Bell Pepper & Peach Wine

By request...

I was poking around in the freezer when I realized my mother had processed some red bell peppers. I already knew about the peaches she had done up for me. The two work really well together as a jam, so I decided to give it a try as a wine.

2 lbs of frozen red bell peppers
1 lb of frozen peaches
1 gallon of water
2 lbs sugar
3 tsp acid blend
tannin
pectic enzyme
sulfites
Montrachet yeast

Boiled the water with sugar and poured over the frozen fruit, which pretty much got my temp back to room temp. SG ended up being 1.072, and the acid blend forced it down to about 3.4 pH.

I started it up 12/21, and transferred it to the secondaries on 12/28. Man, I need a 1/2 gallon jug, cause it was one gallon, 1 wine bottle, and one 22 oz beer bottle. Granted, with the lees, especially from the peaches, that amount will drop.

A little disappointed on the color - it got it from the peaches, but no red from the peppers. I'm not entirely sure about the yeast, either, but it was what I had on hand.

My husband was a bit spooked by the idea, but he has since then smelled it when I racked, and thinks it has great potential.

I would have never thaught of putting peaches and peppers together, haha. Im curious how it tastes.

I racked it today, and realized it was 0.996 - reading for bottling, though it still seems kind of cloudy. At the moment, with it so dry, you really taste the bell peppers. I wouldn't recommend taking it dry, and will have to back sweeten this.

When I told my husband that I was going to post pictures to ask about the cloudiness, he was like, "Oh, so you upgraded your account?" Money is a bit tight coming off of the holiday season, though I did find out yesterday that my job is safe for a few more months.

Oh, here is a free work around for pictures - I put it up on facebook. http://bit.ly/6hA81r

Ready for bottling? You made this in December of 08?

If it's a couple of weeks old, it's nowhere close to bottling yet. I bottled today, from grapes from 2008.

If this wine is less than 6 months old, cover it up and walk away from it. check it in three months- it may be clear by then. The SG may or may not drop some more, too. Rack whenever you have lees 1/4 inch thick, and keep it at room temperature. After it's been clear for a couple of months, then it can be stored at cellar temps or bottled if it's not throwing any more lees.

It is a few weeks old. The SG has completely dropped on it. Maybe that is the way to get it to clear - let it be for longer.

That's what I'd do at this point.

I am so glad that winemaking is considered a "lazy man's" hobby! I am not all that patient, but I do fall into the procrastinator category. Usually, procrastination leads to great wine!

It official, people here will mix and ferment anything

I'm thinking this would also work well as a mead/capsicumel. Maybe start with a Joe's Ancient Orange Mead recipe and either replace the orange with peaches & peppers, or do a regular JAOM and rack onto peaches & peppers in the secondary. Also maybe one hot pepper in the secondary to give it a little bite. I need to start making a list of things to try this spring/summer...

jcobbs said:

Also maybe one hot pepper in the secondary to give it a little bite.

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WARNING - I'm about to go.....

We went to a restaurant that served us this great jalapeno margarita. We have since then figured out how to duplicate it, and it is like the signature drink of our parties.

Put one de-seeded jalapeno in a mason jar and add tequila. Cover and let it set for a week. Since this will be a mixed drink, the tequila does not need to be that good.

From there...
1.5 parts jalapeno infused tequila
2 parts guava juice
1 part triple sec
3 parts sour mix
squirt of lime or lemon juice

Thing is, it is sweet, but that jalapeno comes in at the end. It isn't burning hot, but it isn't expected. Great stuff. At our last board game night, nobody touched any of the other stuff we had. Granted, we didn't break out the homemade stuff, either.

Also off topic, but I figured I'd mention it because you mentioned needing to upgrade your membership for pictures. You can save images on another site, then click the Insert Image icon above the text box and insert the link to where the picture is located. This will allow pictures to show up in the thread without people needing to go to another website.

mmadmikes1 said:

It official, people here will mix and ferment anything

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I have heard rumor of a beef jerky mead!?!:fro:

BTW I think this one sounds yummy!!!

Teromous said:

Also off topic, but I figured I'd mention it because you mentioned needing to upgrade your membership for pictures. You can save images on another site, then click the Insert Image icon above the text box and insert the link to where the picture is located. This will allow pictures to show up in the thread without people needing to go to another website.

Click to expand...

I just post pictures on this site in the photos section and then link to them in my posts. You should be able to post them from your profile page.

any updates on this one??

Well, Yooper said:

If this wine is less than 6 months old, cover it up and walk away from it. check it in three months- it may be clear by then. The SG may or may not drop some more, too. Rack whenever you have lees 1/4 inch thick, and keep it at room temperature. After it's been clear for a couple of months, then it can be stored at cellar temps or bottled if it's not throwing any more lees.

Click to expand...

So... even though it is completely dry, it wouldn't be time yet. But I am curious if it is clearing, so I'll take a look at it this weekend - it is in the back of a closet and there is my husband's porter with a blow off sitting on a chair that is sort of in my way.

Nope, not really clearing, but it is sort of mellowing. Maybe it will be good dry?

CandleWineProject said:

Nope, not really clearing, but it is sort of mellowing. Maybe it will be good dry?

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Maybe! If it needs sweetening later, though, that's an easy fix.

Is it still reddish colored? I'm trying to visualize what the color will be when it's clear. I have a feeling that it might end up a golden color, which would be really nice!

I mean, my impression a few weeks ago was that it wasn't good dry, but it is starting to mellow or something, so it might be. Definately has a bell pepper nose.

It never really got red, more the golden peach color with hints of red.

I've got to try this. Tmrw night, I'm starting two gallons.

<--- excited