How Do You Make Homemade Chokecherry Wine?
Chokecherries, or prunus virginiana, are a small fruit indigenous to North America, where in most parts of the country the tree grows wild. High in antioxidants, the berries are bright red when ripe and have an extremely bitter taste. Chokecherries should not be confused with chokeberries, which are an entirely different plant that share similar properties. Chokecherries have long been used for country wine-making because the fruits are plentiful and the wine-making easy. Wash the chokecherries in a strainer. Place them in a stainless steel stockpot. Mash the chokecherries using a potato masher. All of the berries should be cracked and mashed so the juices will flow from the berries. You may want to do small batches of chokecherries at a time to insure thorough mashing. Cover the stockpot with cheesecloth and allow the berries to ferment naturally for two to three days. Stir the berries at least once a day. Add 1 gallon of cool water and 5 lbs. of sugar to the berries and stir until th
