I've used the same starter recipe for years with great success.

6 cups water to the boil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup Light Dried Malt Extract
Nutrients

Boil for 15 minutes then chill to 90F
Proof yeast at 104F in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes
Pitch

Usually this is bubbling away in 12 hours or less. Makes enough starter for
two batches if need be but usually I just use it in one batch.

Stephen

Last fall I was in up in North Carolina for Thanksgiving and had a great
Blackberry Mead. I decided that was going to be my next venture and was
looking forward to trying my own hand at some. I was patiently waiting
for Blackberry season so I could go to a local U-pick it place and lay up
enough to start a batch this fall. Since I live in Florida summer brewing
is out. However, the U-pick it place closed their Blackberry fields and is
now only doing grapes. Since I do not know anybody who grew enough
Blackberries to supply my needs, and I am too cheap to buy enough at the
supermarket, and even the Farmers Market is high I decided to go the canned
route. I brought a 96 oz packed fruit base and 64 oz of Blackberry Puree
(both by names home brewers would recognize) and a couple 15 oz bags of
quick-froze whole berries. The recipe I had planned to use called for
fresh fruit so it is out. I will be using Wyeast Dry Mead yeast. I prefer
adding fruit to the primary and have made several meads with fresh fruit
but have never used canned fruit. Anyone out there have pointers or a
recipe they have used that turned out good. Thanks.

Randy Wallis
vwbettle72@earthlink.ne