In Kerala, Homemade Grape Wine is a must in every Christian family during Christmas season.  It is usually served with Christmas Fruit Cake.  Here I am posting the recipe for a very simple and delicious Grape Wine made with store bought Grape juice.  The wine will taste better and better as it matures.  So dear friends, start making your wine at the earliest so that delicious Grape Wine will be ready for Christmas…!

Ingredients

Grape juice – 1 litre  with no sugar added

Sugar – 500 gm

Water – 500 ml boiled and cooled

Dry yeast – 1 1/2 tsp

Method

Mix yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water with a tea spoon of sugar.  Close it with a lid and keep aside for 15 minutes.  Take a  jug and pour the grape juice into it.  Add sugar and water.  Mix well till the sugar is dissolved.  Add the yeast mixture and mix well.  Pour the grape juice mixture into a ‘Bharani’ or Ceramic jar.  Close the lid and cover it with a cloth and put a rubber band around it.  Place the jar in a cupboard or any dark place.  For the first 3 days, stir it once a day.  Keep the wine for another 7 days undisturbed.  On the 10th day, pour the grape wine into a jug without disturbing the sediments in the bottom.  Discard the sediments and clean the jar.  Pour the grape wine back into the jar and keep for another 7 days more.  Without disturbing the sediments, pour the wine into bottles and store in a cool dark place.  Serve homemade grape wine with Christmas fruit cake and enjoy with friends and family!

I had gone for a pilgrimage to Velankanni for a few days. Missed you all so much…  Now that I am back, thought of posting a wine recipe which I am sure you all will love till the last drop!   This wine is very easy to make.  It is made with Pineapple skin!  The advantage is that it is done in 10 to 15 days and is ready for consumption!  So next time you buy Pineapple, don’t throw away the skin

What you need

Skin of one pineapple

Sugar -1 3/4 cup

Cold water -1 1/2 cup

Egg white -1 beaten

Dry ginger -1/2″ piece

Cloves -3

Cinnamon -1″ piece

Dry yeast – 1/2 tsp

Warm water – 1/2 cup

Method

Mix yeast with half a cup of warm water and keep aside. Take a Bharani or Ceramic jar and put all the ingredients into it. Add the yeast and mix well. Close the lid, cover it with a cloth and tie tightly with a string. Keep the jar in a dark place for 10 days. On the 11th day, strain the mixture through a muslin cloth. Do not squeeze. Pour the wine into a coloured bottle and close it tightly with cork. Place the bottle in a dark place till it is opened. The wine can be consumed after 4 days or from the 15th day onwards! Old beer bottles can be used for storing the wine. This recipe will yield about 650ml of wine. You can use the skin of 4 pineapples to make wine for Christmas and New Year