The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-07-21
Wngjga ggEeaa.

A correspondent of the VtTey Farmer
says:-Tt has long been a. mootad question
whether the people in this country can make
their own wine. I am satisfied that almost
every farmer, as well as great many persons
who are not farmers, gan make plentiful
supply of good wine for their own use this
Coming summer, at n trifl1r expense, ifthey
will make an effort to do SO, from the common
blackberry.
Some persons who have tested the sweet
ened composition which has been offered
them by Old ladies', under the name Of black
berry, will perhaps smile at this suggestion,
but if they will take the trouble to make an
experiment or two in the manner am about
to relate, they will find that wine can be
made from blackberries; and that while we
have been searching all over the world for
grapes that can be naturalized, with the
view to supply ourselves with that very de-
sirabls beverage. fruit which grows plen-
tifn!ly at our own doors, and which is adni-
rably adapted for that purpose, has been
entirely overlooked.
When the berries are ripe they should De
rubbed between the hands or with wooden
masher in some suitable vessel, until the
cells containing the Juice are thoroughly
broken. They should then be placed in
tub-oae that is deep and Of not very great
diameter is probably the most suitable-and
to eac'l gallon of berries add from o totwo
pounds of sugar. After mixing the berries
and the sugar, add for each gallon Of berries
one quart of boiling water. They should
then be kept in the tub about twenty four
hours. The heart impaired by the boiling
water will causea fomenting process to start
Immediately, without the assistance of yeast
Or any other ingredients The liquid should
be occasionally stirred, and the seeds and
skins, most of which will rise to the surface,
should be skinned off, At the end Of
twenty-four hours the juice should be run
into cask. Whatever remains of the seeds
and skins may be strained through cloth
When the cask is filed, it should be placed
in cellar or som, cool place with the bung-
hole open. Some o. the juice should be
kept IN convenient vessel, that it may be
aided every day TO the liquid nj the cask, to
keep constantly full, SO as to allow the
scum raised by fermentation to pass Off
When the fermentation has progressed sufi-
GENTLY, which viii be in week or ten DAYS,
the cask may be bunged up tight and treated
as other wine.
Common brown sugar Of fair quality will
answer very well. The quality of sugar
should be graduated according to the body
which it is desired to impart to the wine. |
have now some wine, made in this way last
summer, in five gallon demjohns, with lbs
ofsugar to the gallon, and which has never
been bottled, but used as it was REQ tired
from the de:nijohn, which is entirely free
from aci]ity. and is really an excellent wine
Of god body and flavor. Not drip of al
coholic spirits or anything whatever has been
added to it after the process above mention
ed.
had some other wine, made in the same
way. but with a less quantity ofsucar, which
strongly resembled claret: but was much
better than any OF the ordinary French claret
to be obtained in this country. l think it
very probable that, by varying the process
adding more or less boiling water, and per-
hitting the fermentation to progress for n
longer or shorter period-wine of various
qulitias may be obtained .....
From each gallon of berries treated in the
above way, about one gallon of wine is OBJ
tanned. The cost of gathering the berries
will not average more than ten cents, ard
the cost of the sugar viii be from eight to
sixteen cents. according to the quality used.
Here then is wine that will not cost more
than twenty-five cents to the gallon. and
in the country where the children will pick
most of the berries, the real outlay will
not be more than from eight to sixteen cents.
What, then, is to prevent the farmers from
having their own table WINE, and plenty of
it, That the juice ofthe blackberry contains
all the essentalrequisites for making good
wine, is absolutely certain That very
superior wine may be made from it, by prop.
er treatment is quite probable Try it.
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