I have been asked many times for a coconut wine recipe. For years, my stock answer was that I had never seen one. Indeed, my understanding was that the oil in the coconut went rancid before the wine was made. Then one day last December a couple, John and Tammy, sent me one. It was from, of all people, C.J.J. Berry. How I had missed it is anyone's guess. I've just been waiting for someone to request it again as an excuse to publish it. Thank you, Malta.
Bring 1 quart water to boil and add rice; boil for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the dates and mix then with the coconut in a boiler. Strain the rice, adding the water from it to the boiler containing the coconut and chopped dates. Bring to a boil and hold for 15 minutes. Strain the water over the sugar, yeast nutrients and acid blend and stir until dissolved completely. Allow to cool to room temperature, transfer to primary and add activated yeast. Cover and ferment until initially vigorous fermentation subsides, then transfer to secondary and attach an airlock. After 3 months, rack into clean secondary with crushed and dissolved Campden tablet, top up and refit airlock. Wait 3 additional months and rack, top up and refit airlock again. After additional month, stabilize, sweeten if desired and rack into bottles. [Adapted from recipe by C.J.J. Berry]
My thanks to Stephen and Alessia of Malta for this request.
