In many parts of the U.S., it’s still possible to get fresh apple cider at your local farmer’s market – but it won’t last long. There are two traditional ways to make cider last longer: making hard cider and making vinegar. Making these things can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Here is my simplest apple cider vinegar method, … Read more
Right around the winter solstice is when I open my first bottle from the year’s batch of dandelion wine. A white wine that is bright and floral, dandelion wine is good chilled or heated on the stove with a cinnamon stick. It’s like drinking spring sunshine. Have no dandelion wine to enjoy this winter? Save this recipe and make some in the … Read more
I took inspiration for this recipe from M.A. Jagendorf’s Folk Wines, Cordials & Brandies: Ways to Make Them, Together with Some Lore, Reminiscences, and Wise Advice for Enjoying Them. It makes a white wine with a bold taste. The heat of the ginger gives the illusion of a higher alcohol content. This property mellows with age. Ingredients 2 gallons water … Read more
“You can make wine out of anything but a rock!” So says Appalachian winemaker John Bulgin in The Foxfire Book of Wine Making, and my experience says he’s right. Being the frugal person I am, I’ve never been fond of paying beaucoup bucks for beverages. So when I’ve wanted wine, I’ve made it.* In spring, I’ve raced my neighbors’ lawnmowers … Read more