Italian Plum Ginger Mead Recipe

Italian plums, also known as prune plums, are available from late summer into early fall. I happened across them when Apple picking and thought they would make for an interesting addition for a seasonal melomel. This recipe pairs the subtly sweet depth of the Italian plums with a spicy kick from fresh ginger, creating a nice balance of flavors that’s intriguing yet approachable.

Whether you’re picking from a local orchard or finding them at a farmers’ market, this mead rewards a little patience with a layered, aromatic result. Enjoy this Italian Plum Ginger Melomel chilled slightly. Great seasonal sipper for around a bonfire with friends as the weather cools or sharing around a holiday table with family (Italian, or otherwise). This mead will quickly become a fall favorite.

Tasting Notes & Tips

Be patient with clearing and aging. Extended aging will reward you with smoother, more integrated flavors and a clear appearance. Once mature, you’ll have an aromatic melomel with a slightly sweet finish that balances the natural tartness of the fruit and spicy ginger finish.

Ingredients (for a 5 gal batch)

• Approx 5 gal water
• 12 lb Honey (Wildflower or Orange Blossom)
• 1 packet Lalvin 71B‑1122 Yeast 
• 30 lb fresh or frozen Italian plums, pitted & lightly puréed
• 5 Tsp Yeast nutrient
• Pectic enzyme (to clarify fruit haze)
• 200 g fresh ginger, sliced or grated

Directions

1. Pit and lightly purée the plums to enhance juice extraction. Avoid blending too finely. Coarse purée or mashing is ideal to retain clarity and color.
2. Combine honey and warmed filtered water in the sanitized fermentation bucket, stirring thoroughly until honey is fully dissolved.
3. Add the plum purée into a sanitized mesh bag and submerge in the must. This allows easy removal later and minimizes sediment.
4. Rehydrate the yeast  and add into the must once temperature cools to around 68-72°F.
5. Mix in half the yeast nutrient (2.5tsp) at yeast pitch and the remainder divided into increments over the first few days of active fermentation.
6. Set to ferment in primary bucket, gently agitating every couple of days for the first week to manage fruit cap and promote flavor extraction.
7. After primary fermentation slows around 10-14 days, rack into a sanitized glass carboy.
8. Prepare ginger tincture by simmering the grated ginger in 1 liter of water for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, strain, and add to secondary.
9. Allow the mead to age in secondary for 3-6 months, racking occasionally as sediment forms.
10. Add pectic enzyme, about 2.5 teaspoons, to help break down fruit pectin and ensure clarity.
11.  When clear and stable, Bottle your melomel and let it age for an additional 3-6 months to enhance complexity and depth.
12. Serve chilled, and enjoy!