To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Wild Plum Jam - sooooo astringent
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:05:44 -0500
Diane,
Use the jam you've already made to make wine. It'll be cloudy but good.
The fruit will settle out but there will be a pectin haze unless you use
enzymes to remove it. We never bother with appearance of our wine though.
If even the wine is too astringent, use it in blending with more boring
wines such as apple and peach. Use the remaining plums, skins and all, at a
rate of no more than 1 qt per gallon plus 4 and 1/2 c sugar. You'll
probably do better to use the plums at a lower rate than that, mixed with
apples or peaches. You can run the fruit content way up if using apples or
pears. I used to fill a gallon jar half full of apples run in the food
processor, add water and yeast, let it work and strain in 4 or 5 days. You
have to keep stirring the stuff while the fruit's in it to keep mold from
growing. Plum is my absolute favorite wine. No worry about losing that
special aroma, it'll be there, along with all kind of nuances. Donna