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Fruit can be added to mead (or must ) to create cysers, pyments, and melomels.
The taste and character of the mead can be greatly influenced by the tannins,
nutrients, sugars, and acids present in fruit. Here are some basic tips on
adding fruit to mead along with information regarding the sugar and acid content
of fruits commonly used in mead making.
Tips for Adding Fruit to Mead
If you use heat to sanitize your fruit, make sure that the fruit is not over
heated. Heat can set pectin which may make your mead cloudy. Tannins
are primarily contained in the skin and seeds of fruit. You do have some
control over the amount of tannins added to your recipe by choosing to include
or exclude the skins and seeds of the fruit.
Consider freezing your fruit before adding it to your mead or must.
Freezing breaks cell walls which allows for better juice extraction.
Mashing and pulping your fruit also helps to release the greatest possible
amount of juice. Put the fruit into a cloth bag before adding it to your
mead. This keeps the fruit particles together which makes removal and
cleanup quick and easy.
Reduce the amount of yeast nutrients in a recipe if you decide to add fruit
during primary fermentation. Nutrients present in the fruit will make the
must more inviting to the yeast, so additives may not be necessary. If you
add fruit with a high acid content, you may not need to add an acid blend to the
recipe.
You can achieve different results by adding fruit at different times during the
fermentation. The sugars in fruit juice are more accessible than the
sugars in honey, so if fruit is added during the primary fermentation those
sugars will likely be converted into alcohol. If fruits are added during
secondary or tertiary fermentation, the sweetness and the character of the fruit
are more likely to be prominent in the final product.
Cysers, pyments, and melomels all taste wonderful, and I enjoy the fact that I
made them with fewer manmade store bought additives.
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Sugar and Acid Content of Fruits |
|
Fruit |
% Sugar |
Acid Level |
|
Apples |
10.39 % |
low |
|
Apricots |
9.24 % |
medium |
|
Blackberries |
7.70 % |
low |
|
Blueberries |
11.00 % |
low |
|
Grapes |
16.25 % |
low |
|
Honeydew Melons |
8.12 % |
low |
|
Kiwi |
8.99 % |
high |
|
Lemons |
2.40 % |
high |
|
Limes |
1.69 % |
high |
|
Mangos |
14.80 % |
low |
|
Oranges |
9.14 % |
medium |
|
Passion Fruit |
11.20 % |
high |
|
Peaches |
8.39 % |
low |
|
Pears |
9.80 % |
low |
|
Pineapple |
8.29 % |
medium |
|
Plums |
9.92 % |
low |
|
Raspberries |
4.42 % |
medium |
|
Strawberries |
5.10 % |
medium |
|
Watermelon |
6.20 % |
low |
Sugar content information was obtained from the USDA
website. Acid content is estimated:
low = less than 1%, medium = greater than 1% but
less than 3%, high = greater than 3%
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