Xmas Tutti Fruti 2016 - The Making Of...

Work has been exceptionally busy as of late. This year we will have sold 71 houses: 24 of them completed the week before Christmas. That is over a third of the year's total in one week. No wonder I have been at least two of the seven dwarves (hint: one of them is not Happy).

On Friday 23rd December the office closed early and I got home at four. This gave me time to remove fruit from the freezer and with it before dashing off to sing Christmas carols round the neighbourhood (which is always the first enjoyable Christmas event for me). I pulled the following from the freezer:

• 2 lbs 6¾ oz elderberries
• 2 lbs rhubarb
• 1 lb 6½ oz blackberries
• 9 oz raspberries (red)
• 7½ oz blackcurrants
• 7¼ oz gooseberries
• 3¼ oz rose petals
• 2½ oz rosehips
• 2 oz redcurrants
• 1¾ oz raspberries (golden)
• 1½ oz blueberries; and
• 1¼ oz figs

I calculate that this makes 8 lbs 1¼ oz fruit. These defrosted in the bucket overnight.

I waited until the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve before mashing the fruit. Claire waited until the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve before starting her viola practice. I grumbled a bit, but with judicious shutting of doors the carols were louder than the viola. King's College choir sang my favourite carol - Harold Darke's In the Bleak Midwinter, which was pleasing. At this point I added a satsuma into the mix.

I made my wish while mashing the fruit (but I always forget what I wished for from year to year - I don't think I wished for Brexit or a Trump presidency last year). It is easy to lose concentration when measuring sugar and whilst I think I put in 5½ lbs, there is a possibility that the wine got an extra pound. I added 12 pints of boiling water - definitely.

On Christmas morning I added the yeast, nutrient and pectolase, Claire gave the wine a stir, making her wish, and we got into the car and drove to Newcastle.

I put this wine into its two demijohns on Friday night, 30th December, after a day in the office which I will claim back on Tuesday. I should have put in a pint less water when making the wine, but it is bubbling away happily and is its usual dark purple.

If you want to see how this wine turned out, click here