Monday, July 8, 2013

Mystery Ingredient Monday: Nothing So Fine as Peach Wine

So excited to join Mystery Ingredient Monday for my first and perhaps only time! So sad for my children I am in no way a cook, or apparently someone who can even tell when something is inedible.  Naomi offered me a small bit of guidance the other day in a way to explain why she never eats dinner, "You know why I don't eat my dinner, Mom? Because your food is disgusting." Ah, bless her heart.

Anyway, onto the peaches! That come in a can!


That is in fact the exact can my fellas got, and decided to make... Peach Wine!



That's not my picture either, and it doesn't look anything like that yet, but that is what they are going for. Yum!

Obi has made beer a few times and so much enjoyed the process, and honestly, the kids really enjoy watching it all happen as well. This is viewed as chemistry around here, not delinquency. Peter especially was really interested in watching wine happen, so he and Obi researched and found that peach is a relatively easy and cheap first wine. 

 Don't worry, Web Log, I don't even know what they did, so I will not be recording a recipe or play by play, but I will force you to endure several pictures.




Here are the peaches (did you ever think anything so delicious could be made to look so disgusting?)  They emptied the can into their wine making container (what an ugly cask!) wrapping the actual peaches in netting. 



They added water and a TON of sugar. Like eleven pounds, I'm not kidding. Better be good. Then wine additives, like tannin, because peaches do not contain their own tannin like grape seeds would. I guess. Moving along.


After letting it sit and ferment for a bit, adding yeast and stirring whenever, I have no idea, they transferred the mush to a better, more sealable, but still extremely ugly container. I think this was after a week or so.


First they squeezed all the good stuff out of the peaches into the container, then discarded them because...yuck.


And this was the fun part. Obviously. They siphoned all the good stuff into the new container, leaving behind all the yucky yeast, etc.


You know you wish you were here for this part. Fun!  

Then the barrel was sealed, and banished to our foreboding, dungeon like basement to grow in wisdom and clarity.



The thingamajigger on top is an aerator I'm told, and it well, it bubbles and let's you know the wine is thinking deep thoughts.


The last step will be to bottle the contents of the above jug, and let it sit. Again. Lots o' sitting. The total process will take several months, and let me tell you, it better taste better than my dinners.

Cheers!

9 comments:

  1. Your pictures are great, your comments hit it exactly on the head. You really made us laugh with this one. Love the looks of all involved. You captured the process and the family fun.
    Absolutely loved it all!!
    Reminded us of our family winemaking experience, including when Dale's grandpa made his wine.

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  2. Ken brews beer, too! This post simply seals the fact the we are destined to be best friends forever and ever and our husbands can brew us whatever alcoholic whatever we want when we run out. We simply need to give them, what, 3 weeks notice? 4 weeks notice? I don't know. Maybe they'll need to make beer runs in between anyway.

    Can't wait to hear about the final outcome.

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    Replies
    1. Ditto. Just... Ditto. Name the place and I will meet you there. Warning: I will have small children with me and I will be thirrrrrrrrsty.

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  3. Very nice! Sign me up for buying a bottle when it's finished. The kids are so animated and too cute. Perfect timing for peaches. Hope you try for next week with Anne's choice. There are no rules. Seriously. None.

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  4. My version of peach wine: a glass of white wine with a shot of peach schnapps. Yum!

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  5. I cannot wait to show my husband this post - he will be all over it since he is very eager to make his own beer or wine. We also refer to this as chemistry, not delinquency (love that by the way)!
    Can't wait to hear how it all turns out!

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  6. Well, we just try to keep up with the dishes around here. I guess I'm stuck with Boone's Farm.

    And I've had your enchiladas and your mango/green onion/some other stuff salsa and both are to die for!!

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  7. Your're a great cook!! I've been making water kefir, and it only takes two days. It makes a fruity bubbly soda if the second fermentation has added fruit juice. So far, I've tried apple and grape. Next is blueberry. It's been a lot of fun. My first try actually ended up with an an explosion of glass and grape kefir. Live and learn.

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  8. Obi and Joseph have the exact same "project face".

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