Manufacturers have traditionally used grapes to make wine. This makes strawberry wine quite rare. Chances are, you’ve never had strawberry wine. You’re missing out! The best part is you don’t have to go out to buy some. Follow this recipe to make fantastic strawberry wine from the comfort of your own home.

Why We Love Strawberry Wine

Imagine biting into a palmful of farm-fresh strawberries! That’s what having strawberry wine feels like. If you love fruity wines, this is perfect for you. Strawberry wine is a pleasant fragrant drink with a clean finish. The wine’s ferment evens out the strawberries’ sweet taste. You also wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make strawberry wine. You only need a few ingredients and cheap equipment.

What You Will Need for Strawberry Wine

Ingredients

• 7 lbs whole strawberries
• 7 gal store-bought spring or mineral water
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 5 lbs granulated sugar
• 2 tbsps of wine yeast
• (Optional) 5 tbsps of wine stabilizer/potassium sorbate
• (Optional) 1 stick of cinnamon

Equipment Needed

• 7 gal fermenter
• Hydrometer
• Test tube
• Fermentation lock
• Funnel
• Muslin cloth or sieve
• Paring knife
• 2 large bowls
• Masher
• Large saucepan
• Long wooden spoon
• Glass bottles
• Corks
• (Optional) Siphon

How to Make Strawberry Wine

Step 1: Prepare the Strawberries

Sort out your strawberries by keeping the fresh ones and discarding those that have gone bad. Cut off the strawberry hulls. Wash the dehulled strawberries thoroughly in clean water.

Step 2: Strawberry Solution

Boil all the bottled water in a large saucepan. Add all the sugar and let the mixture boil until the sugar dissolves. Soften your strawberries by adding them to this sugar water solution. Add the juice of one lemon. Let the mixture sit until it reaches room temperature. Mash the mixture.

Step 3: Fermenter

Fill up your fermenter with the strawberry mixture. Repeat ‘Step 2’ until you get enough mixture.

Step 4: Hydrometer Measurement

Use the hydrometer and test tube to measure the amount of sugar in the strawberry mixture. The density of the mixture should be about 1.090.

Step 5: Make A Starter

Mix wine yeast and a bit of the strawberry mixture in a small bowl. Stir, cover, and leave at room temperature for a few hours. When your starter begins to bubble, add it to your fermenter.

Step 6: Fermentation Process

Stir the starter into your strawberry mixture for a few minutes using a long wooden spoon. Cover your fermenter. Use a fermentation lock to allow the carbon dioxide produced by the fermenting process to escape. Leave your fermenter somewhere dark that’s at room temperature.

Step 7: Storage

You’ll know that the fermentation process is through when the strawberry mixture stops bubbling. This takes around two to three months. Filter the fermented strawberry mixture through a funnel covered in a piece of muslin cloth.

The muslin cloth separates the strawberry pulp from the wine. You can use a siphon to help you remove the mixture from the fermenter. Store your wine in glass bottles. Cover with corks.

(Optional) Step 8: Aging

Leave the wine in the glass bottles for about a year. Although you don’t have to age the wine, aging it gives it a richer taste.

(Optional) Step 9: Sweetening

Add wine stabilizer to exterminate the yeast before adding sugar to your wine. If you simply added sugar, the active yeast would continue the fermentation process. For each gallon of wine, use a tablespoon of wine stabilizer. Add cinnamon for a special touch! 

Tips and Tricks

This strawberry wine recipe works just as well for other homemade fruit wines. Simply replace the strawberries with your desired fruit. It’s easier and quicker to make the wine during summer because the heat allows the yeast to work well. Strawberries are also in season in the summer! If you’re new to winemaking, keep things simple. You can find most of the listed equipment in any cheap winemaking starter kit that won’t cost more than $40. You can also buy a cheap strawberry dehuller for around $7. Use “ugly produce” or leftover farmer’s market strawberries. These are more affordable, not to mention environmentally friendly. Your strawberries can be fresh without looking perfect.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of yeast should I use to make my strawberry wine?

Any kind of wine yeast will do. Do not use regular bread yeast.

How much alcohol is in strawberry wine?

Around 11% to 15%.

Uh-oh. My strawberry wine is turning orange. What should I do?

Worry not! This color change is a natural part of strawberry wine especially when it’s made and stored at home. The orange color is a result of oxidization. If you really want to restore the wine’s red color, add a few drops of red food coloring.

What are the health benefits of strawberry wine?

Strawberry wine is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It also has zero cholesterol and is high in potassium.

Summary

What a lovely homemade brew! Strawberry wine is perfect for the summer. Serve with lemon meringue pie, a slice of cake or some cheese.