Mead flavoured with fruit is known as Melomel. I’ve got 6 blackcurrant bushes in my garden; I planted them in 2004 as cuttings. Each year now, in July I make between 10 and 30 gallons of wine from the currants they give me. Instead of sugar I use some horrible honey I bought in haste – I’m drinking my mistake. If you’re out there Frank – you know who you are – cheers!

If you have a wine hydrometer, you won’t need me to tell you how to use it and you can be more precise about how much honey you want to add.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3lb blackcurrants
• 3.5lb honey
• 1 gallon water
• Red wine yeast and nutrient
• Pectic enzyme

 Method

• Mash the fruit in food grade plastic bucket. Do not use metal – I use a plastic bottle full of water as a pestle;
• Boil honey and water in a large pan, remove scum and pour still boiling over the fruit;
• Cover with a cloth;
• When cooled to blood heat add pectic enzyme as per instructions on container and leave for a day;
• Next day add the wine yeast and yeast nutrient, stir and cover;
• Keep covered in a warm place, stirring once per day, for 5 days;
• Strain into a demi-john, fit airlock and leave till it stops fermenting and wine clears;
• Syphon off sediment into a clean jar;
• Drink it.

Cheers!

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