These meads flavored with flowers are something quite special. The flavor of the flowers in these is not so marked as when more flowers are used to make flower wines. The amounts of flowers given in these recipes give a delightful background flavor while allowing the flavor of the honey to remain unmasked. These ‘meads’ are not, strictly speaking, meads, but I call them meads because the basic material is honey. All flower mead recipes make for medium sweet wines. Those who know in advance that they must have all wines dry should use not more than three-and-a-half pounds of honey instead of the four pounds given in the recipes. Those who must have all wines on the sweet side should use not less than four-and-a-half pounds and not more than five pounds instead of the four pounds given in the recipes.
Clover Mead
Use purple (sometimes called mauve) clover.
- 4 lb. honey
- ¼ oz. citric acid
- ¼ pint strong freshly-made tea
- 2-3 pints clover head
- yeast – nutrient
The clover heads should be loosely packed in the measure and not pressed down hard.
Mix honey with about half a gallon of hot water, bring slowly to boil and boil for two minutes.
Turn into polythene pail containing the clover heads. Add citric acid and tea and make up to one gallon with boiling water. Add extra quart of boiling water to make up for the space occupied by the flower heads – regardless of the number of pints used. Allow to cool to approximately 65ºF, and add yeast and nutrient. Cover as directed for beers and ferment in warm place for five-six days.
Strain out flower heads and return strained liquor to fermenting vessel. Cover again as before and continue to ferment thus for a further five-six days. Then siphon into gallon jar, leaving as much deposit behind as you can. Fit fermentation lock and leave until all fermentation has ceased. Fermentation may go on for as long as several months. When finished and the wine is clear it should be siphoned into another jar and bunged down for one year, after which it may be bottled.
4½ – 5 lb. honey
¼ oz. citric acid
¼ pint strong freshly-made tea
yeast – nutrient
Mix honey with about half gallon of hot water, bring slowly to boil and boil for two minutes. Turn into polythene pail, add citric acid and tea and make up to one gallon with boiling water. Allow to cool to approximately 65ºF, then add yeast and nutrient. Cover as directed for beers and ferment in warm place for ten-fourteen days. After this, proceed as for dry table mead.
- 4-4 ½ lb. honey
- ¼ oz. citric acid
- ¼ pint strong freshly-made tea
- yeast – nutrient
Mix honey with about half a gallon of hot water, bring slowly to boil and boil for two minutes. Turn into polythene pail, add citric acid and tea and make up to one gallon with boiling water. Allow to cool to approximately 65ºF, then add yeast and nutrient. Cover as directed for beers and ferment in warm place for ten-fourteen days. After this, proceed as for dry table mead.
A wine with the fragrance and delight of apple blossom.
Ingredients:
4 lbs. pink rhubarb – cut into dice
4 lbs. sugar
1 lb. maize
1 lb. raisins
1 egg white
I slice of toast
1 oz. yeast
1 lb. crab apple blossom
½ lb. barley
4 quarts water
Method:
Put all, except the flowers, into a big jar and stir daily for 14 days. Keep covered and warm.
Add the flowers and stir a further 6 days.
Strain, bottle and cork.
Keep for 6-12. months. See that the wine is clear, add the bubbles for “making sparkling wines” and keep for a further 1-5 months before drinking.
This is a refreshing wine, deep gold in color.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. vegetable marrow
2 lbs. apples-chopped up
½ lb. sultanas
½ lb. prunes
½ lb. maize
1 beaten egg white
1 slice of toast
1 oz. yeast
5 quarts water
Method:
Put all into a big jar and stir daily for 10 days. Keep covered and warm.
Strain-stand for 2 hours. Pour the clear off, measure it and add 1 tbsp. sugar to each quart of liquid. Stir well.
Bottle and cork.
Keep for 6 – 12 months. See that the wine is clear, add the bubbles for “making sparkling wines” and keep for a further 1-5 months before drinking.
Tasty and strong. Each ingredient in this amber-colored wine enhances the other.
Ingredients:
1 lb. figs
4 lbs. sugar
3 lbs. rhubarb-peeled and cut into dice
2 lbs. rice
1 egg white
1 slice of toast
1 oz. yeast
1 lb. crab apple blossom
4 quarts water
Method:
Put all, except the flowers, into a big jar. Stir daily for 14 days. Keep covered and keep warm.
Add the flowers and stir for a further 5 days.
Strain, bottle and cork.
Keep for 6 – 12 months. See that the wine is clear, add the bubbles for “making sparkling wines” and keep for a further 1-5 months before drinking.
This recipe includes balm which is a noted cure for headaches and imparts a pleasing fragrance.
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs, rhubarb-peeled and cut into dice
- ½ lb. raisins-shredded
- ½ lb. barley
- ½ lb. maize
- 1 egg white
- 4 lbs. sugar
- 1 slice of toast
- 1 oz. yeast
- 1 lb. balm (lemon scented mint)
- 4 quart water
Method:
Put all, except the balm, into a big jar. Stand. Stir daily for 14 days. Keep covered and warm.
Add the balm-stand for a further 4 days.
Strain, bottle and cork.
Keep for 6 – 12 months. See that the wine is clear, add the bubbles for “making sparkling wines” and keep for a further 1-5 months before drinking.
This is dark amber in color and more mellow than the preceding recipe. It is a champagne-type wine.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. tea
- 1 lb. figs-shredded
- ½ lb. maize
- ½ lb. barley
- 1 egg white
- 1 slice of toast
- 1 oz. yeast
- 1 lb. rhubarb-peeled and cut into dice
- 1 lb. privet flowers
- 4 lbs. sugar
- 5 quarts water
Method:
Put tea bag into 3 quarts of water and boil for 5 minutes and then remove bag. Put all, except the flowers, into the liquid and stir daily for 14 days. Keep covered and warm.
Add the flowers and stir for a further 4 days.
Strain-stand for 2, hours. Pour clear liquid off.
Bottle and cork.
Keep for 6-12 months. See that the wine is clear, add the bubbles for “making sparkling wines” and keep for a further 1-5 months before drinking.
As the name implies, this is an amber-colored wine.
It has a “bite” in it and even without the flowers it is very good.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. dates shredded
- 3 lbs. rhubarb-peeled and cut into dice
- 1 egg white
- 1 lb. bread-toasted
- ½ lb. rice
- 5 quarts water
- 4 lbs. sugar
- 1 oz. yeast
- 1 lb. yellow mimulus
Method:
Put all, except, except the flowers, into a large jar. Keep covered and warm. Stir daily for 10 days, squeeze the bread out.
Add the flowers and stir for a further 5 days.
Strain, bottle and cork.
Keep for 6 – 12 months.
See that the wine is clear, add the bubbles for “making sparkling wines” and keep for a further 1-5 months before drinking.
