Yooper - juneberry/serviceberry/Saskatoon wine?

[TasunkaWitko]

I don't see a recipe anywhere - have you ever tried it?

I'm guessing maybe 3-pounds of berries, then follow a similar to chokecherry etc.

Any ideas?

 

[Yooper]

I don't see a recipe anywhere - have you ever tried it?

I'm guessing maybe 3-pounds of berries, then follow a similar to chokecherry etc.

Any ideas?

no idea! We have service berries here, but I'm too lazy to pick them since they are so widely scattered (birds love them!). I never tried any wine with them.

 

[passedpawn]

In the future, if you want to ask a member a question, please PM them. Starting a thread with their name in the title is in poor form.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

My mistake - sorry, didn't know. Please feel free to modify the title.

Thanks for the information, Yooper.

 

[passedpawn]

... though, of course, we revere our brewing gem, the indefatigable and incomparable Yooper.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Agreed, PP!

I will get 3 pounds of these berries and try a wine with them. I'll most likely use the same recipe that I used for my chokecherry wine, or perhaps something very similar. I've seen a couple of recipes out there that say to add the juice of two lemons, but others do not say to.

We'll see how it goes....

 

[gitano]

You get around TasunkaWitco.

Paul

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I'm everywhere!

 

[wildozarkwine]

I would love to know how this turns out, had not thought of using service berries before. I love making wine from wild fruit!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, Ozark -

I should be getting this wine started in early August, and will open a new thread in this section. My main thing right now is working out the amount of juneberries to use with this attempt (it will be a 1-gallon batch). I had originally thought to use 3 pounds, but after trying a few juneberries over the weekend, I might bring that amount up a bit, if possible. The flavor on these is a little more subtle, and might require more berries to start with. If I can procure 5 pounds total, I might use that. It seems like a lot, but that's what experimentation is about, right?

I've got a couple of books that I haven't yet consulted, so I'll check those as well.

I will hopefully know more by the time I start this -

Ron

 

[gitano]

"Amount of fruit to use" seems like more art than science. I'm curious to hear your thought pathways as you make this decision. Like many things in life, it may simply come down to "what I have in hand" or "how much money do I want to spend". Anyway, I'd like to hear how you decide as I'm in the same situation with some of my 'experiments'.

I have been growing service berries (Amelachier sp.) for about 15 years, and from my perspective, calling their flavor 'subtle' is a nice way of saying "they don't have much flavor". That would certainly be my opinion on the intensity of their flavor. Most recipe books I read on making jams or jellies from them advise adding other fruit to the recipe to "augment" the flavor. I suspect that without some other flavor enhancer, you will end up with fermented 'stuff' taste. Not trying to rain on your fireworks, just sort of 'thinking out loud' because this fall, I intend to make some wine from every berry that grows on my property, among which are serviceberries.

Paul

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, Paul -

"Subtle," indeed! I must say, though - the flavor that was there was really, really good - I suspect that I could have some exquisite wine, if I can dial the concept in.

When I find out how many juneberries I end up with, I'll go from there and proceed. I would prefer to keep this batch all-juneberries, just because that's how I roll, but if I have less than three pounds to work with, I'll consider another fruit. My understanding is that blueberries are the most similar to juneberries, and if that is correct, I might do a half-and-half or something.

 

[gitano]

I'm certainly with you on the "all juneberries" concept. It seems the 'right' thing to do with an experiment to determine what's what about making jueberry wine. From all I read, blueberries are the berry most often chosen to augment jams and jellies made with juneberries, but blueberry wine has been done, and done again.

The whole idea of how much fruit intrigues me. The more fruit, the more 'sugar'. The more sugar the more fermentation until the yeast gets choked out by alcohol concentration. More fruit = more alcohol, but maybe sweeter because fermentation doesn't 'get' all of it? Interesting. At least to me. I may have to start making small batches to test ideas.

Paul

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Between the two of this, well get it figured out. My rhubarb and chokecherry wines are coming along nicely, so I have high hopes that I can figure something out for this.

It will mostly be a matter determining amount of berries to use, which will be determined by what I have available to me. I'll know more after this coming Thursday, when I pick them up from the gal who picked them; alternately, if I don't have what seems to be "enough," I might go out and pick some more from the mountains, when we return home from our vacation. I'm thinking more and more that 5 or even as much as 6 pounds might be the best place to start, for a gallon.

 

[gitano]

I'm thinking more and more that 5 or even as much as 6 pounds might be the best place to start, for a gallon.

Considering the 'subtlety' of their flavor, I think that amount might be a good starting place. However, 5-6 lb of serviceberries is no small achievement if not available commercially. At least in my neck of the woods. I don't think I have ever harvested a total of more than 3 lb from six plants that I have had growing for a long time. That said, the moose do a lot of 'pruning' of my bushes!

Paul

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I'm "reasonably sure" that I should be able to get enough - the gal who originally picked them spends a lot of time in the mountains, and it appears that she got quite a few of them. They are currently in her freezer, packaged very carefully.

If all else, fails, I have "an ace in the hole" - I was in the mountains this past weekend and we found quite a few bushes with ripe berries...and even more with un-ripe berries that should be ready in a week or two.

And, I also noticed, it looks like the chokecherries are going to be very plentiful this year, as well!

 

[stella_tigre]

Jack Keller appears to use 2 to 4 lbs per gallon....looking forward to seeing what comes out of this! I only have two bushes, and one shadblow, and it's not easy beating the birds and raccoons to them.

 

[gitano]

What is a "shadblow"?

Paul

 

[TasunkaWitko]

What is a "shadblow"?

Paul

http://www.uky.edu/hort/Shadblow-Serviceberry

 

[gitano]

Hmm... Never heard that term before. Looks like it would produce lots of fruit!

Thanks,
Paul

 

[stella_tigre]

There are lots of serviceberries (Amelanchier) of which Saskatoon is supposed to be the biggest and tastiest I think. Shadblow berries are smaller and red. I have Whitetail Pruning Services keeping mine from getting too bushy, but they don't get to work on the Saskatoons.

 

[gitano]

I wish I had whitetail problems. I've lost several apple trees to moose. They grab the top of the tree and intentionally break it off at the trunk to 1) get at the newest and tenderest growth, and 2) to promote "side shoots". And these are BIG trees, not striplings. 12-foot tall, 10-year-old trees. Three inches in diameter where they break, 5' above the ground. They also strip the bark in the winter. I'd shoot them - the moose - but just like whitetails and other 'varmints', I'd have to shoot every one in The Valley to keep them from destroying/killing my trees. Surprisingly, they are not as harmful to bushes because they don't break them down like they do trees. They just keep bushes trimmed to about chest high (on a human). Of course that 'trimming' takes all the fruit-bearing buds.

Paul

 

[stella_tigre]

No contest....think I'll quit complaining about our White tailed Cloven hoofed Rats and be thankful moose only show up once in a blue moon down here.

 

[Pineshire]

I'm "reasonably sure" that I should be able to get enough - the gal who originally picked them spends a lot of time in the mountains, and it appears that she got quite a few of them. They are currently in her freezer, packaged very carefully.

If all else, fails, I have "an ace in the hole" - I was in the mountains this past weekend and we found quite a few bushes with ripe berries...and even more with un-ripe berries that should be ready in a week or two.

And, I also noticed, it looks like the chokecherries are going to be very plentiful this year, as well!

So how did you do?
I’m planning to starts batch and will do a pure Serviceberry first to find out what it will taste like before mixing with other fruits

 

[TasunkaWitko]

So how did you do?
I’m planning to starts batch and will do a pure Serviceberry first to find out what it will taste like before mixing with other fruits

Unfortunately, I never made it. Soon after this post, there were some major life shake-ups and my wife and I have been bouncing back from those.

Hopefully this year!