- Clean and sanitize all of your equipment. I like to wash the jug with soap and water, allow it to air dry a bit, then rinse the jug with cheap vodka and air dry fully. (vodka isn’t a means of sanitation; it only helps with water evaporation)
- Once your equipment is prepped, add the strawberries, water, and honey to a pot, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes; while simmering, mash the strawberries a little with a spoon.
- Remove from heat and place a fine mesh colander over a pitcher or bowl; strain out the strawberry pulp and collect the liquid.
- Allow the strawberry liquid to cool, then, using a funnel, add it to the 1/2 gallon jug. (optional: add an extra cup of washed fresh strawberries to the jug)
- Add in the cider yeast and mix gently by swirling. Wait about 30 minutes for the yeast to get frothy and active.
- In the meantime, heat the apple juice until simmering. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Carefully using a funnel, add the apple juice to the jug leaving two inches of headspace (see pictures above).
- Cap the jug and swirl it around for about a minute.
- Remove the cap and place the airlock and stopper in the jug (see pictures above).
- After a few hours, you should notice a lot of bubbling in the mead and activity in the airlock.
- Allow the mead to ferment for 7 to 14 days until the bubbling completely stops, and you no longer see any activity in the airlock. At this point, you should see a lot of sediment in the bottom of the jug.
- Racking the mead: Remove the airlock and, using a funnel, transfer the mead to a new, clean jug for aging. Be careful pouring; pour gently and in one steady pour, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the original jug.
- Cap the jug with a regular lid. Allow the mead to age at a cool room temperature or in the fridge for four weeks.
- At this point, you can rack the mead again with more aging time or move on to bottling.
- To Bottle the mead with honey: Clean and sterilize two 1-liter carbonation-safe bottles. Add one tablespoon of honey to each 1-liter bottle. Transfer the mead from the aging jug into the carbonation-safe bottles using a funnel, leaving any sediment in the bottom of the jug. Cap the bottles and invert gently twice to mix the honey with the mead.
- Allow to ferment in the bottles at a cool room temperature for five days, then immediately store in the fridge. (check the carbonation by carefully opening a bottle over the sink, if it is not carbonated enough, you can leave it at room temperature for seven days.)
- You can age the mead for 3 more weeks in the fridge before enjoying it chilled. Keep refrigerated.
