I made it yesterday, bottled it today, and will taste it tomorrow, if it is fizzy and sweet, I will refridgerate it tomorrow, if not, I will wait another half day at a time....tasting it each time.....I don't want a dry drink...so it has to go in the fridge before it turns dry.
Update: Now the recipe is also included here too:
Recipe - Rhubarb champagne
2lb rhubarb
1 sliced lemon
8 pints of cold water
1 lb sugar
1 dessert spoon of vinegar
bottles
nylon curtain to strain it.
Wash rhubarb and cut up roughly, add sugar, finely sliced lemon, vinegar & water...Let stand for 24 hours, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Strain through nylon curtain. Bottle and seal tightly. Screw-top coke bottles are good because they allow for expansion from gas...
The champagne is ready to drink in a few days, but becomes alcoholic after 2 weeks....The drink is very sweet the first few days, this is when my kids drink it as it is not alcoholic yet.
I prefer it sweet, and we generally drink it chilled. After bottling, I taste it every day until I get the flavour I like, then pop it in the fridge to stop fermentation. All of it must go in the fridge if you like a sweet wine.....
Over time the sugar is converted to alcohol with fermentation. The longer the fermentation the dryer the 'wine' due to less sugar.......
For a sweet wine, once it reaches the desired flavour, store all of it in the fridge to stop fermentation.
For a dry wine, store at room temperature in a cool place to allow a longer fermentation . Once again, when it reaches the desired flavour place it in the fridge. Bottles will expand greatly with this method, hence the plastic coke bottles.....
Remember if wanting a dry wine, the bottles can warp and explode....The gas needs to be released once in a while....
you will be amazed at the lovely pink coloured drink you get....
Do you think you will try making it? Will you want it to be a dry or a sweet drink?
Would love this recipe. Please do post it.
ReplyDeleteOoops so sorry, I completely forgot to mention I had posted the recipe on the left under Recipes & Tutorials..... http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com/2011/02/rhubarb-champagne-alcoholic-or-not-its.html
ReplyDeleteI will add a click on link as well in the updated version.
My Rhubarb Champagne is now in the 4th day of bottling as has what looks like a developing mould on the top. Is this the normal fermentation process?
DeleteHave loved having a look around your blog - it's so full of wonderful ideas and your home seems soooo organized (could you pls come and organize mine?).
ReplyDeleteI have a question for you.
I like to make jam too but I never know what to do with it once it's made.
Of course, I give bottles away and I eat it on my toast - what else can I do with it?
Jam is a wonderful thing in the kitchen...
ReplyDeleteyou can add it to mini pastry cups,
*even just spread it on a sheet of pastry then roll up, cut slices and bake in a sponge pan, sprinkle with icing sugar before serving, similar to a roly poly.Even better with a dough mix.
*Match sticks is a quick one..prick pastry sheets, and cut in half, then each half into 4....bake in oven...then sandwich together with jam and cream, cover with icing sugar before serving.
*Apricot jam makes a lovely glaze for chicken or a roast...
*Blackberry or Plum and Raspberry would be lovely on a roast pork....
*and the old strawberry jam in the middle of a sponge cake.with cream..
*Mix a spoonful of jam into plain yoghurt for different flavoured yoghurt's.
*Even a spoonful in a milkshake takes care of the fruit and the sugar.
there are many more, but that's just off the top of my head.
Thank Nellymary. I have rhubarb coming out the garden quicker then I can keep up. This looks good and a nice weekend project. I love your blog too!
ReplyDeleteCool! Love your ambition - you are SO busy! :) I love seeing what you are up to.
ReplyDeleteSome people put jam on top of their hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat, mealie meal--corn based cereal, grits etc). It can be used in lots of cookie/baking recipes eg "Santa's thumbprint"--oatmeal type cookie where you put your thumbprint in cookie and then fill with jam, bar cookies with a pastry crust filled with jam and topped with pastry crumbs, and then the old standby: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (USA) or peanut butter & jam sandwiches (British-speaking equivalent).
ReplyDeleteHi Nellymary! I've been wanting to do this for ages now!! It's almost time to bottle my mix! Can't wait to try it. Would you suggest to open the bottles once a day?
ReplyDeleteThanks! =)
PS. So glad I'm finally trying this! :D I love Rhubarb!