Homemade Strawberry Wine

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/4/22
Rosé-colored wine in a high-stemmed wine glass, strawberries in the background

Mark Swallow / Getty Images

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Aging: 8,760 hrs
Total: 8,760 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 40 servings

The wine most of us are familiar with is made from grapes, of course, but grapes aren't the only fruit that can be turned into this beloved adult beverage. When other fruits, including strawberries, are mixed with water, lemon, and sugar, and left to ferment, a delicious fruit wine is created, offering an alternative to the traditional bottles on the liquor store shelves.

When making this easy recipe for homemade strawberry wine, you need to plan well in advance as the wine needs to age for at least one year. (Your investment will be minimal after the initial mashing, straining, and bottling.) This recipe doesn't require any added yeast since it relies on natural fermentation from the wild yeast already present on the fruit. If you don't want to trust nature, however, there is an option to add wine yeast.

Ingredients

  • 7 pounds whole strawberries

  • 2 gallons boiling water

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 2 teaspoons wine yeast, optional

  • 5 pounds sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Wash and hull strawberries, removing any stem or bits of leaf.

  3. In a large earthenware crock, mash strawberries.

  4. Cover mashed berries with boiling water.

  5. Add lemon juice and quickly stir for about 2 minutes.

  6. If you want to add wine yeast, mix into strawberry mash once it has cooled to 85 F.

  7. Cover the crock with a clean linen cloth. Let crock rest in a cool, dark place.

  8. Give it a stir each day for one week.

  9. After one week, strain mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth into a large, clean bowl, discarding strawberry pulp.

  10. Combine strawberry liquid with sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar.

  11. Pour liquid into a clean crock and let stand another week, stirring daily.

  12. After the second week, pour strawberry liquid into 1-gallon glass wine bottles and cork loosely. If you have fermentation locks, you can use those instead of a loose cork.

  13. Let bottles rest in a cool, dark place for three months.

  14. When wine is clear and no longer fermenting (bubbling), pour it into individual bottles. Cork bottles and let them age for at least one year before drinking this delicious strawberry wine.

Tips

  • You can use any strawberries for this recipe, but the best flavor nuances will come from garden strawberries or wild strawberries. Seek out strawberries from the farmers market in season (early summer in most regions) if you don't grow your own.
  • Be sure to label the bottles with the date so you know when it's time to enjoy the wine.
  • You'll need space for the crock and bottles to be left to do their work. When fermenting, it's best to keep them in a cool, dark place, such as a closet.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
246 Calories
0g Fat
63g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 40
Amount per serving
Calories 246
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 61g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 48mg 241%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 127mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)