Palm wine is a natural drink which is extracted from the sap of palm or coconut or date palm tree. The extract is naturally not alcoholic, it turns alcoholic during the natural fermentation process which takes place once the extract is left for few hours.

How to make Palm wine at home?

Palm wine can be made at home in all natural process without any additives or artificial items added to it.

Ingredients needed to prepare 600ml or palm wine:

Coconut or tender coconut water: 500 ml

Regular sugar or brown sugar or palm sugar: half a cup

Cinnamon – half a stick

Cloves – 2 nos

Elachi – 1 pod

Water – ¼ cup

Dry Yeast – ¼ teaspoon

Process:

Step 1: Preparing the spices and sugar mixture.

You can avoid this step if  you do not want to add the spices and you can add the sugar directly to the coconut / tender coconut water

Bring the ¼ cup of water to boil

To that add the spices as per your liking

Add in the sugar to this mixture

Take this solution away from the stove once the sugar has dissolved

Step 2: Activating the yeast

Warm ¼ cup of water and add 2 spoons of sugar

Let the sugar dissolve

Wait for the solution to cool down to a luke warm temperature. At this temperature, you can comfortably keep your fingers in the water without you feeling a burning sensation for 5 seconds

How add ¼ spoon of yeast and mix this solution

Let it rest for 5 – 10 minutes and you will see bubbles / froth forming

This means the yeast is active

Step 3: Bottling and starting the fermentation process

You can choose a glass bottle or a food grade plastic bottle

Wash the bottle and the cap using warm water to sanitise it

Add in the coconut / tender coconut water to the bottle

Then add in the sugar + spice mixture to the bottle

Last add in the yeast solution to the bottle

If needed add in boiled and cooled down water to take the water level to 2 inch below the mouth of the bottle

Put the cap and mix it well

Step 4: Storing the bottle

The solution will continuously produce CO2 from the fermentation process, which also keeps the mixture from not going stale as it stops oxidation of the material. You need to let this gas to escape. There are two methods, one is to burp the wine, which means, you need to open the cap every 12 – 24 hours to let out the gas. If you do not burp the wine, the bottle will explode.

Alternatively,  you can also leave the cap lose, so that gas can release easily, but will not allow insects from entering the wine.

Store this bottle in a clean, dark and dry place. The wine can be had any time after 48 hours. For the fermentation to complete, you need to wait for the bubbles to stop. The wine should be had within 24 hours after the bubble stops.

Step 5: Serving

The wine will leave a sediment at the bottom. You need to avoid this sediment for best taste and quality. You can filter the wine using a find cloth or pour the wine leaving behind the sediment carefully. You also need to shake this mixture vigorously in a bottle if you want to remove any dissolved gases in the wine. 

You can have this wine as it is or chill it in a fridge or can be served by adding in ice cubes.

Hope you enjoy making and having this all natural palm wine!!