One of the first things Professor Redick pointed out to our class on the nature walk was a simple dandelion. An edible flower. An edible flower that can be used to make wine. It reminded me of the recipe for Dandelion Wine that my bousha(Polish word for grandma),great grandma, gave me.
Dandelion Wine…
1 gallon of Dandelion Blossoms(just use the petals) and a small handful of the roots. Pour one gallon of boiling water in with the blossoms and roots and let the mixture stand for one day (24 hours). After 24 hours add 5 oranges, 5 lemons, 3 pounds of sugar, a handful of raisins, and one cake of yeast to the mixture. Let it stand for three days then skim off and add 2 pounds more pounds of sugar. Mix well and cover with white cloth. Keep the mixture in a warm place for eleven more days. Finally, strain it and bottle it. Leave the lids loose so it won’t burst.
Dandelion wine is good with fish and other white meats…or for sipping before or after a meal.
Enjoy!
I have to say, I was thinking about dandelions for the rest of the walk, after the introduction. I used to pick handfuls of dandelions for bousha when I was little. I thought they were real flowers, as opposed to "weeds." My cousins and I also made daisy chains out of them. Grandma wouldn't let us pick the real daisies, so dandelions had to substitute for them. We also squished up the dandelion petals and rubbed them on our faces (they functioned as "war paint" for little Indians).I have to say, dandelions, as simple as they are, made my childhood a lot more fun. It was nice to reflect on that. I don't think I will try to keep them out of my yard any more.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment