Saxmk6

Recipes 

I am ready to make the mead, but as I live in Michigan, it is nearly impossible to have any kind of fruit that will not cost an arm or a leg. I have three bags of dried cherries. Think it will work to add the dried cherries?

Anyone have any opinions?

BigKahuna

Recipes 

Oh Yes.
Dried Fruit works pretty good in Mead. It's not like Fresh Fruit, but definitely acceptable.
Keep in mind that you'll need to be careful when racking, but it's gonna be pretty good.

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michael88n

Recipes 

Another option to try would be JOAM.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/joes-ancient-orange-mead-49106/

Super easy and it's GOOD!

Popular with first timers (like me).

Cheers.

__________________
Thinkin' 'bout makin': A summertime session beer.
Primary: 2x Apfelwien, London Pub Ale, Irish Stout
Bottled: Random Stuff, Barleywine, Blue Moon Clone, EW's Appfelwein.

Gnome

Recipes 

18 lbs of honey, water, yeast and yeast nutrients. three four years to age and you get real good Mead. Drinking a glass of 06 right now and still a little hot but the honey floral taste is coming around nicely.

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The Older I get the Faster I use to be.

Saxmk6

Recipes 

ooo..maybe i'll give that a try. I want to try this cherry as well, should I toss in the cherries when I move it to the secondary, or add them right from the start?

CBBaron

Recipes 

Fresh fruit this time of year is rare nearly any where in the country, most of it is imported.
However in the summer there are a number of local crops that you can take advantage of.
Cherries, raspberries, black berries, strawberries, blue berries, elderberries, apples, and pears all grow in Michigan. Most are pretty easy to find at pick your own and farm markets. Some are not hard to find in the wild.

However dried, frozen or canned fruit all make good additions to mead. So you can still make fruit meads (melomels) during the winter.

Craig