4 litres boiling water 1kg white sugar 2 lemons 1tsp citric acid 375g sultanas 385g fresh bilberries 1½ tsp pectolase

DAY 1: 14-08-05
The berries were collected amid a plague of flies straight out of the Old Testament! The scarcity of the berries and the incessant coalescence of flies around the ears and eyes meant that after a whole hour two of us only managed to garner 385g of fruit. Under ideal circumstances I'd have liked nearer double that quantity, but as it was collection of any more would have probably resulted un permanent madness!

The sugar and citric acid were dissolved in the boiling water, which was poured over the berries, lemons and sultanas. The bucket was covered and the fruit allowed to steep overnight.

DAY 2: 15-08-05
Expecting the fruit to have a high pectin content 1½ tsp pectolase was stirred into the cooled liquid, along with 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient. A starter bottle was prepared, and added to the mixture later in the day.

DAY 7: 20-08-05
Having stirred the effervescent liquid daily or a week, the fruit was strained out with a fine nylon bag and the liquid transferred to a sterilised demijohn to continue fermenting. Although only 4 litres of water were added at the start with considerable squeezing it proved possible to filled the 4.5 litre bottle -there by obtaining as much flavour as possible from the limited quantity of bilberries.

WEEK 9: 17-10-05
The wine had stopped fermenting, and the gravity was checked (found to be 990). The pale purple wine was racked into a clean bottle and topped up with cooled boiled water. Treated with Kwik Clear to aid removal of the dense haze.

WEEK 33: 01-04-06
Now pretty clear the wine was passed through the Vin Brite filter for a final polish, treated with a crushed campden tablet and a little sorbate. The wine was returned to the demi john to await bottling.

WEEK 38: 07-05-06
Bottled into green glass

The elusive bilberry.