# 2011 Elderberry



## ffemt128 (Aug 19, 2011)

I started my 2011 Elderberry today. I need to go to the store for red grape concentrate. I'm using the same basic recipe that I have used in the past and will adjust accordingly.  My recipe for each 5 gallon batch will be as follows:

2 1/4 gallons of steamed Elderberry juice
Sugar to 1.085 
4 cans Welches red grape concentrate
Acid Blend to .70% (Second batch will use Tartaric acid)
3/4 tsp tannin
Pectic enzyme as per directions
1/4 tsp Kmeta
Yeast Nutrient as per directions
Lavin D47 yeast (had good luck with this last year)
1 1/2 oz Medium toast french oak cubes for 6 weeks.

I'll post sugar and acid quantities once I take readings later tonight.


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## docanddeb (Aug 19, 2011)

I don't put anything but elderberry in mine. I have blended it with things, though... like cherry and raspberry. It makes fantastic skeeter pee!!
I have a recipe for "seconds" too... with honey... yummy!

Debbie


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## WVMountaineerJack (Aug 19, 2011)

Thats almost 100% elderberry, good recipe. What are you going to use to make the 2nd batch since you are using steamed juice? Crackedcork



ffemt128 said:


> I started my 2011 Elderberry today. I need to go to the store for red grape concentrate. I'm using the same basic recipe that I have used in the past and will adjust accordingly. My recipe for each 5 gallon batch will be as follows:
> 
> 2 1/4 gallons of steamed Elderberry juice
> Sugar to 1.085
> ...


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## ffemt128 (Aug 19, 2011)

CrackedCork said:


> Thats almost 100% elderberry, good recipe. What are you going to use to make the 2nd batch since you are using steamed juice? Crackedcork



I had 44 lbs to start so I'm making 2 batches from that. I did it this way last year and it turned out well. I wanted to make an all juice batch but didn't quite get what I wanted in the way of berries this year.


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## ffemt128 (Aug 19, 2011)

Ok here are the numbers. Both batches finished out with an SG of 1.082. That should work well. 

The batch that I used the Tartaric acid (Batch 1) took 7.39 lbs of sugar and I used 31.1 grams of Tartaric acid. Starting PH and TA% for batch 1 were 2.76 and .69%

Batch 2 the batch using acid blend, took 7.98 lbs of sugar and 39.2 grams of Blend. PH and TA% for batch 2 are 2.89 and .72%

Both batches are starting out right around 5 1/2 gallons so that I will have top up material.


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## docanddeb (Aug 19, 2011)

We have found that at bottling, we taste for acidity, and if needed... use citric only... man, what a finish it has then!! I guess that's why I like the Elder Pee so well!

I don't have my notes in front of me. I don't remember if I did a 2nd run on juice alone, or if it was the whole, thawed berries that I have done that way.

I'm going to try drying some elders this year too. I heard it is a whole different flavor... like raisins to grapes!

Debbie


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## ffemt128 (Aug 20, 2011)

docanddeb said:


> We have found that at bottling, we taste for acidity, and if needed... use citric only... man, what a finish it has then!! I guess that's why I like the Elder Pee so well!
> 
> I don't have my notes in front of me. I don't remember if I did a 2nd run on juice alone, or if it was the whole, thawed berries that I have done that way.
> 
> ...



I check acidity after back sweetening then adjust for taste as well. SO far we have had no complaints. The oak addition is great with the elderberries.


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## ffemt128 (Aug 20, 2011)

I pitched the yeast this morning around 9:00. I"m hoping to see signs of fermentation by dinner time. Temps in the basement are around 73 degrees. I'm figuring this will probably be transferred to secondary around Labor Day weekend.


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## jtstar (Aug 20, 2011)

I went to work early yesterday was going to pick elderberries on my way to work and two of the big patches that I had located got wipe out with hail the day before and they where just getting ripe for picking


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## ffemt128 (Aug 22, 2011)

The yeasties are happily feremting along. Both buckets had a nice foamy cap on them yesterday. Will be stirring daily during primary fermentation.


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## docanddeb (Aug 22, 2011)

Mother Nature plays cruel tricks. Sorry to hear it.

Debbie


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## Boyd (Aug 22, 2011)

The elderberry bushes in So. Mn have very few berries. Lots of flowers earlier.

I have heard the bee population is way down. Maybe the flowers didn't get fertilized.

I had hoped to make 30 gallons this year as 15 gallons bottled lasted about 2 weeks. Lots of peopled like the stuff.

Now it would be nice if they would return the bottles.  The only one that does is my youngest daughter and sister..


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## docanddeb (Aug 22, 2011)

I haven't been out to check the wild berries. The few I planted in my yard are doing great!! We can never have enough!! Make Elder Pee out of the leftovers... you won't be sorry. It will extend your bounty! Do you ferment on the berries or juice?

Debbie


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## Boyd (Aug 22, 2011)

I have done both ways. 

I like to freeze and seperate the berries from the sticks, crush, then press. I then add water I think I will need stir and then press again. I also ferment the left over squeezing for a few days. If there is to much tannen egg white fixes that problem.

Also fermented with wild black raspberries, blueberries, and wild grapes.

Looks like I'll have lots Fontenac and Marquette grapes to play with this year.

Depends on how many elderberries I find. I would like to try a hybrid elderberry mix.


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## jtstar (Aug 23, 2011)

docanddeb said:


> Mother Nature plays cruel tricks. Sorry to hear it.
> 
> Debbie



I work out for the better I went out yesterday morning and made one stop and ended up with a ten gallon tub full of berries


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## docanddeb (Aug 23, 2011)

Woo Hoo!!! Score!

Debbie


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## Arne (Aug 24, 2011)

jtstar said:


> I work out for the better I went out yesterday morning and made one stop and ended up with a ten gallon tub full of berries



Hey Jack,
Did the hail clobber your place? Have heard some bad stuff about your area. We missed it this time. I watched the back side of that storm and it looked really nasty. TAke care, Arne.


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## jtstar (Aug 24, 2011)

No the hail missed my place but a lot of my freinds lived in the middle of it and had a lot of damage. On my way to work the next day you could still see piles of hail in the ditches that the state had to push off the highway with snow plows


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## ffemt128 (Aug 24, 2011)

jtstar said:


> I work out for the better I went out yesterday morning and made one stop and ended up with a ten gallon tub full of berries



Nice score.


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## Kleftiwallah (Aug 24, 2011)

The elderberries along my 'picking patch' beside the Kennet and Avon Canal are coming along. I'll wait untill the stalks are just turning red before picking.

I'm astounded by the various additions some of you use in your recipes. I keep mine as basic (and as cheap) as I can !  Cheers, Tony.


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## jtstar (Aug 25, 2011)

ffemt128 said:


> Nice score.



Yes it was I did make a mistake in my earlier post what I thought was a ten gallon tub is actually a nineteen gallon tub and it was all but full to the brime I am still working on destemming the berries


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## ffemt128 (Aug 25, 2011)

Just checked the sg, both batches are down to 1.004 from 1.082. Progressing along nicely. At this rate I will be transferring into carboy over the weekend, probably on sunday. Early sample of both were very good with little difference in flavor. It has only been 6 days since start. Curious the taste difference given the different acids.


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## ffemt128 (Aug 29, 2011)

Transferred the Elderberry to better bottles last night. Time to start clearing and the aging process. Both batches were fermented dry in the primary.


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## docanddeb (Aug 30, 2011)

We will be picking the wild ones on Sunday... can't wait to see the crop this year!

Debbie


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## Boyd (Aug 30, 2011)

Wild elderberries a spotty in So. Mn. although I have picked about 60 pounds.

Takes a lot of time and looking and walking. I lot of the stems had very few berries so I had to bang them against the side of the pail to dislodge the berries.

I did give my 85 year old aunt about 10 pounds. She uses them to make jelly for her church bazare.

Keeps the old gal busy.


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## Boyd (Sep 6, 2011)

Stumbled onto a bunch of elderberries near Minneapolis on Sunday and got two six gallon pails filled and left a bunch. Also picked another pail on Saturday in approx. same place.

Started to ferment 15 gallons on 09-04. SG down to 1.020 today from 1.090.

If someone near Mankato, MN is interested in grapes I have a bunch of Marquette grapes about ready to pick. Brix at 23 now. 25 vines so there are more than I need.

A half buck a gallon. You pick. Buck and half if I pick them. Bring your own bucket.


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## docanddeb (Sep 6, 2011)

How many berries per gallon do you use?

Debbie


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## jtstar (Sep 6, 2011)

I used 4 pounds per gallon but I think Julie has said she uses 5 pounds per gallon


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## Wade E (Sep 7, 2011)

People, dont forget to ask Julie for her Elderberry Blush recipe if she doesnt have it posted in our recipe area, its a very nice second wine made from utilizing whats left of the fruit after primary and IMO its 1 of only a few fruits you can do thus with and still get enough flavor from it.


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## Julie (Sep 7, 2011)

jtstar said:


> I used 4 pounds per gallon but I think Julie has said she uses 5 pounds per gallon



Yes, I use roughly between 4 1/2 to 5 pounds, I use to do less until I had Wade's Elderberry and he used 5 pounds.




Wade E said:


> People, dont forget to ask Julie for her Elderberry Blush recipe if she doesnt have it posted in our recipe area, its a very nice second wine made from utilizing whats left of the fruit after primary and IMO its 1 of only a few fruits you can do thus with and still get enough flavor from it.



It is in the recipe section but I can re-post it here when I get home.


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## Julie (Sep 7, 2011)

Ok, here it is and like I have said before I did not create the recipe it was shared on another site but I find if very good. There is a lot of work with elderberry and it sure makes you feel better when you can get double your wine out of it.

Elderberry Wine

This recipe makes five gallons of elderberry wine and another five gallons of elderberry blush. In the beginning, when pressing the berries, do a thorough job because they don’t break open as easy as you might think. 



Ingredients:

15 Pounds Fresh Elderberries
2 Gallons Water
6 11.5 Oz. Cans Welch’s Frozen White Grape Juice 
7-8 Pounds Sugar, approximately (enough to bring S. G. to 1.090-1.095)
2-3 Tbls. Acid Blend approximately (enough to bring acid level to 0.65)
2 Tbls. Yeast Nutrient
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
5 Campden Tablets, Crushed
1 Packet Lalvin RC 212 Yeast

Instructions:

Place the frozen elderberries in a nylon bag, tie the top of the bag and place in a nonreactive container that will hold at least four gallons. When the elderberries are thawed, press thoroughly, and cover with two gallons of boiling water. After the mixture cools, add pectic enzyme, cover and let it sit for 12 hours. Remove the nylon bag and allow it to drip until it stops. DO NOT SQUEEZE or you will get a green substance that will have a bitter taste to it. When this is complete, transfer the contents of the container to a primary and return the nylon bag to the container and cover. This will make the 5 gallons of blush, so when finished with the wine recipe, you will cover the nylon bag with two more gallons of boiling water and repeat the entire process. Thaw the six cans of white grape juice, add it to the primary, and bring the water level up to the five gallon mark. Take a reading with your hydrometer and add enough sugar to bring the specific gravity to approximately 1.090-1.095. Stir until all sugar is well dissolved. If you have a TA kit, check the titratable acidity and correct it to 0.65. Add the yeast nutrient, and the crushed campden tablets. Wait 24 hours and add the yeast. Cover the primary with a cloth and check the S.G. daily. When the must reaches 1.010 in approximately one week, rack to a secondary and put under an air lock. Rack again in two weeks and then every two months until clear.

Stabilize, add 5 campden tablets, wait ten days and bottle. I like to add ½ to 1 cup of light corn syrup mixed with 1-2 cups of hot water at bottling to give it a smooth taste. 

Repeat the process to make another five gallons of elderberry blush.


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## docanddeb (Sep 7, 2011)

Here is MY recipe for Elderberry Seconds:


2 gal water
4lb 8oz honey- I have no SG listed on either batch
juice of 2 lemons
Pantyhose full of leftover elderberries From a 5 gal original batch-


No need for yeast or campden to start with. That was taken care of with the first batch.

Ferment and rack as usual. Sweeten with honey after stabilization.

I often add a bit of citric acid before bottling to balance it.

This is a great wine on its own!

Debbie


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## oliveking (Sep 7, 2011)

What do you guys think of this idea? I was planning on making a batch of elderberry wine. With the seconds I was going to buy a can of Vitners Harvest blackberry base and Make that into the five gallons. I know that will be weak in flavor but I was then going to put the elderberries into that to give it some more flavor. Do you think this will work?


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## WVMountaineerJack (Sep 8, 2011)

Make it into a 3 gallon batch and you will be much happier with the results. CC


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## docanddeb (Sep 8, 2011)

I agree with the Cracked one wholeheartedly!! 3 gal only.

Debbie


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## Julie (Sep 8, 2011)

docanddeb said:


> Here is MY recipe for Elderberry Seconds:
> 
> 
> 2 gal water
> ...



Why would you not add yeast? Are you saying you wait until you rack your first elderberry, then use the slurry? If you are doing that what slurry are you using for your skeeter pee?


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## docanddeb (Sep 8, 2011)

When you take the bag of berries off at about 4 days... you turn it into the honey/water. There are plenty of yeasties in that bag of berries. I EITHER make seconds OR Pee...not both.

Debbie


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## mrpoland (Sep 9, 2011)

I just made my first step with elderberry. I was reading that some people love the wine, some people hate it and some people make it to mix it with other wine to get darker color. I am going to make a sample of 3-4L and then I will see what to think about elderberry wine.

My recipe says to mix 1l of water with 1l of juice. The sugar is included in the water. So proportion is 1:1. My proportion is 1:2 since it is just a test wine. I took my berries and mix them with the water and I boiled them for 15 min. then I add yeast and left it for 2 days. After that I squeezed the fruit and mixed them with another part of water and left it over night. The fermenting juice went to the bottle and I added some sugar. On the next day I squeezed the fruit again and added the juice to the main bottle. The fermentation so far is going on very well so I am looking forward for results! I am planning to make strong wine 16-17% so it will take me a while…. I have to say that this is very cheap wine and picking berries is not very hard.

Do you guys recommend elderberry wine as a good wine?


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## docanddeb (Sep 9, 2011)

We love it. It definitely needs sugar to bring out the goodness. It is very labor intensive here. The berries take hours for us to process. They grow on the edge of wetlands... so getting to them is a chore as well. Blends well with raspberry, cherry and blackberry.
It is a very healthy berry and if you make some syrup... you can make a good flu/cold preparation with elderberry, syrup, honey and hot water. 

Debbie


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## Julie (Sep 9, 2011)

docanddeb said:


> When you take the bag of berries off at about 4 days... you turn it into the honey/water. There are plenty of yeasties in that bag of berries. I EITHER make seconds OR Pee...not both.
> 
> Debbie



Thanks but I guess I'll stick with my full and blush and skeeter pee all from the same batch. I love the fact that I can get three separate batches of wine from on bag of elderberries.


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## docanddeb (Sep 9, 2011)

I have no one to drink more wine... so 2 batches is plenty! LOL

I like my Elderberry Pee to have a strong elder flavor, so I squeeze the heck out of the bag at that point.

Debbie


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## ffemt128 (Nov 4, 2011)

I racked off the 2011 Elderberry wine today and I am in the process of backsweetening. Both batches were at .992 sg and I am back sweetening to 1.002 for starters. The Tartaric Acid batch is very smooth to the taste and has good mouth feel. Both dry and back sweetened. There is noticible tartness to the Acid Blend batch in it's dry state. I will be adding my simple syrup later this evening and will do a better comparison at that time. Later I will taste both dry and both sweetened and report back, initially there is IMHO significant taste difference to each.

Just an FYI, both batches had 1.5 oz Medium French Toast oak cubes added 6 weeks ago.


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## Boyd (Nov 4, 2011)

Gots about 75 pounds in the freezer and a 15 gallon conical fermenter.

Stumbled onto a bunch near Minneapolis at the end of the season.

Thinking about going whole hog and using them in one batch.

Should work? I hope?

Did 5 gallons of Marquette/Elderberry/Black raspberry last year. Tasted it today. Not bad. More important my youngest daughter says it is good.

Going to let it set in the carboy for another month.


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## ffemt128 (Nov 5, 2011)

I checked the PH and Acid levels this am after calibrating the meter. The readings were as follows;

Tartaric Acid Batch - Ph 3.04 .74% TA
Acid Blend Batch - Ph 3.44 .78% TA

Not sure if those number correlate given the different acids. I'll check them again after the back sweetening has a chance to blend for a week or so. Will determine if I need to back sweeten any more at that point. Right now being at 1.002 it's tasting pretty good, however I did like the tartness of last years batch.

Any comments from someone more in the know about the PH and TA levels?


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## ffemt128 (Nov 7, 2011)

Well after playing around with a 1/2 gallon of this over the weekend. We increased the sweetness from 1.002 to 1.006 and added another 1 1/2 tsp of acid to each. The added acid would be half of what we added while playing around with the sample. Will add more if needed later.


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## ffemt128 (Dec 4, 2011)

Just got done racking both batches of the 2011 Elderberry. I have 2 very full 5 gallon carboys of each. I did bottle 2 bottles of the acid blend batch, one with a T-cork and one with a regular cork. The additional adjustment to both sugar and acid were well worth it. I have to say it is quite good. Both batches are smooth with not bitter taste or bite to them. I think they will be well received when they are bottled in January.


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## docanddeb (Dec 4, 2011)

I find the Elderberry can take quite a bit of acid and is much improved by the final tweaking!!

I loooove elderberry! We opened one from 2009 the other night... man.... it was fantastic!

It's super with honey too!! and of course... elder pee! It's such a pain to sort them that you have to use the same batch 2-3 times to get your labor costs out of it!! Thank goodness the berries are wild!

Debbie


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## ffemt128 (Feb 3, 2012)

Over the last week I have filtered and bottled both batches of the 2011 elderberry wine. As you recall, one had acid blend added and the other utilized tartaric acid. Both had very similar ph and acid % readings to start. I have taken the opportunity to taste both of the batches at bottling. While both are very good in flavor, I have to say that the batch with the tartaric acid tastes smother with a bolder flavor than the batch with the acid blend. 

I believe that in the future when I make elderberry, I will be using tartaric acid in place of acid blend.


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## Wade E (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks for the update on this!


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## ffemt128 (Feb 3, 2012)

Wade E said:


> Thanks for the update on this!



My pleasure, I was quite surprised at the difference in taste between the 2 batches.


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## ffemt128 (Feb 29, 2012)

Well, sorry to say, I only have a case and a bottle or so of each batch left. I'm not sorry to say that this wine has been a hit with everyone who has tried it. We've drank some with close friends and gave some away to those same friends. I need to hide the remaining bottles so that It can age until I get more berries. 

Don't worry Julie, I got you covered with your bottles since you said you wanted to try the different acids.


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## mrpoland (Mar 1, 2012)

My eldberry was a big surprise! With the first taste I was not happy with the wine and I thought it was wasted time. Then with every sip the taste was changing. After another glass the wine becomes very interesting. I have a feeling like this is like olives! Lots of people didn’t like them, including me, but with the time they love it. I also believe you guys that with the time the wine will be better! I am going to wait longer to taste it again and then decide if I should repeat it next year.


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## Boyd (Mar 4, 2012)

Racked a 13 gallon jug of elderberry yesterday and had more green goop sticking to the side than you could shake a stick at.

Man at midwest supply sugested PBW. Tried it and it disolved all the goop in a few minutes. Dumped 3 tablespoons full in the jug, added about 1/2 gallon of water, the rolled the jug around until clean.

No more vegetable oil for me.


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## gird123 (Mar 18, 2012)

My primary and secondary were covered in green. I used 2 tbs of oxyclean and it worked very well.


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## Julie (Mar 18, 2012)

Alright Doug, do you still have me covered????? LOL, we need to do a taste comparison. I am getting ready to start another batch of this, still trying to clean out the freezer. I still have my son's freezer filled with apples, hopefully I can get to that this spring as well.


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## ffemt128 (Mar 19, 2012)

Julie said:


> Alright Doug, do you still have me covered????? LOL, we need to do a taste comparison. I am getting ready to start another batch of this, still trying to clean out the freezer. I still have my son's freezer filled with apples, hopefully I can get to that this spring as well.


 
I got you covered. Don't you worry.


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