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HO]ME BREWED WINES, BEERS, MQUEDRS, ETC.
Boil the water and honey together,
letting them reduce slightly in quan
tity, and sltimming when required.
Wipe the lemons, cut them in pieces,
and pour some of the liquor over them.
Pour the rest of the liquor into a tub.
Stir the cowslips, cover, and let them
stand all night. Next day add the lem
ons with their liquor, the sweet briar,
and a little yeast. Stir well, cover, and
leave to work for 3 or 4 days. Then
strain off and put into a cask. Leave
for 6 months before bottling.
COWSLIP WIJVE.
To 2 gallons water allow 2% lbs.
sugar, 2 lemons, and 4 qts. cowslip
flowers.
Put the water and sugar into a pre
serving pan, bring to the boil, and boil
for % hour, carefully removing any
scum that rises. Then pour this liquid
into a tub over the thinly peeled rind
of the lemons and leave to cool. When
cold add the strained Juice of the lem
ons and the cowslip flowers, using only
the tops. Cover and leave the mixture
to stand for 2 days, stirring well every
2 or 3 hours. Then put It into a barrel
and let it stand 3 weeks or a month.
When bottling put a lump of sugar in
each bottle.
Another Way.—To 1 gallon water al
low 3 lbs. sugar, 2 lemons, 1 Seville
orange, 1 qt. dried cowslip flowers, a
sprig of borage and sweet briar, and
% oz. compressed yeast.
Gather the flowers on a fine day, and
Pick them free from stalks and green.
Spread them out on trays or sheets of
paper to dry, turning them frequently.
They can then be stored in paper bags
until it is convenient to make the wine.
Boil the sugar and v/ater for % hour,
adding, if procurable, the borage and
sweet briar, and lifting them out at
the end of the boiling. Put the rind
of the lemons and orange into a tub
and pour the liquid boiling hot over
them. Let it cool, then stir in the
cowslip flowers, the strained juice of
the fruit, and the yeast creamed with
a little sugar. Cover with a cloth and
leave undisturbed for 2 days. Then
turn all into cask; add a little brandy
if liked. When fermentation has ceas
ed, bung closely, and leave 3 months
at least' before bottling.
CLMIANT WINE.
To 1 gallon bruised currants allow 2
gpJlons water, 3 lbs. or more sugar, and
% pt. brandy and sherry mixed.
Either red or white currants may be
used, or a mixture of the two. Gather
them when ripe on a dry day, and pick
them from the stalks. Put them into a
tub, crush them well, and then meas
ure. Add water and sugar in the above
proportion, mix well, and cover with a
thick cloth or blanket.
Leave this
standing in a cool place to ferment,
stirring it at least once a day for 8 or
4 days.
Then strain through a hair
sieve and put the liquid into a cask,
reserving some for filling up. When fer
mentation has ceased add the sherry
and brandy and put in the bung. Leave
6 months at least before bottling.
CURRANT AND RASPBERRT VPINE.
j
To 1 gallon of fruit juice allow 2 qts.
i
water, and to 1 gallon of this liquor
allow 3 lbs. sugar and a little brandy.
;
Take about equal quantities of rasp- I
berries and red currants. Strip the
currants from their stalks and look
over the raspberries carefully. Bruise
them in a sieve over a tub, and add
water that has been boiled and allowed
to become cold in the above propor
tion. Mix well and stand to ferment.
To every gallon of this liquor add sug
ar in the proportion given above, stir
well, and put into a cask, reserving
some for filling up. Put a light cover
ing over the bunghole, and keep filling
up the cask until fermentation has
ceased. Then add a little or no brandy,
and stop the hole securely. Keep 6
months or more before bottling.
DAMSON TnjiE.
To 8 lbs. damsons allow 1 gallon
boiling water, and to 1 gallon juice al
low 3 lbs. or more sugar.
Select ripe damsons, and let them be
perfectly dry and sound. Small dam
sons are the best for the purpose. Wipe
them, remove the stalks and weigh.
Put them into a wooden tub or crock,
and bruise them gently.
Then pour
the boiling water over, and cover close
ly to keep in the steam. Let this stand
for 4 days, stirring at frequent inter
vals. Then strain off the liquor, and
add sugar in the above proportion.
When this is dissolved, pour all into a
clean, dry cask. Brandy may then be
added in the proportion of from 1 to 2
gills to the gallon. Cover the bung-
hole lightly until fermentation ceases,
then close up tightly, and leave undis
turbed for a year. Bottle and cork,
putting a lump of sugar into each bot
tle, store In a dry, cool place, and this
wine will keep well.
DANDELION WINE.
To 1 gallon dandelion petals allow 1
gallon boiling water, 1 orange, 1 lem
on, 3 to 4 lbs. sugar, and 1 tablespoon-
ful brewers' or % compressed yeast.
Pick the petals from the flowers,
which must be freshly gathered. Put
them into a vessel and pour freshly
boiled water over them.
Cover and
leave to stand 10 to 12 days, stirring
occasionally. Then strain oft and put '
the liquor into a preserving pan with,
the sugar. Add the thlqly peeled rli^
of the orange and lemon, remove aal