Since ancient times, lingonberries conquer people with its healing properties and a storehouse of useful substances. The berry contains antioxidants, mineral salts, acids (acetic, malic and citric), carotene, pectin and vitamins B1, E, B2, B. It contains a minimal amount of protein, which causes lingonberry fermentation to slow down.
Where does lingonberry grow and its beneficial properties
By themselves, berry bushes are frost-resistant and unpretentious plants. Due to the content of benzoic acid in them, lingonberries are stored for a very long time and the berries do not require special attention. The ancestor of the bush is the island of Crete, from which the first records of lingonberry came from. Today this plant is found in the Far East, the Urals, the Caucasus and Siberia. Lingonberry grows, where there is acidic soil and a cold climate.
The first mention of the berry comes down to the records of ancient Roman writers. Legends were made up of its beneficial properties, extolled as a cure for many diseases. In Russia, it was believed that lingonberry is able to treat diseases of the genitourinary system. During scurvy, the population was treated with infusions of berries or decoctions of the leaves of this shrub. They also have many useful properties. Decoctions from the fruits of the bush can strengthen the immune system and improve vision.
How to make lingonberry wine
Increasingly, you can find wine drinks made at home. The quality of labeled wines decreases, and their value rises. Therefore, alcoholic beverages prepared at home become popular.
It will be difficult for a beginner to make wine from lingonberries at home. It is necessary to fully adhere to the formulation of manufacture, carefully monitor the fermentation process and use only high-quality ingredients.
Recipe with Honey and Cherry Berries
Honey will add a tart aftertaste to the drink, and cherry berries will help sweeten the lingonberry wine.
The strength of homemade wine is 12-14%, the volume is 6 liters.
Wine Components with Cherry
- lingonberry berries - 5 kg;
- cherry berries - 1 kg;
- honey bee - 500 gr;
- water - 4 l;
- sugar - 1.5 kg;
- wine yeast - according to the instructions;
- fermentation tank (8-9 liter bottle).
To prepare a quality wine product with a rich taste, it is recommended to use only red or pinkish fresh berries in the preparation of the drink. White lingonberry fruits will produce little juice.
Cooking process
- First of all, it is necessary to prepare cherry berries (900 gr.) And lingonberries for use. You should sort through each, and choose only fresh and ripe, with no signs of spoilage.
- Then wash the cherries and lingonberries under running water and separate the bones from the cherry.
- Pour 100 g of cherries and honey with hot water for 20 minutes.
- Mash the berries well, cover them with a kilogram of sugar and mix.
- Sterilize the tank for further fermentation, prepare a water trap or medical glove.
- Place the berries in the prepared container, add wine yeast or unwashed raisins and pour them with two liters of warm water.
- Stir the wort and keep for six days indoors at room temperature.
- Next, you need to separate the juice from the cake, filter it through triple gauze and pour it back into the fermentation bottle.
- Mix the remaining sugar with a mixture of honey and pour into wine, mix thoroughly and remove to a place for fermentation (for 15-17 days).
- When the fermentation process of a wine drink is over, it can be bottled.
- After standing still for about a month in a cool place.
Classic recipe
The recipe for this wine drink is considered dessert. It has a light ruby color, a pleasant taste and a delicate aroma of berries.
The strength of the drink is 13-16 °, volume 6 l, shelf life 2 years.
The ingredients
The following will be required:
- sugar - 2.5 kg;
- lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l .;
- water - 6 liters;
- lingonberry berries - 6 kg;
- wine yeast.
If wine yeast was not found in the house, the berry can simply not be washed. On unwashed lingonberries are special natural yeasts that help neutralize the effect of benzoic acid. Also, for the process of wine fermentation, raisin yeast or 6-10 pcs is suitable. unwashed raisins.
Making a classic drink
- Prepare berries for wine, rinse under running water.
- Crush the berry with a stupa or grind in a blender.
- Put the mass in a fermentation tank, add yeast or yeast, warm water and 900 g of sugar to it.
- Thoroughly mix the components together, bandage the neck of the container with gauze folded in three layers and leave it in a warm place for a week.
- After seven days, the wine must be filtered through cheesecloth and transferred back to the fermentation bottle.
- Add 800 g of sugar to wine alcohol, stir.
- Fix a water seal or a glove on the neck of the bottle and put it in a dark place for 6 days.
- On the seventh day, strain the wine drink through cheesecloth, add the remaining sugar and mix it well.
- Leave to roam for another four days.
- After filtering it from the sediment twice and pour into small bottles.
- Clean in the cellar or on the balcony (if winter or autumn) for three months.
Mint and Wormwood Recipe
The process of preparing cranberry wine with wormwood is quite complicated. But with careful implementation, even a beginner winemaker can cope with the manufacture of such a homemade drink. Wormwood gives alcohol a certain zest and adds astringency to the wine.
Fortress 16-19 °, Volume 5 l.
Herb Wine Components
Prepare the following ingredients:
- lingonberry berries - 5 kg;
- wine - 5 l or vodka - 1 l;
- sugar - 2 kg;
- fresh mint - 30 gr.;
- fresh wormwood branches - 500 gr.;
- wine yeast - according to the instructions.
Cooking
- First of all, it is necessary to sort out the lingonberry berries and wash them.
- Next crush the berry.
- Spread in a suitable container with layers of lingonberry, mint, sugar (1.5 kg) and medium branches of wormwood.
- Pour the mass with water (5 l) if vodka or wine is added to the drink in the future.
- Wrap the neck of the container with gauze folded three times and put into the cellar or balcony for two months.
- After pouring the resulting alcohol into a fermentation tank, filtering twice through cheesecloth.
- Remove wormwood branches from the remaining mass.
- Squeeze cranberries, and mix the resulting juice with the remaining sugar.
- Pour this mixture into a container with wine and mix thoroughly.
- Install a water seal or a thin rubber glove on top of the container.
- Leave to insist home alcohol in the same place for another month.
- After the required period has elapsed, filter the wine from lingonberries and bottle it.
- Store in a cool place or cellar to prevent fermentation in the future.
Homemade wine is ready!
Contraindications
Like all alcoholic beverages, homemade cranberry wines should be consumed in moderation. This berry, of course, is useful, but in excessive volumes can cause intoxication. It is also not recommended for people with kidney failure and heart problems, children, pregnant women.
It is not recommended to take drinks from lingonberries for people with low blood pressure. The components of the berry can affect its even lowering. With diseases of the stomach and high acidity, its use is also prohibited due to the content of various acids in it. With caution, this berry should also be used by people with kidney diseases, they should consult a specialist before taking.
Homemade lingonberry wines are not very popular due to the fact that it is considered very moody for winemaking. Nevertheless, alcoholic drinks from this berry have useful properties and have a unique taste and aroma. All the difficulties of preparing a recipe for lingonberry wine and long waiting times are more than compensated, you just have to try the taste of the finished drink.