pumpkin wine

Well, Here we are In The Brand New Year!!!
I must say I am surprised my heart's still beating!


Having been brought up in the grayer end of life, I have learned ...to appreciate that which is given to me. Being Thankful, truly Thankful, is pure humility and gratitude.


It's a sour note when people complain but sometimes it is necessary for the greater good, provided rational people are observing it. 

 
My chief complaint about the holidays is the senseless waste- pure gluttony when you get down to it. I mean, the trees at x-mas, the pumpkins at Halloween, the turkey nobody eats for leftovers at Thanksgiving, The saltpeter and sulphur in July, the poppies at veterans day, and all the Easter Grass!! And last but not least, the people who drive their cars into deer and leave the carcass to rot. Yeah, that really pisses me off. BUT- what I have to share is worth gold- even is the color gold. That is, if you see it correctly. 

WHAT is he talking about?? Well, I am talking about PUMPKINS! That's right, PUMPKINS. When I was a kid, and still to this day, I ALWAYS HATED PUMPKIN PIE! One year my father picked that very thing to force down my throat. Usually it was milk so I was thankful for the change. It was harder to pour and caused less of a mess to myself. 

What I have discovered is Pumpkin makes an excellent VINO!! And that's renewed my senses. (Thank God I didn't kill him).

Here's what you do- If you let the pumpkin age a bit the flesh will fall apart like spaghetti going round and round the inside. You can just rake it free with your finger tips.> grate the pumpkin flesh and put it into a five gallon pail. Five pounds of flesh. 3 and a half pounds of sugar. One and three quarters gallon water. And a teaspoon of yeast. I use regular yeast and it works good enough for the girls I go with. 

Boil water and pour it onto the flesh in the bucket- wash it before hand... let it set in the bucket with a rag/towel/something to cover it but let it breath... let it set five days while stirring constantly throughout the days. You can add raisins and cinnamon and whatever you like but I like it the way it is. 

Place it in jugs with lids that you drilled holes in and inserted plastic/rubber tubing into and seal with a hot melt glue gun. Put the loose end of the hose into a milk jug full of water- this provides your oxygen lock so the fermentation process can take place properly. After three weeks or a little more, siphon it off and let it set. If you want it pretty keep it a year before drinking. I could care less and enjoy it when I feel like after three weeks.

 Do it the Cowboy way and see for yourself. Be sure to let me know how you ended up! I hope you enjoyed this bit of info! ZSP