Bochetomel Fruity, Toasted Mead
Mead made with caramelized (heated/toasted) honey and fruits.
RecipeMakes 1 Gallon
- 1.0 lbs of honey
- 1.5 pounds of honey for caramelization
- 3-5 cups of crushed fruit of your choice; we suggest black cherries or raspberries--go ahead, mix and match!
Slowly heat honey, in a deep saucepan or pot, to no more than 230 °F/110 °C, until it darkens substantially. It will foam up, this is normal. How dark is up to you--the darker, the longer it must age. When you're satisfied with the level of caramelization, remove from the heat and add some warm water to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
If you wish, for a more full-bodied flavor, you can combine the Traditional recipe with this one.
Add all the honey and fruit to your fermenter, then fill with water up to half way. Shake the fermenter vigorously to dissolve the honey and aerate the must. Add water to fill most of the way, leaving some headspace in case it foams up. Add the yeast of your choice, and shake to incorporate. Finally, install an airlock, and store in a cool, dark place.
Once fermentation is complete, rack into another vessel for batch conditioning (also called secondary fermentation) or directly bottle.