If you substitute raisins for the figs, you can leave out the lemon and orange. Figs are low in acid, while raisins are not.
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
Instructions
- 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. Let cool.
- Pour 8 cups boiling water over the figs and add one Campden tablet. Let cool.
- Remove the figs, chop them roughly and pour another 8 cups boiling water over them while adding the other Campden tablet. Leave overnight.
- Strain the liquid from the figs and discard the pulp.
- Combine the two batches of liquid in the primary fermenter.
- Add pectic enzyme, sugar, prepared honey, nutrients.
- Add lemon and orange juice and rinds.
- Add water to make up to 1 gallon. Add yeast.
- In 3 to 5 days, when the frothing ceases, strain the wine and place it in the secondary fermenter and attach air lock.
For a dry wine:
- Rack in six weeks, then every three months for one year.
- Bottle.
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 fermenter.
- Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar.
- Rack every three months until one year old.
- Bottle the wine
If using fresh figs instead of dry:
- If you are using fresh figs, it will be necessary to use 3 or 4 times the stated amount of fruit.
- 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.
- 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.