Aronia Dry Mead

In a large enamel or stainless steel pot, boil the honey in water (1 part honey to 2 parts water - use the empty honey jar to measure the water) and 1 cup Aronia concentrate and sack of berries for 10-20 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms. (The foam will contain water impurities and beeswax residue.)

Remove sack of berries. Let cool. Add the Campden tablet, if desired, and let the mixture sit, well covered for 24 hours.

In a jar, make a yeast starter culture by combining the yeast, yeast nutrient, and 1 cup water. Cover and shake vigorously, let stand 1-3 hours, until bubbly; then add to the must.

Let the mixture ferment for 5-10 days. It is recommended to rack meads after the most vigorous fermentation; siphon the wine into a 1-gallon sterilized airlocked fermentation vessel. In 3 months, rack into another sterilized airlocked container. After about 6 months, rack into aother sterilized airlocked container.

Rack again right before bottling - about a year after fermentation started.

Then bottle and cork the finished mead, and store it in a cool cellar.

Age for at least six months before opening a bottle.