Mead - ancient Slavic is a beverage that has an extremely rich history and is rooted in the distant past. In itself, this name is relatively young - in those ancient times, the Slavs called it simply "nectar." It is not surprising, because honey has always been in Russia, one of the main sugary foods.
Mead is at home getting ready difficult enough, but we will help you in this difficult case.
Classical mead
The list of ingredients, which is required for its preparation:
- Water - 2 L .;
- Honey - 300 gr .;
- Hop cones - 5 oz .;
- Nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon;
- The yeast - 1 tsp
Preparation:
In an enamel saucepan, boil must be 2 liters of water. Once it starts to boil, carefully pour all the honey, while stirring gently with a spoon. To not burnt honey, be sure to watch out for boiling liquid. After 5 minutes, remove the foam formed on the surface. Once it has been removed, it can be filled bumps hop, a little nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon. After removing the dishes with fire, be sure to immediately cover it with a lid.
In the resulting liquid breed teaspoon yeast - they can be as normal shops, and pubs. But first the beverage is required to cool to 50 degrees. If the temperature is higher, the yeast may simply be lost.
Then, the pan must be placed in a place where the temperature is kept at 25 degrees. As soon as the fermentation process on the surface of the solution will be formed foam. If you do not want to get in place a real delicious mead vinegar, fermentation should take place in a pan with a water seal. An excellent example of such a container is the most common jar. It is in it and you need to be subsequently fermented liquid is poured.
The lid closes very tightly, container must be sealed. On its surface makes a small hole, put in a small plastic tube or soft hose. One end of it dozhzhen be above the future of mead, and the other is immersed in a container filled with water.
In order to determine the fermentation process is completed or not, we light a match and normal to the liquid tray. If the fire is not broke, then the mead is ready. Be sure to drink the resulting strain through cheesecloth, folded in several layers. Then zhidkostneobhodimo pour plastic bottles prepared in advance. For a long time they retained their original taste, put them in the fridge on the bottom shelf.
Typically, mead, home-cooked, ready in just five days. If the beverage was prepared in compliance with all the rules, to taste it will resemble soft sparkling champagne.
The quality of the mead depends on the variety of honey, its color, sweets, and other parameters. Today, this drink you can even buy in the stores, but it is unlikely it will be similar to the drink created at home. The main advantage of this low-alcohol product made his own, is a natural product, which, unfortunately, can not be said about the store beverage.
"Dry" mead
There are many ways to prepare this ancient beverage. One of them is a recipe for unleavened mead at home.
For it will need the following ingredients:
- Water - 1 l .;
- Honey - 2 kg .;
- Cherries - 4 kg.
Preparation:
Take enamel pot, fill it with water, bring to a boil. As soon began to appear first bubbles, gently introduce the honey, while stirring with a spoon. When you have turned out quite homogeneous mixture, reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes. When cooking is constantly appearing foam. It must be removed, otherwise the taste and color of the drink will be spoiled. The resulting syrup after cooking is cooled to 50 degrees.
Now you need to prepare a cherry. To begin with it should be thoroughly washed, remove the stones. When these actions are performed in a prepared container and pour berry syrup fill them. It is not necessary to close a tight lid, just cover the mouth with a wet towel and leave in a warm place.
As soon began to appear the first signs of fermentation, very fast clog the bottle with the liquid and put in a dark cool place. Ready mead will be just three months. The recipe for the drink at home without the use of yeast is quite simple, as soon as the drink is ready, you will be able to enjoy the incomparable taste of the original Old Slavonic elixir.
Mead made at home, of course, is a very useful drink, if you drink it in moderation. Fortress it can range from 5 to 16 degrees - all depends on the recipe used for its preparation.
In ancient times raspivanie mead equated to rites, since then, people believed that the world of the gods flowing rivers of honey and milk. Mead tasting, it was believed that a person tried to divine delicacy, and he became a little cleaner spirit.
As mentioned earlier, there are many kinds of drink. The most common and often prepared from them - it is submitted and boiled mead. They differ from each other by the degree of sterilization of honey. Main beverage divided into two types according to the time of addition, and its main ingredient. In the first of these honey added after the drink is almost ready, the second - much earlier.
Spiced mead
Delicious recipe for the preparation of spices that are used.
The ingredients needed for mead spicy:
- Honey - 750 gr .;
- Water - 3 L .;
- Yeast - 10 gr .;
- Egg white - 1 pc .;
- Cloves - 2 pcs .;
- Ginger powder - 1 pinch;
- Nutmeg - 1 tsp .;
- Cinnamon - pinch.
Preparation:
Gently mix the honey and white, bring to a smooth paste, then fill with water and put the mixture on fire. After all the intensive boil, reduce it, and cook for 10 minutes without covering the pan with a lid.
Next, add to the mix all the spices - can be pre-mix them in a bowl. After adding the spice mixture simmer about 50 minutes, cover the lid is not necessary. When the mixture is ready, it will be in the form of an almost transparent, its mass is reduced almost twice.
Remove the pan from the heat, give drink to cool down well. Then be sure to strain it through a fine sieve. Then pour a drink in the three-liter jar and add the yeast. Next you need a deep spoon or ladle mix everything thoroughly and cover with clean gauze.
In order to start fermentation, swap jar in a warm place. In a day you need to tightly close the lid and remove the infusion for six months in a cold room. After mead configure themselves allotted time, it can be bottled and stored in the refrigerator or a cool cellar.
Now that you know how to make mead at home. This ancient drink can not just have a good quench their thirst, but also to cheer up, giving seductive taste and excellent aroma. If on holiday table hostess will give mead, all the guests will be pleasantly surprised. There is hardly a man who would not want to try to drink with such a rich ancient history.
