Parsnip Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads
- 2 lb. apples
- 1 lb. parsnips
- 1 lb. golden raisins
- 2 lb. granulated sugar
- 1 oz. gypsum
- 1/2 oz. cream of tartar
- 1/2 oz. pectic enzyme
- 1/2 oz. tartaric acid
- 1 gallon water
- Sherry wine yeast and nutrient
Before beginning, core and slice apples, scrub and chop parsnips, chop raisins. Dissolve sugar in 2 cups boiling water. Allow sugar syrup to cool and store in jar for future use. Boil parsnips in 5 pt. water for 10 minutes. Strain over sliced apples and chopped raisins in primary fermentation vessel. Add all ingredients except yeast, pectic enzyme and half the sugar syrup. Cover and allow to cool, then add pectic enzyme and activated yeast, cover, and ferment on the pulp four days, stirring twice daily. Strain through fine nylon sieve and add 1/2 cup sugar syrup. Cover and add remaining sugar syrup in 1/2 cup increments whenever S.G. drops to 1.005 or less (approximately every three days). When all sugar syrup is added, add sufficient water to bring to one gallon. When fermentation is complete (additional 10-14 days), rack into large enough secondary fermentation vessel (1-1/2 to 2 gallon) to allow fair amount of air above wine. Plug opening with cotton. Normally, that is the only racking in sherry production, but if pulp particles appear in sediment, rack again after two weeks and plug again with cotton. Store secondary fermentation vessel in cool (55-60 degrees F.) place and leave undisturbed. Flor may form in 3-4 weeks or as late as 4 months. If flor forms, leave undisturbed until all flor has sunk to bottom. Carefully siphon off lees through double layer of fine muslin into bottles. If flor does not form, allow to sit six months, carefully siphon into clean gallon bottle, sweeten with sufficient white grape concentrate or sugar water (1/3 lb. sugar dissolved in one cup water) to top up to one gallon, and then bottle. Allow two or more years to mature. [Adapted from Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan’s Making Wines Like Those You Buy]
- 4 lb. apples
- 1-3/4 lb. parsnips
- 1 lb. bananas
- 1 lb. figs
- 1-1/2 lb. granulated sugar
- 1 pt. white grape concentrate
- 1/4 oz. pectic enzyme
- 1/4 tsp. tartaric acid
- 1 gallon water
- Sherry wine yeast and nutrient
Before beginning, scrub and chop parsnips, slice bananas (throw away skins), core and slice apples, and wash figs, removing stems. Dissolve sugar in 1-1/2 cups boiling water, allow to cool, and store in jar for future use. Boil the parsnips in 6 pt. for 10 minutes. Strain off pulp and boil bananas in same water for 30 minutes. Put apple slices and figs in primary fermentation vessel and strain liquid from bananas over apples and figs. Add tartaric acid, nutrient, and half the sugar syrup. Cover and allow to cool, adding pectic enzyme and activated yeast. Cover and allow to ferment five days, stirring daily. Strain liquor carefully through fine nylon sieve and add the grape concentrate. After further 10 days, add 1/2 cup sugar syrup and repeat every three days until all has been added. Add sufficient water to bring to one gallon. When fermentation is complete (additional 10-14 days), rack into large enough secondary fermentation vessel (1-1/2 to 2 gallon) to allow fair amount of air above wine. Plug opening with cotton. Normally, that is the only racking in sherry production, but if pulp particles appear in sediment, rack again after two weeks and plug again with cotton. Store secondary fermentation vessel in cool (55-60 degrees F.) place and leave undisturbed. Flor may form in 3-4 weeks or as late as 4 months. Flor should not form, but if it does, leave undisturbed until all flor has sunk to bottom. Carefully siphon off lees through double layer of fine muslin into bottles. If flor does not form, allow to sit six months, carefully siphon into clean gallon bottle, sweeten with sufficient white grape concentrate or sugar water (1/3 lb. sugar dissolved in one cup water) to top up to one gallon, and then bottle. Allow at least four years to mature. [Adapted from Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan’s Making Wines Like Those You Buy]
If you have ever eaten parsnip and ginger soup, parsnip and ginger pakoras, parsnip and ginger cake or muffins, or parsnip and ginger anything you know how well the flavors combine. The nutty sweetness of parsnips and the warming spiciness of ginger just go well together. Parsnips and ginger wine is a real treat in the cooler months of the year and adds a little je ne sais quoi to any meal. Make it once and you will be glad you did. Because this wine takes so long to make, start a batch every 3 months and you will be very thankful you did. Finally, the parsnips can be recycled to make a great side dish to any meal (recipe included).
The recipe calls for setting aside the cooked parsnips for use in a second recipe. By all means do this. You can change the complexity of the second recipe by adding 1 cup of peeled, sliced, very well cooked carrots; 1 summer or butternut squash peeled, deseeded, sliced and cooked; or 1 peeled, diced and well-cooked rutabagas or sweet potato.
The wine recipe calls for 1 pound on ripe bananas, peeled and sliced. Banana peels turn dark when ripe and the banana meat inside turns soft and translucent. Make sure the bananas are ripe before using for wine.
- 4 lbs parsnips
- 1 lb ripe bananas
- 10-1/2 oz can of white grape concentrate
- 1 inch ginger root very thinly sliced
- 4 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp acid blend
- 7-1/4 pts water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1/8 tsp yeast energizer
- Sauternes wine yeast
Put 1 pint water on to boil and add sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Set aside in sterilized jar for later use. Meanwhile, scrub and rinse the parsnips well (do not peel) and then slice them crosswise into thin discs no thicker than 1/4 inch. Trim the meat from the fibrous core of the larger slices and discard the cores. Smaller slices can be left as is. Place parsnips only in nylon straining bag, tie closed, and settle in large saucepan with 3 quarts water on high heat. Add thinly sliced ginger root to saucepan. Peel and slice the bananas and add them to saucepan. Bring to rolling boil, reduce heat to maintain a low boil for 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat to cool, but immediately drip drain parsnips 2-3 minutes, then place bag in large bowl to cool separately; set aside. After saucepan cools 2 hours, place a large funnel with straining screen insert in a 1-gallon secondary and carefully pour liquid through funnel. Seal secondary with paper towel folded and secured with rubber band. Set aside to settle for 24 hours. Meanwhile, use parsnips as per the recipe below.
After 24 hours, siphon the clear liquid off the sediment into clean secondary. Add thawed grape concentrate, acid blend, tannin, and yeast nutrient and energizer. Stir to mix and add activated wine yeast. Cover secondary with paper towel held in place with rubber band. When fermentation is vigorous, add sugar-water and fit airlock. Ferment until wine begins clearing. Rack, top up and refit airlock. When wine is completely clear, rack again and add 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and 1 finely crushed Campden tablet dissolved in 1/2 cup water, stir, top up and refit airlock. After 3 weeks, rack again and add additional crushed Campden tablet dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Sweeten to specific gravity 1.008, top up and refit airlock. Check airlock periodically and rack every 3 months for 18 months, adding additional crushed Campden tablet dissolved in 1/2 cup water every 3rd racking. Rack into bottles and store additional 4-6 months. Yes, it’s a long process but entirely worth it. [Jack Keller’s own recipe]
- 4 lbs parsnips
- 1 lb ripe bananas
- 10-1/2 oz can of white grape concentrate
- 1/2 cup fresh elderflowers or rose petals
- 1-3/4 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp tartaric acid
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- 1/2 tsp tannin
- 7-1/2 pts water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Sauternes wine yeast
Put 1 pt water on to boil and add sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Set aside in sterilized jar for later use. Meanwhile, wash and scrub the parsnips, slice them thinly, peel and slice the bananas, and place all in saucepan with 6 pts water. Bring to low boil for 30 minutes. Strain off liquid into primary and leave to settle. After 24 hours, siphon the clear liquid off the sediment into secondary. Add grape concentrate, tartaric acid, pectic enzyme, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Stir to mix and add activated wine yeast. Cover secondary with paper towel held in place with rubber band. When fermentation is vigorous, add sugar-water and flowers or rose petals and fit airlock. After 1 week, strain off flowers and return liquid to clean secondary. Refit airlock and ferment until wine begins clearing. Rack, top up and refit airlock. When wine is completely clear, rack again and add 2 crushed Campden tablets dissolved in 1/2 cup water, top up and refit airlock. After 2 weeks, rack again and add 2 more crushed Campden tablets dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Sweeten with sugar-water to specific gravity 1.008, top up and refit airlock. Check airlock periodically and rack every 6 months for 18 months. Rack into bottles and store additional 6 months. [Adapted from Betty Sampson’s The Art of Making Wine ]
- 5 lbs parsnips
- 3 lbs quinces
- 1 lb golden raisins, chopped or minced
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1-3/4 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1/8 tsp tannin
- 71/2 pts water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 pkt Champagne wine yeast
Wash and trim parsnips and grate or cut into thin (1/8 inch) slices. Peel quinces, quarter and remove stem and seed cores. Grate or slice thin like parsnips. Combine in pot with water and bring to boil. Hold boil for 45 minutes, adding water as level drops through evaporation. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Strain through nylon straining bag, squeezing lightly to extract juice. Pour into primary and add sugar, stirring well to dissolve. Stir in juice of citrus, tannin, pectic enzyme, and yeast nutrient. Tie zest of citrus fruit and chopped or minced raisins in nylon straining bag and add to primary. Cover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily until s.g. drops to 1.010 (12-14 days). Squeeze nylon bag and discard zest and raisin pulp. Let settle overnight and rack into secondary. Top up and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit airlock every 60 days until fermentation completes and wine clears. Stabilize, wait 10-14 days and rack into bottles. Age one year. [Author’s own recipe]
- 2-1/2 lbs parsnips
- 2-1/2 lbs carrots
- 3 lbs quinces
- 1 lb golden raisins, chopped or minced
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1-3/4 lbs finely granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1/8 tsp tannin
- 71/2 pts water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 pkt Champagne wine yeast
Wash and trim parsnips and carrots and grate or cut into thin (1/8 inch) slices. Peel quinces, quarter and remove stem and seed cores. Grate or slice thin like parsnips and carrots. Combine in pot with water and bring to boil. Hold boil for 45 minutes, adding water as level drops through evaporation. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Strain through nylon straining bag, squeezing lightly to extract juice. Pour into primary and add sugar, stirring well to dissolve. Stir in juice of citrus, tannin, pectic enzyme, and yeast nutrient. Tie zest of citrus fruit and chopped or minced raisins in nylon straining bag and add to primary. Cover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily until s.g. drops to 1.010 (12-14 days). Squeeze nylon bag and discard zest and raisin pulp. Let settle overnight and rack into secondary. Top up and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit airlock every 60 days until fermentation completes and wine clears. Stabilize, wait 10-14 days and rack into bottles. Age one year. [Author’s own recipe]