Wine made from fresh melon is considered a tasty and juicy drink. Ripe melon does not contain wine yeast, so it can be used to make both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Melon wine has a rich amber color and a sweet, fortified taste. It is prepared with the addition of yeast, which activates the fermentation process.
Cooking features
Melon is a melon crop that is not a raw material for the production of wine drinks.
Therefore, when working with fruits, it is recommended to use the following tips:
- Ripe fruits are used for preparation. It is better if they are a little underripe than overripe. There should be no scratches or damage on the surface of the melon.
- The prepared fruits are thoroughly washed and laid out on a flat surface. To make wine, the melons need to be peeled. The process will only require pulp. To soften it, it is recommended to use a blender or meat grinder.
- The acidity of melon juice is considered low, so it is recommended to use additional ingredients to increase it. For example, apple cider vinegar.
- To start the fermentation process, you need to use brewer's yeast, otherwise the wine drink will not turn out. You can buy them in alcohol shops.
- Many inexperienced winemakers encounter mold on the preparation. To avoid problems, you need to remember to thoroughly disinfect. All vessels and containers for fermentation must be sterilized. The water added to wine must be boiled and filtered.
- To start the fermentation process, you need to provide the drink with the proper temperature. Optimum temperatures are considered to be between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Having familiarized yourself with the main cooking rules, you can begin the process.
How to make wine from melon at home
Today, auxiliary ingredients such as raspberries, lemon, and spices are used to prepare alcoholic products. These ingredients help make the drink flavorful and concentrated.
Simple recipe with yeast
Melon wine is prepared according to a simple recipe:
- Peel 10 kg of melons and cut the pulp into pieces.
- Pass the resulting mass through a meat grinder. The result should be a thick paste.
- It is placed in gauze and squeezed until the juice appears, then sprinkled with 5 kg of granulated sugar.
- Prepare a packet of yeast according to the instructions provided on the package. Most often they need to be combined with warm water and kept for some time in a warm room.
- Combine the pulp with the yeast mixture, add 50 g of clubbed and tartaric acid each, mix all ingredients.
- Install a water seal in the existing container. Leave the base for the alcoholic drink for several days.
- Get rid of sediment at the bottom and filter the wine using a special hose.
- Pour the mixture into a clean container and leave for 1 month.
- Filter the drink again and package it in glass containers.
Experienced winemakers advise storing the product upside down. If the temperature is selected correctly, the wine will retain its taste characteristics for 3 years.
Turkish melon wine
Turkish wine is prepared using the following method:
- Heat 3 liters of water over a fire, pour 2 kg of sugar and the juice of 3 lemons into it. Boil the syrup until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved.
- Cut 4 kg of fruit into cubes and place them in boiling syrup.
- After 15 minutes, remove the workpiece from the stove and cool it.
- Add yeast (1 packet) to the mixture.
- Install a water seal and keep the product for 1 week in a warm room.
- Strain the drink and pour into a separate container, place in a place with good ventilation.
After 3-4 months, the wine is bottled and transferred to the cellar.
With added raspberries
The drink is prepared as follows:
- Peel 6 kg of melon and cut the pulp into small pieces.
- Rinse 4 kg of yellow raspberries and combine with melon preparation.
- Grind the resulting mass in a meat grinder, leave the resulting paste to infuse for 1 day. The container is covered with gauze and a light towel.
- Pour 1 kg of sugar into a bowl, mix all ingredients, install a water seal and leave the wine base for 3 weeks. During this time, it should begin to wander.
- When the time comes, the wine is carefully filtered, combined with another 1 kg of sugar and again sent to a warm place for fermentation.
After 2 months, the sediment is decanted and the drink is packaged into containers. After this, they are taken out to a cool room.
With raisins
To prepare:
- Grind 200 g of raisins in a blender, combine with a glass of granulated sugar.
- Pour 500 ml of clean water over the resulting preparation. Place the workpiece in a warm place for 4 days.
- Peel 3 kg of melon and cut into cubes.
- Send the cuttings to a meat grinder to obtain pulp.
- Strain the resulting pulp using gauze. Only freshly squeezed juice is used for preparation.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of citric acid into the preparation, combine the melon base with the raisin starter.
- Install a water seal and place the vessel with wine in a warm place for 2 weeks.
- After the first signs of fermentation, the drink is filtered and combined with 1 kg of sugar. The resulting product is sent to ferment again.
- After a month, the wine is filtered and poured into a clean bottle, and the sediment is removed every week.
After 4 weeks, the wine is poured into vessels and taken to the cellar.
Fortified wine
The cooking process is as follows:
- Chop 6 kg of melon into pieces, grind in a meat grinder and strain until juice forms.
- Combine the dough with 100 grams of yeast and 3 kg of sugar. Pour the resulting mass into a large bottle and put a glove on top of it. Leave the product for 1 week.
- When the time comes, the mass is filtered and the sediment is removed.
- To add strength, pour 400 g of vodka and 3 tablespoons of citric acid into the wine.
- All components are thoroughly mixed and sent to a warm place for 10 days.
- The wine is filtered and poured into beautiful bottles.
Store products in a basement or cellar.
Recipe with lemon
To prepare a delicious alcoholic drink you need:
- Peel 5 kg of melon, grind its pulp in a meat grinder.
- Rinse 7 lemons and squeeze using a juicer.
- Combine the preparations, pour 3 kg of sugar and a packet of yeast (pre-steamed in water) into them. Send the drink to a warm room for 1 week.
- When the fermentation process begins, the wine is filtered and another 600 g of sugar is added to it. The mass is again sent to ferment for 1 month.
- When the time comes, remove the resulting sediment and bottle the wine.
After this, the workpiece is sent to a cool place.
How to store it correctly
In order for wine to retain its taste for a long time, it must be kept in a cellar or basement. The optimal temperature for storage is considered to be from 3 to 12 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, the finished product can be consumed for 2-3 years. If the temperature changes, the shelf life may be reduced to 1 year.
If you store homemade wine in the refrigerator, it is advisable to consume it within several months.
