- 5 lbs ripe Hubbard squash flesh, grated
- 2 lbs Demerara (or Turbnado) sugar (light brown sugar is a poor substitute)
- 11-oz can of Welch's 100% White Grape Juice frozen concentrate
- zest and juice of 3 Valencia oranges
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp finely diced ginger root
- 3 3-inch sticks cinnamon
- 6-8 whole cloves
- 1/4 tsp powdered grape tannin
- 6 1/2 pts water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Champagne wine yeast
Put water on stove to boil. Cut and remove seeds from squash. Peel and grate squash and place in nylon straining bag with zest, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Tie closed and set in primary. Remove water from heat and stir sugar and Welch's concentrate into water until sugar is dissolved and pour over nylon bag. Cover and set aside to cool. When cooled to room temperature, add citrus juice, tannin and yeast nutrient. Stir and add yeast in a starter solution. Re-cover and stir daily, punching down the bag each time, until specific gravity drops to 1.010 or below.
Remove and drip drain bag (do not squeeze). Discard bag contents. Transfer to secondary, add one finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet, stir gently and fit airlock. Rack every two months for six months. Stabilize with one finely crushed and dissolved Campden tablet and 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and let sit 10 days -- 30 days if you sweeten it -- then rack into bottles. Cellar two years at least before drinking. [Jack Keller's own recipe] Makes one gallon.