Rhubarb & Custard Wine Recipe
Taking a lead from the craft beer scene, wine doesn't have to just be wine. We can have fun with it. And this recipe for a rhubarb and custard wine is an easy to make adjustment to a finished rhubarb wine recipe. I find this works best with the stewed rhubarb wine recipe as the rhubarb flavour is more powerful.
So how do you add custard to a wine? In truth you don't, but you make the wine taste like it's got custard in. Using just 2 ingredients, we can make it taste like it has custard in it. Lactose, which is a sugar derived from milk which gives a smooth creamy texture, sweetness and a creaminess too. And vanilla essence to give that vanilla flavouring like in custard.
You'll get the tartness from the stewed rhubarb, smoothed out by the lactose, a gentle sweetness all topped off with the hint of vanilla. Delicious!
You will Need
4.5 Litres Rhubarb Wine
400g Lactose
40ml Vanilla Extract
Preserving Pan / Large Saucepan
Demi-John with Air-Lock
Siphon
Bottles & Corks & Corker
Method
Once you have a clear home made rhubarb wine, you can follow the below method to turn it into Rhubarb and Custard Wine. Syphon your finished rhubarb wine into a clean sterilised demi-john before using the method below.
1 - Syphon 300ml of rhubarb wine from a demi-john and put into a small saucepan.
2 - Turn on the heat
3 - As the wine is heating up, add 400g of lactose and stir. It will turn the wine milky but don't worry the lactose will turn clear.
4 - Add the 40ml of vanilla extract (please remember that the strength of vanilla extract can vary, so you may need less or more depending on the extract you are using).
5 - Bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
6 - Boil for 30 seconds or until the liquid turns clear.
7 - As soon as it is clear, take the pan off the heat.
8 - Swirl the wine in the demi-john so that the wine is spinning.
9 - using a funnel, slowly pour the wine, lactose & vanilla mixture from the saucepan into the demi-john.
10 - Swirl the wine in the demi-john some more to make sure all the lactose mixture is incorporated.
11 - Put in the airlock and put somewhere cool to allow the mixture to cool and clear.
12 - Once clear, bottle as normal. Store for 1 month and then pop it in the fridge to chill and then pop open and enjoy a weirdly wonderful bottle of wine.
Happy brewing and remember to drink responsibly.