[rainie]

I have cleaned out a cupboard and have 9 empty demijons. Its seems a waste, so I think I should make something each month beginning with January.  Any ideas, keeping the cost down though.

[GrannieAnnie]

The cheapest wine I have ever made, are either my own grown fresh veg like carrots, or fruit like apples, but when thy aren't available, I use the ordinary cheapo fruit juices from the Supermarket.  Apple juice is good as it is clear and doesn't leave so much sediment, but orange juice makes a nice wine too!

Found this online which may help!   

http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A21776781

[New shoot]

I've made this before and its very nice - Green ginger wine (although it will only be green if you put some food colour in)

85g fresh ginger
500g raisins
4 ripe bananas
900g light brown sugar
1 large lemon
small pinch chilli powder
4 litres boiling water
wine yeast
2 campden tablets

Grate the ginger, chop the raisins and peel and mash the bananas and put them all in a fermenting bin with the chilli and grated yellow part of the lemon rind.
Pour the boiling water over them, cover and leave to cool.
Squeeze and strain the lemon juice and add that, together with the yeast.
Ferment for 10 days stiring daily.

Strain the wine and put into a demijon with the sugar and continue to ferment until done, then syphon into a clean demijon and add 2 crushed campden tablets, plus add a little more sugar if its not sweet enough for you and food colour if you want.

Keep for at least 2 months in the demijon before bottling.  

[ilan]

depends on what you like? for falling down water then turbo cider, cheap quick and with a bite , if not a dry white wine using a few cartons of grape juice ,

[rainie]

Thanks all, (never heard it called falling down water - i like that description).  As I have some not so big parsnips, thought I may try making some this month.

[New shoot]

I've unearthed my ancient charity shop bought wine book with recipes laid out month by month Rainie.

I can offer you a recipe for dry or sweet orange wine in the January section or a parsnip and orange wine from the February section.  The parsnip one makes a sherry type wine 

You've got me thinking I might have a go at one of the orange ones 

[Kleftiwallah]

My winemaking 'bible'  "Drink Your own Garden" by Judith Glover, has a chart of what is available for winemakers season by season. 

Late Winter - early Spring.

Beetroot,  Carrot,  Parsnip,  Potato,  Turnip,  Grapefruit,  Lemon,  Lime,  Orange,  Tangerine,  Birch sap,  Sycamore sap,  Walnut sap.

This book is magic, basic easy to understand information, all you need to know.     Cheers,    Tony.

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh I like that title "Drink Your Own Garden"! 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Well not so much use now but elderflower wine is cheap. You just need to buy the sugar, yeast and citric acid, none of it too expensive. I am also planning on dandelion wine in April.

[Kleftiwallah]

Dandelion wine is good,   but soooo fiddley.   You cannot include ANY greenery.     Cheers,     Tony.