Re: Lemon Balm wine

[Vint Lawrence <vlawrence@nets.com>]

Graham Burnett wrote:

> Does anybody have a simple recipe for lemon balm wine? I have loads of lemon
> balm on the allotment at the moment- better still does anybody have recipes
> for couch grass or bindweed wine :-(
>
> Graham Burnett
> 35 Rayleigh Avenue
> Westcliff On Sea
> Essex
> SS0 7DS

Graham,
My partner, Amy Brown, offers the following for you.....


This is a recipe I collected in 1980 when I lived in Essex.


1/2 gal. balm leaves
1 lb. raisins
2 & 3/4 lb. sugar
1 gal. water
1lemon
1orange
1 tablespoon black tea
wine yeast and nutrient

Bruise leaves and place in crock with raisins, sugar, tea, juice and
zest.  Add boiling water and when cool, the yeast and nutrient. Cover
and leave in warm place for a week, then siphon off into a fermentation
jar, fit an airlock and leave until fermentation has ceased.  When
clear, siphon off into clean bottles and cork.

If you make it too strong, or drink to much, will you be "balmed" or "embalmed"?
Happy fermenting!
Vint Lawrence
Apache Creek Ranch Permaculture
Santa Fe, NM, USA