Makes 1 Gallon   

Ingredients:

1 lb chopped organic fresh or frozen fruit, that has thawed naturally

3lbs raw honey 

15 raisins

2 quarts distilled (chlorine free) water + more to cover as needed

Equipment needed:

1 gallon glass bottling jug

1 airlock lid

Funnel

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend 1 quart distilled water and 1 ½ lbs of honey (24 ounces)

2. Using the funnel, pour the blended honey water into your gallon jug

3. Blend up the fruit in the blender. If needed, add a small amount of distilled water to help blend the fruit up.

4. Using the funnel, pour the fruit slurry into your gallon jug

5. Then blend the remaining 1 quart distilled water and 1 ½ lbs of honey (24 ounces)

6. Using the funnel, pour the blended honey water into your gallon jug

7. Add 15 raisins to the jug

8. Add enough distilled water to the jug to bring the total volume just below the narrowness of the neck

9. Add a small amount of water into the airlock, and then put the cap back onto the airlock system.

10. Place the airlock in the gallon jug. This will allow fermentation gases to escape, while keeping out fruit flies and insects.

11. Keep on the counter, or in a place where you will remember to swirl the jug contents a couple of times a day, for 2-4 weeks.

     It is important to mix everything up a couple of times a day regularly to help the fermentation process.

     After a couple of weeks, you can put it elsewhere, out of the way, as long as you remember to swirl the contents about once a week.

12. When you start to see the bubbling in the jug and in the airlock, you ‘ll know the fermentation process is active and working.

13. The total process can take 4-6 months, and over this time the sediment will settle to the bottom and the mead will gain clarity and be clearer.

14. The longer it sits, the stronger it will be. But you do not want to bottle it up until you are sure the fermentation process is complete, or you will risk a bottle blowing up in storage.

Play around with flavors. I have found the most success with berries and peaches, either on their own or mixed in with herbal flavors. Get creative and enjoy the process!

When you are ready to bottle, I have found that a siphon kit works best as extracting your clear mead and leaving the sediment at the bottom. Glass bottles with swing top caps are my favorite. 

Store away for those special occasions, use as gifts and enjoy your wonderfully all-natural honey wine.