Artificially Colored Canned Strawberries

[BamaTim]

I made a gallon of wine using 2 - 15oz. cans of strawberries in light syrup and the rest of the jug was filled with Welch's concord grape juice. The strawberries and syrup were a bright red color because of artificial color added. This didn't pose any problem to fermentation as Pasteur Red/Montrachet mix gave a vigorous ferment. Have racked the first time and have a nice deep red color in the jug that has just about cleared all the way to the bottom. Tomorrow I want to stir it up and let the lees drop again helping to clear it. It's got a pretty good taste this early as it was started June 24. This was the only canned strawberries that I could find in any of my stores, with artificial color. Do the canned ones over in Europe have this goop in it?
After dumping them into the primary at first and then discovering that they contained art. color I started to dump it all out and start over. When I looked at the cash register receipt I decided to take a gamble. My first concern of course was if it would interfere with fermentation, which it didn't. The second concern was if the art. color would give it a bitter taste. So far that's not been detectable. This brings up an interesting thought to me: has anyone ever made wine using the green colored bottled cherries? If so what color green would the wine retain? I haven't lost my mind, just think that some green colored wine might make a nice Christmas present.

[Mamgiowl]

It'd be interesting anyway.

Doesn't Creme de Menthe use green colouring?

[BamaTim]

The strawberry wine that I wrote about earlier has been racked a couple of times now, has a very good taste to me. The last racking was last weekend and when I put the airlock back in I noticed that the pressure pushed the water around thru the lock but it never bubbled and now it's equalized. I guess that I could get one of those whips and beat the CO2 out but with time it'll leave on it's own.
My magnolia/elderflower with just a couple of handfuls of blackberries tastes very good now. No sign of pressure build up after racking but still got it in the jug bulk aging. I'm not sure when it'll get a cold treatment before bottling, guess a sip along will tell me when. Can anyone tell that I don't like to rush a wine too much. My older brother is about to have a fit for me to declare one type or the other up for grabs.

[Mamgiowl]

It's good to hear of someone not rushing their wines, even the indifferent ones I've made have improved with age. I would suggest that when you are ready to drink it, you hide some bottles from your brother. My OH is just like him, so I've got a secret stash he knows nothing about.

I think!

[StockeyDAW]

BT - The debate over food colorings has been going on for more than 20 years. No decision yet. We have been told not to add food coloring to the hummingbird sugar water that we make! Hope a decision on the matter is made soon with the amount of coloring our children are apparently ingesting in a week.

Great about the Strawberry. ? about the food coloring added to the canned strawberries and many cherries?

Ageing a wine is very important. It is like us humans - the older we get the better we are. In wine 6 months may do the trick but a year is better and for some wines - ports 5 or 20 years are the ideal. Keep your brother posted set a date and celebrate! Cheers DAW