Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Vegetables are used for wine either by boiling them in water
and including the water in the must, or by juicing the
vegetables with a juice machine. Many vegetables, no matter
how they are handled, will impart a haze to wines, but this
effect is more pronounced when using boiled vegetables. This
is because boiling tends to set the pectins while denaturing the
natural enzymes in the vegetable that would otherwise break
down the pectins over time. There's no reason why you
couldn't try bottled vegetable juices so long as they haven't
been treated with a fermentation inhibitor, but the results can
be pretty iffy when using brands that include added salt. Salt
is added to vegetable juice to balance natural sugars for a
tasty beverage. But when you use salted vegetable juice in
wine, the sugar is converted to alcohol during fermentation
but the salt remains. The results can be good for making
marinade but decidedly not good for drinking. On the flip
side, there's nothing wrong with having a variety of
self-preserved marinades ready and waiting!
Speaking of marinades, both wines and vinegars are
commonly used for this purpose, and both are self-preserving.
You can make very good marinades by fermenting mixtures
that include onions, herbs, celery, parsley, and similar
ingredients. With their high alcohol content, they will keep
for decades.
If you aren't making marinades but you are instead looking to
make drinkable wines, both carrots and tomatoes can be
excellent candidates for a wine. Carrots also blend quite well
with apple. But don't let the fact that I've never made okra
wine deter you if you want to give it a try.
Herbs and Spices
