With the arrival of spring, everything is rejuvenating, and it's also the season to eat Chinese bayberries. There is a Chinese bayberry orchard near my home, so I took advantage of the free time on the weekend to go and eat some Chinese bayberries and pick some to make Chinese bayberry wine.
Picking Chinese Bayberries#
We arrived quite early, and there was no one else in the entire Chinese bayberry orchard. It costs 10 yuan per person to enter and eat as much as you want, but if you want to take some home, it costs 15 yuan per kilogram. It is said that this Chinese bayberry orchard covers an area of 15 mu, and almost every tree is already filled with red and black Chinese bayberries. We took a fruit basket and plunged into the Chinese bayberry orchard, starting to eat to our heart's content.
Actually, I didn't dare to eat too much because I was afraid there might be insect eggs on the Chinese bayberries. After eating a little, we started picking them into the baskets. In no time, we filled four baskets, which should be enough, and headed back home.
Washing Chinese Bayberries#
Chinese bayberries need to be washed with clean water and then soaked in saltwater to remove any insects and dirt. Then, some flour is added to absorb the dirt. After washing twice with clean water, they can be safely eaten. I have to say, the Chinese bayberries from this orchard are indeed delicious, and they are also large in size, perfect for making wine.
Drying#
On the same day, we started preparing to make the wine because Chinese bayberries cannot be stored for too long and will start to spoil after a day. After cleaning the Chinese bayberries, they must be dried to remove the surface moisture. We placed them outside in a well-ventilated area in the morning, and by evening, they were ready for wine-making.
Making Chinese Bayberry Wine#
To be honest, I have drunk a lot of fruit wine, but I have never tried making it myself. This time, I decided to use the Chinese bayberries to give it a try. After learning the process, I planned to make one bottle with rice wine and another bottle without rice wine. The latter has a lower alcohol content, so anyone can have a taste.
After purchasing glass bottles, rock sugar, and a small pot of rice wine, I started my first journey of making Chinese bayberry wine that evening. Before putting the Chinese bayberries into the glass bottles, it is best to wash them with high-proof alcohol to remove any moisture and impurities. Layer the Chinese bayberries with rock sugar, and finally pour in the rice wine in a ratio of approximately "Chinese bayberries: rice wine: rock sugar = 1:1:0.3".
The first 10L glass bottle can hold 7-8 kilograms of Chinese bayberries, and the remaining ones will be used to make a bottle without rice wine. Just like that, more than ten kilograms of Chinese bayberries were used up, and I am looking forward to the taste of the two Chinese bayberry wines after a few months.