METHOD:

Strip from stems, sort out blemished or moldy fruit, pieces of stems and leaves. Pick fully ripe.

1. Wash and drain currants. Using nylon straining bag (or with press) mash and strain out juice into primary fermentor. Keeping all pulp in bag, tie top and place in primary.

2. Stir in all other ingredients EXCEPT yeast. Cover primary.

3. After 24 hours, add yeast. Cover primary.

4. Stir daily, check S.G. and press pulp lightly to aid extraction.

5. When ferment drops to S.G. 1.030 (about 5 days), strain juice from bag. Siphon wine off sediment into glass jug secondary. Attach airlock.

6. When ferment is complete (S.G. has reached 1.000 -- about 3 weeks) siphon off sediment into clean secondary. Reattach lock.

7. To aid clearing, siphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling.

Red currant can be substituted for black currant and vice-versa in the two above recipes. Although Red Currant recipe produces sweeter wine, wines can be further sweetened to taste by adding 1/2 tsp. stabilizer, then 1/4 lb. dissolved sugar per gallon at bottling.

VARIETIES

Currants and Gooseberries (Ribes L.) are closely related. Normally currants have smooth canes and gooseberries have spiny canes. Many are decorative, 3' - 5' shrubs with attractive foliage. Currants to try: Red Lake, Perfection, Cherry, and Fay's Prolific. Gooseberries: Pixwell or Oregon Champion. The do host pine blister rust, so consult nursery.