Ginger Wine - A Simple Recipe

Ginger Wine is a great herb drink which has been underrated for many a year. Having made many batches in the UK, I often forget how much I enjoyed this drink in the evening and not just in winter, but all year round. It is a fortified wine and not like ginger beer where the finished article only has its own alcohol content from fermenting.

This recipe has stuck in my mind for years I don't know exactly where I got it from but is was a learning curve to arrive at this particular recipe. You can of course customise it to you own taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 litres water
• 1 1/2 kg sugar
• 1 lemon
• 50 g fresh ginger
• 1 tsp dried wine yeast
• 120 g chopped raisins or sultanas
• 1 bottle brandy (75 gm)

METHOD:

• Put the water, sugar, lemon zest and ginger that has been cut and crushed in a saucepan and boil. Leave on a low simmer for at least and hour.

• Leave it to cool after discarding any scum that forms on the top of the liquid.

• Stir in the wine yeast when tepid and place the saucepan lid on loosely and leave for 24 hours.

• Add lemon juice and raisins or sultanas to the liquid and transfer the mixture into a clean plastic container and cover with a lid loosely or a clean tea towel. This needs to be left in a warm place for 2-3 weeks and stirred every day.

• The brandy can now be added and left another couple of weeks without stirring.

• Place the container in a cool place for 24 hours then strain or siphon off the clear wine into wine or plastic lemonade bottles.

• Serve cool or with ice.

TIP:
You can serve this as a toddy by heating up the wine on a cold night (not too hot though as the alcohol will evaporate.)

Cheers For Stinging Nettles

Stinging nettles can be very painful and memories as a child from touching them are quite vivid. We learn from experience and most who have encountered stinging nettles for the first time I am sure were left with a lasting impression of pain. But nettles have many other uses, including the sting elements.

The Romans rubbed nettles on their body to reduce arthritic pain and is commonly prescribed in the treatment of arthritis today in the form of tea or tincture.

The nettle herb is rich in minerals including iron, calcium and silica and also vitamin C and chlorophyll. something that many don't know is that the nettle has lots of protein and excellent nutritional value and used as a good tonic for blood, iron deficiency, gout, chronic skin diseases and rheumatism.

Food wise, nettle can bee used in the same way as spinach and tastes simliar, try mixing it and cooking with spinach. Nettle beer is an old favourite of mine, the recipe is given here - Well worth the effort and don't forget, it is very cheap to make.

HOME-MADE NETTLE BEER

Ingredients

• 1 kg Young Nettles (Tops only)
• 5 ltrs Water
• 500g Sugar
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 25g Cream of Tartar
• 15g Brewers or Wine Yeast

7 Step Method

1. Wash the nettles and shake dry in a tea towel.
2. Put the nettles into the water into large saucepan and 20 minutes.
3. Strain into a large container. Peel off the yellow rind of the lemons and squeeze out the juice then add the these and the cream of tartar to the bulk liquid stirring well.
4. After the mixture has cooled down to room temperature mix the yeast with a little of the liquid and then stir it back into the liquid.
5. Cover the container with a clean towel to form a lid, you may have to tie it on with some string to prevent the middle of the towel dipping into the mixture.
6. Leave in a warm place for around 3-4 days then strain the liquid into plastic lemonade bottles leaving around 4 cm of air for pressure that will build up.
7. Store the bottles in a cool dark place and you can drink it after about a week.

Cheers!