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Fig Wine

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds dried figs
  • 2 campden tablets
  • 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
  • 2 cups honey
  • 5 cups brown sugar
  • 1 lemon, juice and rind
  • 1 orange, juice and rind
  • 1 teaspoon nutrients
  • 1 package yeast
  • water

If you substitute raisins for the figs, you can leave out the lemon and orange. Figs are low in acid, while raisins are not.

METHOD:

  1. Dissolve honey in an equal amount of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that appears. Continue to do this until foam stops appearing. Cool.
  2. Pour 8 cups boiling water over the figs and one campden tablet. Cool. Remove the figs, chop them roughly and pour another 8 cups boiling water over them with the other campden tablet. Leave overnight.
  3. Strain the liquid from the figs and discard the pulp. Combine the two batches of liquid in the primary fermentor. Add pectic enzyme, sugar, prepared honey, nutrients and lemon and orange juice and rind. Add water to make up to 1 gallon. Add yeast.
  4. In 3 to 5 days, when the frothing ceases, strain the wine and place it in the secondary fermentor and attach air lock.
  5. For a dry wine, rack in six weeks, then every three months for one year. Bottle.
  6. For a sweet wine, rack at six weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every three months until one year old.
  7. Bottle the wine when it is 6 to 12 months old. I like to continue racking for a whole year to ensure the wine is as clear as possible. Wine is ready to drink one year after the date the batch was started.
  8. Bottle the wine when you are sure it is stable.
  9. NOTE: If you are using fresh figs, it will be necessary to use 3 or 4 times the stated amount of fruit.
  10. Boil the honey in some water in a large pot — it will boil up quite high. Allow it to simmer while skimming the foam off the top. Continue until it no longer forms any foam.
  11. If adding honey rather than sugar for a sweet wine, boil 1/2 cup honey with 1 cup water rather than in some of the wine. Skim as above. Allow to cool completely before mixing it back into the wine.