Out and about - harvesting raw materials - Help Please

[Polymath]

Hello All,

I'm considering over the next few months and during the summer to head out on the mountain bike in search of wild growths of anything out there that's a fruit that could be used to make wine. The following items come to mind that I would be looking for :

Strawberrys
BlackCurrants
Carrots
Blackberry (Most likely the favourite atm)
Apples?
Gooseberries
Elderberries
Parsnips (Can you make wine from these?)

Is there any other items out there in the UK that you might find and locate out and about that you can make into wine? I'm kinda seeing this as a possible cool sunday afternoon ride about type adventure with a purpose. I would also really need to know when these items are "ripe", what timescale etc and what months I should be searching.

Also does anyone else actively do this type of thing that can pop their 2 cents in.

Cheers

 

[unclepumble]

Rowanberrys make a nice wine, pick end sept begining oct.
And don't forget to make sloe gin, these are ready same time end sept to end oct depending on weather.
Bilberrys, might take a few days to pick enough to brew with though, think these are about in july up in the hills the moors near buxton derbyshire are full of em.

 

[31bb3]

Elderflowers ,Rosehips,Birchsap

 

[Moley]

Parsnips and Carrots: Now.
Nettles and Dandelions: April/May
Elderflowers: May/June
July onwards you're spoilt for choice
Blackberries ± Apples
Most varieties of currants
Plums, Greengages, Damsons, Sloes
Elderberries (unless you picked all the flowers)
Raspberries, Loganberries etc.
Personally I wouldn't bother with strawberries.

The best part of it is, you've still got to buy sugar, yeast, pectolase, campdens etc. but you can end up with some excellent wines in the region of 25p a bottle.

 

[Alibro]

I heard someone recommending Oak leaves once. I think they said to pick the leaves when young. Not sure of quantities or method but it was supposed to be good.

 

[CptnCrackoff]

Hang on... Lime blossom, golden Rod.... ah Oak leaf...

2ltrs oak leaves
1.1kg sugar
4.5ltr water
2 lemons/ citric acid
1tsp tannin
yeast and nutrient.


Boil the water, dissolve sugar in said water, pour sugary water over leaves in bucket, leave 24Hrs.

strain into Dj adding lemon juice/citric, yeast and nutrient, ferment out in the usual manner, racking as necessary.

Leave for at least 9-12 months before drinking.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Hello All,

I'm considering over the next few months and during the summer to head out on the mountain bike in search of wild growths of anything out there that's a fruit that could be used to make wine. The following items come to mind that I would be looking for :

Strawberrys
BlackCurrants
Carrots
Blackberry (Most likely the favourite atm)
Apples?
Gooseberries
Elderberries
Parsnips (Can you make wine from these?)

Is there any other items out there in the UK that you might find and locate out and about that you can make into wine? I'm kinda seeing this as a possible cool sunday afternoon ride about type adventure with a purpose. I would also really need to know when these items are "ripe", what timescale etc and what months I should be searching.

Also does anyone else actively do this type of thing that can pop their 2 cents in.

Cheers

Carrot wine??
Have you tried this Mr.Moley

 

[Moley]

Carrot wine??
Have you tried this Mr.Moley

Errm... yes.

Carrot wine :thumb:
Carrot whisky .... WOW! .... I'll try to find a link.
I've got a carrot whisky due for bottling this Spring for drinking next Christmas that will blow your mind. Send me your address around October and I might post you a taster.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Thanks', that would be great! :thumb:

John

 

[Polymath]

Thanks for the information guys, really helpful.

Found the following site that covers this :

http://www.fruitexpert.co.uk/WhenToHarvestFruit.html

Went out for a good hunt about. Got a river near to me, which has a ton of blackberry bushes all long it. Huge colonies of them, 20-30 meters long and only a 5 minute walk from my house. Guess im spending a few days of my summer down there collecting a ton. Great stuff, as for the other stuff, could be harder to find it.

 

[Sean_Mc]

Interesting thread,
I've left a message for a local outdoor centre asking if I can tap some birch trees for sap, not holding my breath. Have another plan if they say no
I picked a couple of pounds of bilberries early last autumn and added to a mixed fruits concoction and that was good, maybe drank a bit soon. Need to get an afro comb to go picking this year, I watch Ray Mears :grin:

Carrot whiskey sounds good :thumb:

Currently sipping my plum and apple, sadly all the goozgogs gone.
Can't wait for a drop of blackcurrant in the summer

 

[31bb3]

Interesting thread,
I've left a message for a local outdoor centre asking if I can tap some birch trees for sap, not holding my breath.
You need to get a wriggle on can only tap birch early march usually 1st or 2nd week otherwise the sap gets to thick and dont forget to plug the hole when finished otherwise the tree will bleed look for the buds appearing on the tree then tap

 

[Sean_Mc]

Eddie I reckon I'm good for a couple of weeks yet. I'm pretty close to the highest village in Wales so we're a few weeks behind you southern softies

 

[AdrianTrace]

I keep contemplating making gorse flower wine - the flowers give a lovely coconutty smell and kind of tasted like fresh pea when I ate a few of them last year... not looking forward to picking them though :shock:

 

[CptnCrackoff]

I was reading through a book of recipes, and notice Marigold wine, i'm not sure how long its going to take to pick 2ltrs of flowers, but that sounds llike it should taste nice, not prickly either! :lol: