Oxeye Daisy Wine - I'm going for it!

[BigDaveK]

I hate to write this but it has to be done - "Please don't eat the daisies. Drink them!" Sorry.

Oxeye daisies are probably everywhere. Easy to harvest but just a little time consuming to gather enough.
When I first tasted the greens of the oxeye daisy early in the year there was a very strong balsamic flavor. I read that whatever chemical was responsible for the flavor was present in every cell of the plant. It was delicious and I was really looking forward to a wine.



I used 2 quarts (397 gr) daisies, citric acid, and ec1118 yeast, fermented with the flowers. Transferred a few days ago.



Very yellow! Slightest balsamic hint, easy to miss. But this is what surprised me - 1118 isn't known for fruity esters like 71B but this tastes like a fruit wine. I would bet money it's a fruit wine and not flower...a fruit you can't quite identify. It's way too early for any kind of judgement but right now it's delicious.
I may have to harvest and freeze more flowers just in case.

 

[Ohio Bob]

Bravo!

Never ceases to amaze. I think we have a new Jack Keller and we are all witnesses in real time!

 

[BigDaveK]

Bravo!

Never ceases to amaze. I think we have a new Jack Keller and we are all witnesses in real time!

Very kind of you to say that but I'm just curious.....and very cheap!

 

[Newbie Mel]

Very kind of you to say that but I'm just curious.....and very cheap!

Ever see the movie Idiocracy when the guy says “Money? I like money”. I’m the opposite, I’m like, Cheap? I like cheap!”

 

[BigDaveK]

Ever see the movie Idiocracy when the guy says “Money? I like money”. I’m the opposite, I’m like, Cheap? I like cheap!”

That movie, though entertaining, was almost painful to watch. And now here we are, life imitating art. Crazy world.

One of my mullein had one flower yesterday. "Had" a flower - it was good! I tasted a possible wine!

And my Evening Primrose are still weeks away from blooming. I've read the flowers delicious so I can't wait to sample them.

I definitely like cheap, too!

 

[Newbie Mel]

I’ve collected a handful of flowers from mullein. I have them drying because I suffer from simmers ear and hoping to make a solution for that. I didn’t even think of wine! But not surprised you have . I only have one plant on property, going to collect seeds and plant, but hear it takes 2 years to produce stalk. I am still trying to learn this thing y’all call patience.

I have wild petunia growing like crazy, tried a little tea today- no taste .

That movie, though entertaining, was almost painful to watch. And now here we are, life imitating art. Crazy world.

One of my mullein had one flower yesterday. "Had" a flower - it was good! I tasted a possible wine!

And my Evening Primrose are still weeks away from blooming. I've read the flowers delicious so I can't wait to sample them.

I definitely like cheap, too

 

[Newbie Mel]

I’ve collected a handful of flowers from mullein. I have them drying because I suffer from simmers ear and hoping to make a solution for that. I didn’t even think of wine! But not surprised you have . I only have one plant on property, going to collect seeds and plant, but hear it takes 2 years to produce stalk. I am still trying to learn this thing y’all call patience.

I have wild petunia growing like crazy, tried a little tea today- no taste .

Oh lord I should proof read my post before hitting enter (further shows my lack of patience) I get swimmers ear, not simmer!!

 

[Daytona249]

@ bigdavek not to get you off track with your next surprise for us but have you tried beet wine. Don't know anyone that has , I just thought it was something I might consider if anyone had input or recipes.

 

[BigDaveK]

@ bigdavek not to get you off track with your next surprise for us but have you tried beet wine. Don't know anyone that has , I just thought it was something I might consider if anyone had input or recipes.

Yes, I tried beet wine last year and I'll be bottling soon. I was a little impatient and made a mistake - I used my homegrown beets late last summer. Earthy flavor. I forgot a few in the ground and harvested in December. Oh my God they were sweet and delicious but I didn't have enough for wine! Lesson learned.

Beet wine is certainly worth it. If growing your own, wait to harvest!

 

[BigDaveK]

I’ve collected a handful of flowers from mullein. I have them drying because I suffer from simmers ear and hoping to make a solution for that. I didn’t even think of wine! But not surprised you have . I only have one plant on property, going to collect seeds and plant, but hear it takes 2 years to produce stalk. I am still trying to learn this thing y’all call patience.

I have wild petunia growing like crazy, tried a little tea today- no taste .

Being a gardener helps with the patience that's for sure. I have a few biennial plants, mullein is one, and my Big Leaf Magnolia should have flowers in another 4-5 years. I don't know about your part of Kentucky but around here mullein is everywhere. And they sure are easy to spot!

Too bad about the wild petunia. I experienced the same thing with wild violets earlier in the year, no flavor. Same thing with chicory flowers but that was no surprise. If I get bored I'll dig up some chicory roots.

 

[Daytona249]

Yes, I tried beet wine last year and I'll be bottling soon. I was a little impatient and made a mistake - I used my homegrown beets late last summer. Earthy flavor. I forgot a few in the ground and harvested in December. Oh my God they were sweet and delicious but I didn't have enough for wine! Lesson learned.

Beet wine is certainly worth it. If growing your own, wait to harvest!

Thanks a million BigDaveK

 

[Raptor99]

I have a 6 foot tall mullein growing in a path in my garden. I am trying to figure out what to do with it. Apparently the leaves have numerous medicinal uses, especially for helping with coughs.

Has anyone made wine from mullein leaves or flowers? What does it taste like?

@Newbie Mel Mullein is a biennial, so it will produce a tall stalk with flowers the 2nd year. After that it will die, but new plants sprout from the seeds. I'm trying to decide if I should save some seeds and plant them somewhere.

 

[BigDaveK]

Has anyone made wine from mullein leaves or flowers? What does it taste like?

Another one of those weeds with a 1001 uses ...including rosy cheeks. Apparently the dried leaves can be used for tea AND a tobacco substitute. Huh. I'll have to try a tea....and also compare it with my black cavendish.

I ate one flower a few days ago, all I had, and it was actually quite tasty! Wine is possible. Waiting for some hard core blooming.

 

[Newbie Mel]

I see the mullein all over the sides of the roads. I am a relatively newcomer to the area so I don’t step on private property due to possibility of being shot. Yes, that’s a thing around here. I also see lots bordering farmland and I stay away from those because I don’t know what’s been sprayed. I’m going to save some seeds to plant then wait 2 years to see how many flowers I can get.

I have some leaves drying now. I will either make a tincture or go smoke some with @BigDaveK

 

[BigDaveK]

I see the mullein all over the sides of the roads. I am a relatively newcomer to the area so I don’t step on private property due to possibility of being shot. Yes, that’s a thing around here. I also see lots bordering farmland and I stay away from those because I don’t know what’s been sprayed. I’m going to save some seeds to plant then wait 2 years to see how many flowers I can get.

I have some leaves drying now. I will either make a tincture or go smoke some with @BigDaveK

That is so funny on multiple levels -
I live in an outdoor tourist area - cabins, camping, zip lines, canoeing, hiking etc - and years ago when *I* was a tourist I enjoyed driving the back roads. More than once someone watched me drive by while holding a shotgun on their porch. And now, living on a dead end road with only two houses, when a sightseer drives up the road and turns around I always have "something" very close by. Gotta keep an eye on those city folk!

And I ALSO have multiple mullein leaves drying!! Tea and tobacco are my plans.

 

[Raptor99]

That is so funny on multiple levels -
I live in an outdoor tourist area - cabins, camping, zip lines, canoeing, hiking etc - and years ago when *I* was a tourist I enjoyed driving the back roads. More than once someone watched me drive by while holding a shotgun on their porch. And now, living on a dead end road with only two houses, when a sightseer drives up the road and turns around I always have "something" very close by. Gotta keep an eye on those city folk!

And I ALSO have multiple mullein leaves drying!! Tea and tobacco are my plans.

Dang! Now that I live in the countryside, I guess I need to get a shotgun.

 

[BigDaveK]

Bottled....and another incredible surprise!

As a reminder, in message #1 I mentioned a strong balsamic flavor. That is now undetectable to me. A shame since I was looking forward to it.
Also, I wasn't expecting such a strong fruit flavor from EC1118. (More about the flavor in a moment.) I'm tempted to try again using 71B but I'm so happy with the result, maybe not!

Generic wine aroma with the slightest floral hint.

The fruit flavor is amazing and strong! Other flower wines I've made are berry-like but this is unmistakably tropical, a blend of mango-pineapple-banana. Another example of unbelievable flavor from a flower, a rarely used flower, and I'll absolutely make it again.

 

[Clover]

Hi Big Dave! I'm hoping to start my Big Dave inspired daisy wine today or next weekend. They've been in the freezer, I'm hoping they are still OK. I didn't make any wine all summer, it's just too hot, and my ferments run the same. Going to try for more winter cooler temps and ferments.

Quick question for you: Did you add any tannin?

Thanks - please keep up the inspiring experiments!

 

[BigDaveK]

@Clover it's been hot here too! And we finally got a good rain. The ground was like concrete.

I noticed many flowers start to change color and deteriorate quickly after picking. As a rule I'll start a wine minutes after harvesting enough or I'll vacuum seal and freeze. I've had no problem with vac sealed and frozen flowers.

It's surprising how many country wine ingredients have tannin. Some a lot, some a negligible amount. When in doubt I always add some. For this batch I added 1/8 tsp and my tasting notes said "add more next time". Did I mean add a little more or a lot more? No clue, sorry.

I hope your wine turns out well! This hobby can be an adventure! Good luck!

 

[winemanden]

@ bigdavek not to get you off track with your next surprise for us but have you tried beet wine. Don't know anyone that has , I just thought it was something I might consider if anyone had input or recipes.

Beetroot wine was the first wine I made, way back in 58. I only made 1 gallon, 6 bottles. I was impatient to try it and drank 5 bottles far too soon. Number 6, I gave to my father-in-law, who promptly shoved it to the back of the cold larder. We opened it a couple of years later. Wow, what a difference. It had gone tawny and smooth. That one bottle convinced me to keep making wine at home, and here I am, 91 and still fermenting,. Wine I mean, not me. Oh-h-h, I'm not too sure about that. I do lots of degassing!