Andy's Easy Homemade Apple Wine

Just the other day we were talking about the Apple Harvest Festivals I attended as a child when I lived in Southington, CT. I can remember how huge and delicious a tart Macintosh apple was and couldn't wait to bite into one. One thing led to another and Andy decided he was going to try his hand at some apple wine. After using up our apple supply to can apples and make apple-pear butter, we took a trip to the store and bought 16 large Macintosh apples.
I had written how many pounds that came to, but I organized my desk and that is long gone. (UPDATE 2016: I bought two 3 lb. bags of small apples. There was a total of 26 apples. I used 20 apples total or about 4-1/2 lbs.)  The whole time we were coring and crushing the fruit, the smell was incredible.This year has been a great one for fruits. The cherries, blackberries and muscadines we've used this year have been juicy and in abundant supply.

He used the same formula that he uses for his homemade blackberry and muscadine wines. Once the wine cleared, it was the prettiest pale golden yellow I had ever seen! Very delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 quart of crushed fruit per gallon of wine 
• 1 pack yeast
• 3 lbs. sugar per gallon of wine
• water

ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEEDED:

• Pillow case
• 5 gallon bucket
• 3 gallon wine jug
• Airlock

We use our food processor to "crush the fruit. Place cored and sliced apples in a food processor.

We use a four cup measuring glass to put the batches in until we get a level quart. Line a 5 gallon bucket with a clean pillowcase. Pour 12 cups (3 quarts) of fruit inside the pillowcase to make 3 gallons of wine.

 Pour in 9 pounds of sugar on top of the crushed apples..

Pour pack of yeast on top of sugar. With a wooden spoon, blend well. Fill the bucket half full with warm water. Stir again. Twist the pillow case closed. Cover the top of the bucket. Andy uses a wire to tighten the cloth over the top to keep gnats out.

Every day, for five days, uncover and stir with a wooden spoon. On the next day, squeeze the juice out of the pillowcase filled with the crushed fruit and remove. Using a funnel, pour the liquid into a 3 gallon jug. Fill up with water to three gallons. 

 Seal off with an airlock.

I cannot wait to "sample" this when it quits processing! It smelled heavenly when we mixed it up.