The elderberry wine is bubbling away like an eager burgundy geyser in the airing cupboard (my towels whiff of yeast) and there’s hardly a shelf or cupboard that doesn’t contain a jar of booze soaked sloes, bullaces or damsons. But we’re not done with this autumn’s wild harvest just yet – it’s now time for our thriftiest foraged fermentation thus far.
Strained elderberries will still have a good amount of juice to surrender after their first pressing and can be topped up with other foodstuffs for another run in the fermenting bucket. The elderberries could successfully accompany plums, apples, blackberries or even runner beans (If my ‘Boots’ book of home wine and beermaking’ is to be believed) but I’ve opted for the surplus sloes, bullaces and damsons (lurking in the freezer). This should make a richly fruity autumn red wine. Maximum flavour, minimum fuss.
