How to make cherry wine at home: 14 easy recipes

The benefits and harms of an alcoholic drink

Cherries are great for novice winemakers. Homemade wine rarely requires yeast, and there is no need to extract the seeds - from the whole berries come out intoxicating wines with a delicious taste and delicious aroma.

Doctors still insist that wine (like any alcohol) should be consumed in small quantities. The benefits of one glass at lunchtime are quite tangible - the mood and appetite increase, and “harmful” cholesterol is eliminated. However, this measure can be harmful, especially for people:

• with high acidity and associated diseases (hyperacid gastritis, etc.);
• suffering from diabetes mellitus;
• with a stomach ulcer.

Selection and preparation of berries

Any sorts of cherries will do for homemade wine, but dark berries give it a beautiful color. It is best to choose simple, non-hybrid varieties.

Only ripe cherries need to be picked, since the drink will not have a special aroma and taste from overripe berries, and too sour wines are obtained from unripe ones. It is not recommended to pick berries for wine immediately after rain.

As mentioned earlier, you can make wine without yeast. The fermentation process is triggered by "natural yeast" that abundantly cover the surface of fresh berries. In order not to lose them during winemaking, cherries should not be washed.

It is better to harvest the fruits immediately before cooking; it is undesirable to keep them in the refrigerator for more than 3 days.

The collected cherries are sorted out, getting rid of debris, crushed and damaged berries. Fold the fruits in a container, basin or bucket, where it is convenient to crush them. Knead only with your hands, no blenders - it is important not to destroy the bones, otherwise bitterness will be felt in the wine.

Video "Homemade cherry wine"

This video shows you how to make cherry wine at home.

How to make cherry wine at home

Before cooking, select a recipe indicating the amount of required components. For fermentation, choose a glass or enamel container with a tight lid. Glass bottles or jars are also used for transfusion. The main thing is to be patient, since the drink can be infused from a couple of months to a year or more. The rule says: the longer the aging, the brighter the aroma and taste is manifested in the wine.

Classic recipe

This is a simple and affordable way. You will need:

• cherry - 3 kg;
• sugar - 1.5 kg;
• water - 4 l.

The cooking process is as follows:

1. If you want to save the existing juice and save the future drink from the astringency and taste of almonds, it is advisable to remove the seeds,
2. Heat the water to 25 ° C, add 0.5 kg of granulated sugar, stir until a syrup is made.
3. Pour the prepared cherry mass with syrup, pull gauze over the neck and place the container in a dark and warm place for 3-4 days.
4. The beginning of fermentation will appear in a day. Mix the wort several times a day.
5. After four days, the actively fermented juice is filtered through cheesecloth or a sieve.
6. Another 0.5 kg of sugar is added, the raw material is poured into an empty container for further fermentation. The vessel is filled to ⅔.
7. A water seal is built on the neck (a medical glove will come off), after which the vessel is again placed in a dark place and kept at room temperature. The subsequent fermentation takes one to two months.
8. After 5 days, another 250 g of sand is added to the wort. After 5 days, the operation is repeated.
9. At the end of the fermentation, the liquid is drained through a tube, getting rid of the residues. It is advisable to taste the drink in order to either sweeten it a little more, or add alcohol (vodka) at the rate of 2-15% of the total volume.
10. The drink is poured into a clean container, transferred to a colder place (6–16 ° C). The raw material is periodically poured into an empty vessel through a tube.
11. The wine should be bottled when the sediment stops precipitating. Close the neck tightly and put it in storage.

The strength of the wine according to the classic recipe is 10-13%. It can be stored for up to 6 years.

Dry house wine

Here is a recipe for making wine without water. The drink, popularly called "cherry", comes out sweet and aromatic.

You will need:

• a bucket of berries with seeds (10 l);
• 4 kg of sugar.

Cooking method:

1. The berries are poured into a prepared container, sprinkled with granulated sugar and placed in a sunny place. The neck is wrapped with gauze to protect it from insects. Fermentation takes 1–1.5 months.
2. The fermented raw materials are filtered through cheesecloth into an empty container, the berries themselves are ground on a sieve, the grated pulp is added to the wort.
3. The liquid is kept in a sunny area for another 5 days, after which it is again filtered through cheesecloth.
4. Next, the cherry drink is moved to a closed room and kept at room temperature for two weeks until the fermentation process finally stops.

Fortified cherry wine

If you add vodka to homemade wine, you can improve its taste and extend the shelf life. The alcohol makes the drink more aromatic.

For the preparation of a fortified drink take:

• 3 kg of fresh berries (although frozen ones are also suitable, and it is not necessary to thaw);
• 0.5 kg of granulated sugar;
• 8 liters of water;
• 100 ml of alcohol or vodka.

The process consists of several stages:

1. The fruits are placed in bottles and immediately covered with sugar, then the containers are placed in a warm place, waiting for the juice to stand out.
2. Stir in water, install a water dispenser (you can just pull on a rubber glove). Fermentation will last 2.5–3 weeks, the containers are kept indoors at room temperature.
3. Upon completion, the wort is decanted through a tube, the berries are thrown away.
4. Vodka is stirred, then the composition is poured into bottles and hermetically sealed. Put it in the refrigerator.
5. After 2 days, young wine can be tasted.

Without water

Another recipe to do without water. You only need cherries (10 kg) and sugar (5 kg). Wine is prepared according to the following scheme:

1. Selected berries (with seeds) are placed in a prepared container, sprinkled with sugar in layers.
2. Stopper with a lid and leave in a cool place. Fermentation will last 1.5–2 months.
3. Periodically, the wort is stirred to achieve complete dissolution of the sugar.
4. At the end, the contents are filtered, the pulp is squeezed through cheesecloth.
5. Young wine is poured into a bottle and left for another 2 months in a cool room.

Yeast free

We remind you that unwashed fruits are covered with natural yeast fungi, due to which the fermentation process is carried out.

Required Ingredients:

• cherry - 3 kg;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• water - 3 l.

Recipe:

1. The berries in the dishes are poured with water, sugar is added and placed in a warm place, covered with gauze from insects.
2. A week later, the composition is filtered and rubbed, getting rid of the seeds.
3. The wort is poured into a bottle, a medical glove is put on the neck.
4. At the end of fermentation, they are poured, getting rid of the sediment, into clean bottles.

In order to get rid of sediment, the wine will have to be drained several times. At times, the drink is tasted, adding sugar as needed.

With yeast

The recipe is useful if the cherries were harvested after a heavy rain or were thoroughly washed.

For wine you need:

• berries - 3 kg;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• water - 3 l;
• pressed yeast - 200 g

Step by step cooking process:

1. The fruits are crushed, getting rid of the seeds.
2. Pour water, adding and stirring sugar.
3. Yeast is added.
4. Close the container with a water seal or a rubber glove. Stand until the end of fermentation.
5. Young wine is passed through a filter, poured into a clean container, and corked.

With bones

Although wine made from cherries with seeds seems tart and a little bitter to many, true connoisseurs adore it.

You will need the following components:

• a bucket of cherries;
• 3 kg of granulated sugar.

Recipe:

1. The fruits are kneaded by hand, folded in a jar or other dish, water and sugar are added. Cover with gauze on top and move to a warm place.
2. Fermentation lasts about a week, the wort is sometimes interfered with so that the pulp settles and mold does not start.
3. On the 8th day, the composition is filtered, the pulp is squeezed out to the last drop.
4. The drink is poured into a bottle, put on a rubber glove and left for a month.
5. When the inflated glove sags, young wine is poured into bottles and placed in a cold place for ripening for another month.

After the expiration of the period, the wine can be consumed.

If mold appears at the stage of fermentation, the process will have to be stopped, and the cherry composition should be drained.

Cherry compote

This method is suitable if you decide to make wine, but the cherry picking season is over. In this case, you can put a couple of cans of cherry compote on the wine.

You will need:

• 6 liters of compote;
• 400 g sugar;
• a small handful of unwashed raisins.

The drink is made in several stages:

1. Freshly boiled compote is placed in a warm place for 2-3 days, until it begins to ferment (you don't need to do this with canned compote).
2. Fermented raw materials are mixed with raisins and granulated sugar, a water seal is built and the container is placed in a warm room until final fermentation.
3. The drink is filtered, poured into glass bottles.
4. The bottles are kept in the cellar for about 4–5 months, then the young wine can be tasted.

From cherry juice

The recipe involves the use of a special leaven. It is done in advance according to the following scheme:

1. Pour 200 g of unwashed raisins and a little sugar into a two-liter jar with 500 ml of warm water.
2. The neck is wrapped with gauze, transferred to a warm room.
3. Store for about a week, shaking from time to time, preventing the formation of mold fungi.

To make wine you will need:

• cherry juice - 3 l;
• sourdough - 500 g;
• sugar - 500 g;
• alcohol to taste.

The recipe is as follows:

1. Juice, sand and sourdough are mixed in glass containers. Placed in a warm place for 6-7 days.
2. By the end of the term, the liquid is drained, getting rid of the sediment, alcohol is added.
3. Poured into bottles and kept in a cool room for about six months.

Cherry pulp

To make wine according to this recipe you will need:

• pulp - 5 kg;
• 35% sugar syrup - 4 l;
• water - 3 l.

Cooking takes place according to the following scheme:

1. The pulp is placed in a 10-liter jar, poured with warm syrup (350 g of sugar are dissolved in 1 liter of water).
2. The neck is covered with gauze, transferred to a warm place.
3. On about 6 days (the pulp should float), the gauze is changed to a glove and left until the end of fermentation (it will last 30-50 days, depending on the temperature of the room).
4. The juice is poured into a clean container, the pulp is squeezed out.
5. The drink is filtered, poured into an empty container, a glove (water seal) is reinstalled, closed and held for 25-30 days.
6. Young wine is poured from the grounds, poured into clean dry bottles, tightly corked and stacked in a cold place for storage.

Cherry jam

A jar of cherry jam is also suitable for making homemade wine. You will need:

• jam - 1 l;
• water - 1.5 l;
• sugar - ½ cup;
• raisins - 100 g.

Recipe:

1. All components are mixed, except sugar, put the container for fermentation in a warm place.
2. After 10 days, the pulp is filtered, the liquid is poured into a large jar, filling the dishes by two-thirds. A glove is pulled over the neck.
3. After a month and a half, the glove should deflate. The composition is filtered and sugar is mixed.
4. After another 2 months, the wine is removed from the sediment and bottled. Capped and folded for aging.

Frozen cherries

Few people know that you can make wine from frozen cherries. True, you will need wine yeast, since there will be no natural yeast on the berries. We offer a recipe where dried raisins play the role of yeast.

To prepare a drink, you need to take:

• frozen cherries - 5 kg;
• water - 3 l;
• sugar - 1.5 kg;
• raisins - 100 g.

The cooking process is as follows:

1. The berries are allowed to thaw, then put in a container.
2. Knead, add water, sugar and raisins. Stir.
3. Cover with a lid, put in a warm place for 10 days. During active fermentation, the contents of the container are stirred periodically daily.
4. Upon completion, the raw material is filtered into a clean dish, a water seal is placed and left for "quiet" fermentation.

After a month and a half, the drink is filtered again, poured into bottles and placed in a cool dark place for aging.

With white currant

This recipe will come in handy for summer residents, in whose areas currant bushes grow.

Required Ingredients:

• 1 liter of sour cherry and white currant juice;
• 0.5 kg of sugar.

A cherry-currant alcoholic drink is prepared as follows:

1. The berries are pounded, then left warm for a day.
2. Juice is squeezed out and mixed. Add water, dissolve sugar in the mixture.
3. Pour the mixture into a jar, cover and set for fermentation. Stir from time to time.
4. At the end of the process, more water is added and again left to ferment.
5. After a few days, the drink will become discolored, becoming transparent. Then it is drained, getting rid of the sediment, filling clean bottles.

With raspberries

A mixture of cherries and raspberries also produces a homemade wine with exquisite taste and aroma.

For cooking you will need:

• 2.5 kg of cherries and raspberries;
• 4 liters of water;
• 1 kg of granulated sugar.

The number of berries can be varied to suit your taste. However, if they take more cherries, then sugar will need to be reported.

You need to do the following:

1. Do not wash the berries, remove the seeds from the cherries.
2. The whole batch is separately crushed with a blender, the juice is filtered.
3. Mix the juices in a jar, filling the container by ⅔, adding half the sugar there.
4. Cover with gauze, place in a warm place. Fermentation will last a week.
5. Strain the wort, remove the pulp. After pouring some into a bowl, add the rest of the sugar, dissolve, then mix again with the total mass.
6. A water dispenser is placed on the can or a medical glove is pulled on. Leave to ferment for 45 days.
7. The drink is poured into another container, getting rid of the sediment, tightly corked and sent back to aging in a cool place for 2-3 months. During the entire period, the young wine is drained twice a month to get rid of the sediment.

General rules for storing a drink

Let's list the basic rules for storing home wines:

1. Temperature range: 10–12 ° С. An excessively high temperature accelerates the aging process, a low temperature deprives the drink of its taste. For dessert wines, a range of 12 to 14 ° C is permissible.
2. Immobility. Any shaking and hesitation “disturb” the drink, impairing the taste. The ideal position is horizontal.
3. Humidity: 65-80%. The cork does not dry out, the surrounding air does not penetrate into the container. Excessive dampness makes the wine moldy.
4. The room must be well ventilated.

A refrigerator is not suitable for storing wine, but a cellar is just right.

Homemade cherry wine is tasty and healthy. Of course, in moderate portions. It is not difficult to cook it, much more difficult to wait patiently for the result. But the result will delight both you and your guests.