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Elderberry wine (sweet)

• Strip the berries from the stalks using the prongs of an ordinary table fork.
• Weigh them and crush them in a bowl.
• Bring the boiling water to a temperature of about 21°c.
• Add the wine yeast, yeast nutrient and citric acid.
• Leave for three days, stirring daily
• Strain the contents through a fine sieve onto the sugar.
• Pour the liquid into a dark glass bottle (in clear bottles, the wine may lose its colour)
• Do not fill until the first vigorous ferment has subsided, plugging the neck with cotton wool.
• When the ferment is quieter, fill to the bottom of the neck, and fit an airlock.
• Leave until fermentation is complete – it may take longer than most.
• When fermentation is complete, siphon the liquid into clean, dark bottles and store for at least six months.