wine... hooch? let's just say it was alcoholic. An interesting experiment.
if you aren't starting with the completed strawberry product....
remove the caps and center core of your strawberries. halve or quarter them. We want 2 lbs of final product.
If you want to start with the remnants, as I did, then consider that I used about 8 lbs of fresh strawberries (they were on sale, so I like to work ahead)... take your "discarded" caps, and save as much of the "red" parts as possible. Again, we're shooting for 2 lbs of the good parts.
put 1 lb of the strawberries you're using in a metal mixing bowl, then cover with one cup of sugar. Place the other half of the strawberries on top, along with the second cup of sugar
cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge
allow to rest for 24 hours
after 24 hours, pour mixture into large saucepan
bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes
after 30 minutes, pour mixture into measuring cup through a fine mesh strainer. You'll need 2 cups of this syrup between this step and the next. If you get more, set it aside, and use it for a 4:1 (water to syrup) mixture to make the strawberry juice. (refer to the original recipe for storage recommendations)
using a spatula, press juice out of the strawberries to release juice through strainer
place solid strawberry remnants in a separate bowl
run strawberry remnants through a blender or food processor to reduce them to a spreadable texture.
Store int he refrigerator for up to a week. (no preservatives, so it will NOT keep as long as store bought!!)
This makes a great jam for spreading on toast, and it's a "free" byproduct of the process!
sterilize your instant pot liner: add some bleach, wipe it around the entire inside of the liner, and let sit for at least 30 seconds.
Rinse out the liner to remove the bleach. The intent here is to kill any bacteria in the liner, then clean it out without killing off our yeast.
Add the 2 cups of syrup to the instant pot, along with 8 cups of water
allow the strawberry juice to cool to less than 90 degrees F (you can let it cool to room temp)
add 1/2 packet of the red wine yeast
put the lid on the instant pot
set the instant pot for "less" temperature on the yogurt setting
set the time for 50 hours (We're only going 48)
start the cycle. Every 6 to 8 hours, alternate opening and closing the vent on the instant pot
at the end of 48 hours (I ran mine for ~30, so it's a bit of an experiment), turn the instant pot off, and pour your wine into a bottle with an aerator top. The source recipe actually says to use the plastic bottle from the grape juice they used, and to use the original cap, secured only 1/2 way, along with some packing tape. The intent here is to allow it to finish breathing without exploding.
Again, here's my source: https://foodnservice.com/instant-pot-wine/
allow to sit 8 days. I actually tried it as i was transferring it - it wasn't half bad. It had a wine-cooler-esque flavor, and a bit of a champagne texture, in my opinion, but again, I'm a beer sewer, not a wine connoisseur. At the current moment, I'm waiting out my 8 days to see how it does.
Ingredients
Directions
if you aren't starting with the completed strawberry product....
remove the caps and center core of your strawberries. halve or quarter them. We want 2 lbs of final product.
If you want to start with the remnants, as I did, then consider that I used about 8 lbs of fresh strawberries (they were on sale, so I like to work ahead)... take your "discarded" caps, and save as much of the "red" parts as possible. Again, we're shooting for 2 lbs of the good parts.
put 1 lb of the strawberries you're using in a metal mixing bowl, then cover with one cup of sugar. Place the other half of the strawberries on top, along with the second cup of sugar
cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge
allow to rest for 24 hours
after 24 hours, pour mixture into large saucepan
bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes
after 30 minutes, pour mixture into measuring cup through a fine mesh strainer. You'll need 2 cups of this syrup between this step and the next. If you get more, set it aside, and use it for a 4:1 (water to syrup) mixture to make the strawberry juice. (refer to the original recipe for storage recommendations)
using a spatula, press juice out of the strawberries to release juice through strainer
place solid strawberry remnants in a separate bowl
run strawberry remnants through a blender or food processor to reduce them to a spreadable texture.
Store int he refrigerator for up to a week. (no preservatives, so it will NOT keep as long as store bought!!)
This makes a great jam for spreading on toast, and it's a "free" byproduct of the process!
sterilize your instant pot liner: add some bleach, wipe it around the entire inside of the liner, and let sit for at least 30 seconds.
Rinse out the liner to remove the bleach. The intent here is to kill any bacteria in the liner, then clean it out without killing off our yeast.
Add the 2 cups of syrup to the instant pot, along with 8 cups of water
allow the strawberry juice to cool to less than 90 degrees F (you can let it cool to room temp)
add 1/2 packet of the red wine yeast
put the lid on the instant pot
set the instant pot for "less" temperature on the yogurt setting
set the time for 50 hours (We're only going 48)
start the cycle. Every 6 to 8 hours, alternate opening and closing the vent on the instant pot
at the end of 48 hours (I ran mine for ~30, so it's a bit of an experiment), turn the instant pot off, and pour your wine into a bottle with an aerator top. The source recipe actually says to use the plastic bottle from the grape juice they used, and to use the original cap, secured only 1/2 way, along with some packing tape. The intent here is to allow it to finish breathing without exploding.
Again, here's my source: https://foodnservice.com/instant-pot-wine/
allow to sit 8 days. I actually tried it as i was transferring it - it wasn't half bad. It had a wine-cooler-esque flavor, and a bit of a champagne texture, in my opinion, but again, I'm a beer sewer, not a wine connoisseur. At the current moment, I'm waiting out my 8 days to see how it does.