How to Make Strawberry Moonshine

Do you have a garden full of strawberries? This homemade strawberry moonshine recipe requires only a few simple ingredients and a little patience to wait for fermentation. This recipe can also be used to make strawberry wine (with or without adding grapes).

Health Benefits of Strawberries

Studies have found that consuming strawberries regularly can aid in nutritional therapy for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic inflammatory disease. One study also showed that regular consumption of strawberries offers further heart protection in adults with obesity and elevated cholesterol. You can read more about the health benefits of strawberries in this article.

Harvesting Strawberries

Harvesting fresh strawberries can be extended with new varieties. If you need a few weeks to accumulate more strawberries, you can store strawberries in the freezer (homegrown strawberries have a very short shelf life). June-bearing strawberries (the traditional variety) will produce a crop ready for harvest from May through June. Everbearing strawberries will produce a main crop in June, then a later crop in early fall, and a small amount of fruit in between. Day-neutral strawberries will produce a crop from July through October. You can read more about growing strawberries in this article.

Optional Strawberry Wine Ingredients

Adding yeast to the recipe can jump-start the fermentation process, yielding homemade moonshine in fewer months. If you are using home-grown strawberries (not store-bought), adding yeast is unnecessary because of the natural yeast found on the surface of the strawberry. Store-bought berries are loaded with preservatives and chemicals that prevent the fermentation process, giving the berries a longer shelf-life. Adding yeast will be necessary when using store-bought berries.
Raisins will add body to the strawberry wine, meaning that they increase the viscosity of the strawberry brandy. This also allows the flavors to linger in the mouth longer, and also gives off a slight caramel taste. Adding raisins may also increase the sweetness of the drink (great for dessert alcohol).
Pectin can also be added to thicken the strawberry schnapps. Strawberries (even homegrown) do not contain a lot of natural pectin, and can be added to thicken the moonshine if desired.
Tannin can be added to increase the bitterness and dryness taste of the moonshine or wine. A natural source of tannin includes green oak leaves and grape leaves.
Lemon zest can be added for a strawberry lemonade moonshine flavor.
Rhubarb can be added for a strawberry rhubarb moonshine.

Strawberry Mead Equipment

1 gallon carboy (Amazon Affiliate Link), or glass jar with fermenting airlock lid (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Siphon (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Funnel (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Flip top bottles (Amazon Affiliate Link), not needed until after 5-6 weeks of fermenting

Strawberry Moonshine Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of strawberries (about 3-4 cups)
1.5 pounds of honey (about 2 cups)
0.5 pounds of raisins (about 1.5 cups)
1 gallon of water

Strawberry Moonshine Instructions

Sanitize everything that will be used in the brewing process.
Heat about 1/2 gallon of water in the pot on low heat. Once it’s starting to steam (not boiling), add the honey and stir it so it dissolves. Let the diluted honey cool to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit (so that natural yeast is not killed by hot water).
Add strawberries and raisins into the one-gallon jug.
Use the funnel and carefully pour the cool diluted honey mixture into the jug.
Top off the jug with cold water, leaving at least 2 inches of head space on top. Put the lid on the jug and gently mix everything around a bit.
Add water to the airlock, and put it with the rubber stopper into the end of the carboy. Store in a cool dark place. It should start bubbling within 12-24 hours.
After about 4-6 weeks of fermenting, and once all bubbles have stopped rising in the jug and airlock, the mead can be bottled and aged. The strawberry moonshine is drinkable 2 months after bottling, and tastes best about 1 year later.

Other Strawberry Recipes:

If you have a garden full of strawberries, try our Homemade Strawberry Wine Recipe, or our Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe!

Other Homemade Wine Recipes:

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