.

[@MikeMike-pm9sh]

You are absolutely a informative enough and simply Pleasant thanks

[@erikaschaltenbrand7850]

Thanks liz!

[@Gettingstartedonhomesteading]

Looks good Liz and I bet It taste great. Have a good one!!

[@LizZorab]

Hopefully it will be nice, no doubt Mr J will tell you about it when it's ready. I don't drink the wines I make, so he'll be the judge of how well it turns out :-)

[@Caprifool]

Just the type of thing I was looking for. Thank you! The farm looks lovely by the way.

[@silvershadow7245]

tip...if you lift the funnel a little it will fill quicker. displacing the air happens quicker.

[@LizZorab]

Hi Emily, great tip, thank you!

[@ThePennie46]

I just love your accent 🤗 thank you for showing your knowledge on wine making🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@JanesGrowingGarden]

That was just what I needed Liz - I've always been put off making wine thinking that it was way too complicated but I think I could just about manage this! Plus our plum tree is ridiculous this year - there's only so much jam you can muster!

[@LizZorab]

I never know what to do with plums, I eat a few when they are fresh and then shove the rest in the freezer. I don't like the taste of cooked plums (unless it's prunes), so don't eat plum jam or plum sauce (although I'm trying to make some sauce again this year), so making wine seems the obvious way to use them.

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

I totally agree with you here Jane, Liz has made it look easier than making jam! I'm off to get some kit! 😂

[@zacharyduffy9273]

I like it - good to see someone who has actually got some experience sharing ! You're right plum is hard to clear - if you go for flavour - I think it is very high in pectin so plum jam sometimes sets like rock ! Even so it is hard to get the plum flavour over to the finished wine - My own preference is to finish the wine to near clarity then infuse mqshed plums into it for a few days or weeks - give it a try - all the best Z

[@LizZorab]

Hi Zachary, I will give the infusing method a try. So far I have been pretty lucky with getting the flavour into the wine, but I think that's because I leave the fruit to sit in water for a couple of days or so before I start :-)

[@garyz2043]

I love making wine more than I like drinking it, Parsnip wine I'm doing cause they are very cheap now, Dec 2020. Never tried it but it supposed to be nice. Hopefully next year it will be ok as long as everything else.

[@PracticalModernHomestead]

Charlie is presently making a hard cider from the leftover apple bits after we ran apples through the mill and press. Should be interesting! Great video, Liz! I am going to show it to Charlie, as he has been on a wine making kick ever since we are not drinking on our diet!😄🤣

[@stevehurst8187]

It looks good buddy

[@LizZorab]

Apparently it tasted fabulous - I don't drink the stuff, but my partner is very appreciative of my efforts!

[@richardadams421]

Thank you so much from Columbia South Carolina

[@treboldetreshojas]

Very nice video. Thanks

[@TheEnglishladyskitchengarden]

I just picked a load of greengages so plan on making some wine. This looked really straightforward. Thanks Liz.

[@rebeccajosteelman563]

Thank you for sharing, how lovely 💗xo

[@rockashelle4380]

Just finished making 3 gallons. Thank you so much! I have a question, do you save your extra sanitizer to use later or mix it fresh every time? Also, how do you use your plums once you've drained them? I picked 85lbs of plums off our tree to freeze. Winter will be busy this year.

[@LizZorab]

I don't save sanitizer as it says it only works for 30 minutes at full strength ( not sure why that is). Plums can be used to add to pie filling, jelly or jam (if you get all of the stones out). I add them to the compost heap as most of the flavour has been extracted.

[@HilltopFarmHomestead]

This is great. Thanks Liz. This is something I'm hoping to do this summer. Will be watching this series closely.

[@bfeld26]

Thanks for your video, is it possible to make vine from fresh plums?

[@LizZorab]

Yes you can!

[@dorsetbookbuyer8701]

Thanks Liz Zorab you make it look so easy. I have never made wine. We inherited two grapevines when we moved last year. (one is growing really well). Will have to give it a go. Lock forward to the next part. :)

[@LizZorab]

Ooh how lovely to have grapevines! The only time I used grapes in wine was in a yellow plum with red dessert grape wine and it was delicious!

[@dorsetbookbuyer8701]

I don't know what kind of grapes they are. But they are going red and growing outside so think they are wine grapes.

[@brightpurpleviking]

Fascinating! I wish my husband liked wine. I’d love to try making some.

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

Who cares if he likes wine? Make some and you can have more to yourself! Hehe

[@brightpurpleviking]

Erica's Little Welsh Garden LOL TRUE-!!

[@luckychicav7981]

I'm not much of a alcohol drinker. I've always run hotter than most of my siblings or even people I know. When I was young I found alcoholic beverages would only make it worse, so I haven't drank any since I noticed that which was the first time I tried it. My mom share just some of her wine cooler, only took a sip, for me to feel like I was boiling up. I was in my 20s then and in my 50s now. Coffee is my drink of choice, more than I ought to, I'm sure. I also drink herbal tea daily for the health benefits (stinging nettles, dandelion, green tea, and couple others), but I think for sure my steel water bottle is never far from me, I drink a lot of water. Mr J is a very lucky man. ;)

[@LizZorab]

I don't drink alcohol any more either, I taste the wines to see if they are ready and whether they are nice or not and then that's it for me. Mr J gets to enjoy them and we give some bottles as gifts at Christmas :-)

[@50shadesofgreen]

that was so easy i definitely go to try some wine making !! chers liz

[@MrBobthephilosopher]

Great job Liz, thanks! I've been making all sorts of drinks over the years such as cider, beer, eau de vie and some wines. This is the first time that I've seen the idea of letting the fruit sit to extract the flavour so I'm going to try. Beats all that messy squishing! I look forward to watching more of your vids- freshingly more straightforward than many on KZbin !

[@LizZorab]

Hi Steven, I found this method in my grandmother's recipe book and have spotted it in other books since then. As I don't have a filter, the less bits go into the demi-john the better! Please let me know how you get on :-)

[@nicolaj3294]

Sorry for late commenting today as only been able to watch now. Very interesting video thanks Liz, i was a bit shocked by the amount of sugar, probably as i like dry wine, but heck I'd still drink it lol.

[@littleurbanhomestead818]

Just started my plum wine from this years plum (not made a plum wine before). I boil 2 litres of water then dissolve the sugar in that then top up with another 2 litres cold water so itts tepid then put straight in the demijohn (that way not much stirring).

[@LizZorab]

A few people have mentioned this, but it also creates more washing up and I'd rather stir than wash up (because I'm lazy like that!) :-)

[@littleurbanhomestead818]

I have found that there is always washing up or cleaning or tidying with everything you do just go for what seems easier I do several things so I wash after all done.

[@LizZorab]

You also make awesome quilts! :-)

[@littleurbanhomestead818]

I find piecing easy but PM me and I can stretch my brain to make an awesome unique quilt for you (this is my theory).

[@micheals1992]

I'm trying to make some frozen fruit wine over the next few days, I've just put my mixed fruit (strawberry, blackberry and red and black currents) in a straining bag squeezed all the juice out, immersed the full bag in the water/juice and added half a campden tablet inside the fruit straining bag and the other half outside the bag. Tomorrow when the campden tablet is no longer active I'm going to add pectolase (pectic enzyme) into the mixture to break down the pectin in the fruit. After 24h I'm going squeeze the fruit again and then add sugar to bring the hydrometer upto about 1.08-1.1, then add the yeast starter and let it ferment for a week with the bag in, then remove the bag while squeezing as much juice out and then mix and add sugar water that is at the same 1.08-1.1 on the hydrometer so I don't need to worry about working out the correct amount of sugar for the alcohol content of the wine (I may also measure the hydrometer reading before and after squeezing the fruit just incase it the juice in the fruit increases or decreases the sugar in the overall mix.

[@sarahmcilroy8218]

Just made mine how you did it ;) Thank you as it was so lovely and clear and easy to follow. Others videos seem have loads which put me off. Can I ask how know percentage of alcohol? Would like aim 8-13%. Many thanks

[@LizZorab]

Hi Sarah, I don't have any real idea of the percentage, but I have heard that the yeast will die off when it gets to 13% ish. Mr J has a no-alcohol driving policy, so we don't really need to worry about strength and aim much more for having a really lovely taste to the wine.

[@saulchanel2758]

Thank you, i will try make a plum wine, how long time for fermentation? And next time, please can you make "rosella flower" fermentation. Thank you very much.

[@Hennymccluck]

Thank you :D I’ll finally give it ago tomorrow x

[@suzanneburford9681]

What a lovely colour, I used to like beetroot wine. sue xx

[@LizZorab]

I was wondering whether to make some beetroot wine from the white beetroots as they seem slightly sweeter than the red ones, it could be interesting!

[@bencharlesworth8102]

Do you leave it in the demijohn after it has finished or do you bottle it? Everyone else made it sound so complicated with lots of equipment but this is such a great video by the way

[@bencharlesworth8102]

Just seen there's a part 2 so ignore me 🤦‍♂️

[@ChristinePPM]

Amazing to see how much sugar goes in, I was really surprised. Great vlog as always Liz :-)

[@LizZorab]

It's incredible isn't it, no wonder alcoholic drinks are so high in calories!

[@antoinettemaryeganegan761]

How can I fill my air space in my demijhons rosehip wine ??

[@LizZorab]

With water that has been boiled and then allowed to cool down.

[@hannahkentish3026]

Hi Liz! We have fresh plums from our tree - can we put boiling water on them to get the flavour out or would you recommend freezing first as per your recipe? Many thanks :)

[@simontuffs4106]

What would happen if you soaked more plums and so the plum juice would be more concentrated.

[@LizZorab]

It would taste more strongly of plum, other than that I don't know it would necessarily have any other impact. It's an experiment I might try at some point 😃

[@zephaniahwmarion7311]

For the airlock using vodka.. Brilliant ❤️🔥

[@tsanjayruchi2792]

Expiry date for your wine? Please let me know

[@TomTom-df9ph]

Oh brilliant, I’ve been looking for a simple method without lots of additives, I have plenty of redcurrants so I’ll give it a try. I wonder if I can do it without destalking them. Anyway Thankyou for your video.

[@lucianafernandes1940]

No need to destalk the currents, when we make wine and we wash the raisin out thoroughly, the stalks will get strained out with the fruit residue, so there's no need to trouble yourself destalking the fruit.

[@Bob-ts2tu]

As a newbie & learning, I enjoyed your video and simple explanation. One thing though, would'nt it just be easier to dissolve the sugar in a bit of water first before adding to the demi john rather than the awkward stirring with a spoon handle? i know this is YOUR method, but on other vids ive seen it's what everyone else seems to do. Thanks.

[@LizZorab]

Hi Bob, yes it is easier and it is now what I do. I hadn't thought of it (or watched other videos) when I made this video - so there it is online forever - me awkwardly stirring in the sugar!!

[@JensGardenAdventures]

Hi Liz, great vid, can you use this as a base recipe and just use whatever fruit/veg you want? Jen x

[@LizZorab]

Yes! All you need to do is extract the flavour of the fruit or veg and make your wine with that. This is a really basic recipe and you can get more complex and fancy by using other additives, but as we avoid additives as much as possible I still just use this basic recipe.

[@JensGardenAdventures]

@@LizZorab I haven't had much luck with kit wines (the last one bubbled over and dyed some towels in my airing cupboard lol) and I agree, I don't want lots of additives either. Thanks for your help :)

[@GeorgiasVintageWorld]

It may be a silly question but when you say sterilise the equipment, did you also sterilise that little teaspoon or just the funnel and jar? I think I'm complicating it in my head! I just bought my first demijohn yesterday and want to make some wine. Thanks Liz. I've been watching lots of videos and remembered you did some and came straight to your channel. Fab vid.

[@LizZorab]

In theory you should sterilise everything, but I often fail to remember. 😃

[@GeorgiasVintageWorld]

@@LizZorab can't be perfect, haha!

[@bfeld26]

Thanks Liz, can you please send me a video or written instruction? many thanks, Boris

[@ladycat661]

That's nice Liz I have never tried making wine but it looks fun Here I know some who make muscadine wine,and Scuppernong wine it is very good . Do you every cook with your wines? Thank you for sharing

[@cocori500]

Hi! I have a quick question. Do you open up the fermenting jar to mix up the wine or do you leave it closed until the 4 weeks are over?

[@LizZorab]

Hi, I don't open and stir it, I leave it alone to allow the yeast to do its thing.

[@jmch2186]

Hi Liz, did you peel and stone your plums or leave the skins on? Thanks, J

[@LizZorab]

Hi, Skins on and stones in, so that the colour from the skins goes into the wine :-)

[@jmch2186]

much obliged to you. Going to try your recipe. Many thanks, J

[@greenrage2484]

Thanks Liz.. interesting.. It seemed like a lot of sugar.. Is this a sweet wine or dry? I assume sweet. I make mine by the 5 gallons.. And peach is my favorite. Thanks for sharing - fun to watch.

[@stephiefultz]

Thanks!! Looks like I’m making wine 🍷

[@LizZorab]

Yay!

[@jdvanguy296]

Hey, thanks for the awsome video. Im new to wine making, and thusly have a question: i keep reading online in plum wine recipes to use something called a camden tablet? What is it and why didnt you use one?

[@LizZorab]

Hi, lots of people use camden tablets to stop the fermentation process (helps to prevent exploding bottles in storage if the wine hasn't completely finished fermenting when you bottle it), at a stronger concentration, camden tablets can also be used to sterilise equipment, although I don't think that's a very economical use of them. I don't use camden tablets because part of our lifestyle here is to use as few additives as possible in everything we consume.

[@jdvanguy296]

@@LizZorab wow, thanks for getting baxk to me. I also try to use as little additives as possible. Im an offgrid farmer in canada . Anyway, i have plums yeast sugar and carboids and bungs, do i need any of these acids and stuff people keep talking about.

[@andrewsansom4309]

I've made some damson wine but it's only coming out at 8% alcohol will it be okay? Also do you have any jam recipes for the left over fruit, please?

[@LizZorab]

8% sounds great to me!

[@stevehurst8187]

If you put it in a cool dark place it will do better im just trying to help

[@1982dsc]

So what are the used plums used for after they've been soaked?

[@LizZorab]

You could use them to make jam or a sauce, I add them to the compost heap as there is only so much jam etc that one family of two people need!

[@1982dsc]

@@LizZorab just tried it out using the discarded plums have to say the jam tastes much better than the plums I used just for making jam! From now on I think almost all my plums will go to wine making first! Thanks for the tip.

[@suzannedavis6099]

Hubby and I made apple wine last year...this method looks pretty easy...do you think I could boil down some pears to make pear juice and use that...when the wine is finished will you be bottling it or just storing in the frig.

[@LizZorab]

Hi Suzanne, I've just made a mixed fruit wine that had pears in it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works. I would hope to bottle it, but depending on how many bottles we have at the time, it may have to sit in a recycled plastic gallon container in the fridge.

[@rough-hewnhomestead4751]

Love this video! What size demijohn are you using here? My son is a home-brewer (beer/ale) so I've been using some of his equipment for champagne making, but he only has 5 gallon demijohns and brew buckets, which is a bit much for my 1 gallon brews.

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

It's a one gallon one

[@toocoolotool218]

To get your plum juice did you pour the boiling water over the plums and let them stand for two days in room temperature? Does it matter how you get the juice? Could I boil my plums with water first? Then use that juice?

[@LizZorab]

Yes you can boil them, but you'll need to strain the liquid through a muslin cloth to reduce the amount 'bits' in the semi-John.

[@Annie.xx-xx]

How interesting I'd love to give this a go. Thank you for making this video liz. I have plums that suspiciously taste like apricots. They ripen in September to October time. Could I use them to make wine. Sorry I've not been well and just watching this video nowxx💟

[@LizZorab]

I'm sorry you've not been well, but you really don't need to apologise to me :-) I think plums that taste like apricots would make fabulous wine!

[@colincharlton4537]

we need taste avsion when its ready.My Mom always made parsnip wine it was good

[@carolmckerracher9186]

How do you clarify the wine ?

[@servantapashia7724]

is this like "Kinsen Plum" Wine Sake? :)

[@LizZorab]

Hello! I had to look up what Kinsen Plum wine is, so I can't be sure, but I don't think it's the same thing. This is like a regular wine but made with plums rather than grapes. Sorry I can't be more helpful :-)

[@dudewhoa14]

When you poured the boiling water over the plums and covered them, did you put them in the fridge or them out?

[@LizZorab]

I left them out in the kitchen.

[@johnrambo5246]

@@LizZorab Is there a reason why you leave them out oppose to placing them into the fridge?

[@Paula-po9kx]

How much plum juice did you add to the 3 1/2 pounds of sugar?

[@LizZorab]

Hi, I just added the liquid from the bowl of plums as shown, it's a pretty strong flavour at that point and works well for us to produce a flavoursome but not overpowering wine.

[@mrsmcadie8592]

Thanks for sharing, I’ve got the equipment to make wine but have always been put off but you have made it look so easy that I think I’ll give it a go, do you recommend a wine to make for a first timer? xXx

[@LizZorab]

Whatever fruit you have plenty of! Blackberries are abundant at this time of year (depending on where you are of course).

[@rafer2002]

I usually/I use 50/50 in my rye whiskey. I mean, use my wine for favouring. Strawberry seems to be every ones favourite. Banana is mine. But doesn't look to appealing as wine.

[@finchcomic]

Do you keep the plums soaking on the counter in room temp, or in the refrigerator?

[@LizZorab]

On the counter so that they gently start fermenting.

[@finchcomic]

Great! Thank you for your quick reply.

[@RickMitchellProvenanceAndRoots]

WooHoo! You're speaking my language here! :) Plum is one I've not tried yet (but is THE most requested). Have you ever kept the fruit in during fermentation? I wonder if that would make a different flavor in the end? Home wine making is a wonderful craft. I encourage anyone who likes wine to try it at least once. It's SO satisfying to pour and enjoy a glass of something you've made yourself. Even better than the high priced, fancy wines. But, of course, as a Winery owner, I also encourage supporting your local establishments. LOL

[@LizZorab]

I made a yellow plum with red grape two years ago and Mr J loved it! And it just got better and better the longer we kept it (which wasn't very long at all!)

[@RickMitchellProvenanceAndRoots]

It does sound very nice.

[@PartTimePermies]

Since you are adding sugar and water, why not make a simple syrup, let it cool and add that instead? That way the sugar is all dissolved in the solution. What kind of plums do you use?

[@danislittlebarnfarm4464]

Hey liz What video editor software do you use and have you changed it since you started ?

[@LizZorab]

Hi, I started with Windows Movie Maker which is a great programme (and free). I now use Adobe Premiere Elements which does far more than I'll ever need it to do, all the best bits of Adobe Premier without the monthly subscription!

[@danislittlebarnfarm4464]

Liz Zorab - Byther Farm thank you 😊 I am debating whether to use either my phone or my iPad to record videos at the beginning, as I already have them, then I can upgrade later to a camera or a go pro if all is going well 🤞

[@LizZorab]

I used my old iphone 6S for the first year of daily vlogging and I still use it when I want to film from two angles at the same time.

[@EastRiverHomestead]

I may have missed it, but how do you know when it is ready to drink?

[@LizZorab]

Hi! As the wine making process continues, I will make another video or two showing the next stages and we'll also make a video about trying the different wines at different stages. So, you haven't missed it, it'll be online in the next couple of months.

[@Sundayletsplay]

Smashing pumpkins

[@brynduffy]

Oxidating. Combustion and carbohydrate metabolism is generally an oxidative process.

[@kingjames4886]

I gave up caring about bits in my brews, it all settles out with the yeast anyways so doesn't matter when you rack it. also you don't really need to pre-sterilize things you boil and you can just cap the jug and shake it, it has threads for a cap you see?

[@andrewwalters286]

Hi Liz can you make a pineapple one please?

[@luvishasithuminifernando1389]

Is it alcoholic.. How to make it a strong wine Please tell me

[@LizZorab]

The strength of the wine depends on the volume of sugar in the mixture and how well the yeast turns the sugar in alcohol.

[@luvishasithuminifernando1389]

@@LizZorab Thank you very much.. Please tell me whether When we increase or decrease sugar it will be strong?..

[@gailreese4699]

Could you have desolved the sugar on the stove and let cool first?

[@HappyHomestead]

I personally always dissolve sugar, making a syrup solution before putting it into the demijohn. Doing so prevents that thick layer of sugar forming at the bottom of the demijohn - the longer sugar stands like this, or rather sits like this, the less effectively the yeast can process it. Off flavours and aromas can form by yeast struggling to get enough sugar. But, wine making is a personal art form, some people are happy to do it this way, others prefer to dissolve the sugar. Try both ways and see which you prefer 🍸🍾👌

[@LizZorab]

Yes I could have Gail, but that would create more dishes and pans to wash up and as you probably already know, I am not a fan of doing the dishes!

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

@@LizZorab you make a good point there.

[@kingjames4886]

hang on, I gotta go to the demijohn.

[@jodysappington7008]

thank you for sharing..enjoyed the video but don't like any wine...

[@LizZorab]

You and me both Jody, I don't drink any alcohol any more, but Mr J enjoys a glass of wine a couple of times a week :-)

[@terryclark7505]

I've watched this several times. I started 2 gallons of plum wine. I realize there's something I missed. You say something about an ingredient you put in the plums that were soaking. I can't quite catch what your saying. What was the ingredient. I hope I haven't messed up. Thanks.

[@LizZorab]

Hi Terry, I added a small handful of sultanas, but since then I have made several batches without sultanas and it's just as nice. I hope that helps and don't worry if you didn't add sultanas. Please come back and let me know how it turns out.

[@sweetjoroyster794]

Hello Liz!!! Can you send me a bottle to taste......I would love to try some of your delicious plum wine.....ooooo it look so good!,,

[@joshuahaines1332]

this is how i do it, in other words i dont give a fu..

[@LizZorab]

Thank you for watching 😃