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Welcome to the Classimax idea guide News  |
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Hg is good n CARIBBEAN WINES AND LIQUEURS
"Eat the bread with joy and drink the wine with a merry heart," says Ecclesiastes 9. William Shakespeare on the other hand says, "Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used."
Kim Clarke CFSP (Certified Food Safety Professional) |
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| CARIBBEAN WINES AND LIQUEURS |
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At varying times and ages of our existence, wines and liqueurs have been a part of our daily lives, so much so, that the Bible, great scholars and writers have taken time out to intoxicatingly make mention of. From as far back in time as can be remembered, we have prepared our own exquisite brands of wine and fermented that passion till today.
In the Caribbean, it is known that we innovatively use what we can, to make what we want. The higher-end and more expensive wines can be found throughout the islands, especially in the many duty free shops which cater mainly to tourists. But for those locals who may want to store wines in their liquor cabinets and cannot afford the higher-end brands, there are fruits and vegetables that we have in our very own backyards or local supermarkets that we can use to make wines.
We have several fruits that we may use to make salads, and to garnish our other alcoholic beverages. These same fruits can be the centre of attention in a beverage other than a juice or fruit punch. These wine recipes are also easy to make, ingredients are quite accessible in each island and they are great when its time for celebrating!
Below are some of wine recipes that I will share with you:
Banana Wine
Makes 1 Gallon
Ingredients:
6 lbs ripe bananas
4 tablespoons lime juice
4 lbs sugar
1 slice toasted bread (light brown)
1 gallon water
14-16 cloves
½ ounce yeast
Preparation
· Wash and peel bananas. Put the bananas in water with the lime juice and bring slowly to a boil. Boil up for 15 minutes.
· Strain the liquid through muslin and add sugar.
· Pour the sweetened banana liquid into a clean jar or plastic bucket and add the washed cloves and leave to cool.
· Cream the yeast in about 2 teaspoons of lukewarm water with 1/8 teaspoon of sugar added.
· Spread both sides of the toast with the yeast and put into sweetened banana liquid in the jar for two weeks.
· Leave for 2-3 weeks more, then strain through muslin and bottle off.
Carrot Wine
Makes 1 Gallon
Ingredients:
6 lbs carrots
31/2 lbs sugar
2 lemons
1 large slice of toast
1 gallon water
2 oranges
1 ounce yeast
Preparation
· Wash the carrots but do not peel them, simmer gently until the carrots are tender. Use the carrots for food and strain the liquid.
· Put the sugar, sliced oranges and lemons together and pour over the hot carrot liquid.
· Stir until the sugar is dissolved then let cool to lukewarm.
· Spread the yeast on both sides of the toast and float in the liquid.
· Let it ferment for 14 days and strain and bottle.
Cherry Wine
Makes 1 Gallon
Ingredients:
8 lbs Barbados cherries
1 gallon water
3/12 lbs clear sugar
4 ounce dried fruit
1 ounce yeast
1 large slice of toast
Preparation
· Wash cherries and place in a saucepan with water.
· Simmer for 15 minutes after bringing to the boil.
· Strain and add sugar and stir until dissolved.
· Add dried fruit and yeast, spread on toast and leave to ferment for 8 days.
· Strain and leave for another 2 weeks before bottling.
Mango Wine
Makes ¾ Gallon
Ingredients:
6 large green mangoes, full and un-ripened
¾ gallon water
3 lb sugar
A few cloves
Preparation
· Wash the mangoes, peel the skin off thinly and grate the flesh.
· Sweeten the water in a jar then add the grated fruit.
· Sprinkle cloves and leave for 10 days.
· Strain and bottle off.
Pineapple Wine
Makes ½ Gallon
Ingredients:
2 pineapples
½ gallon of water
8 oz dried fruit
2 lb sugar
1 oz mace
Preparation
· Wash, peel and grate the pineapples.
· Boil all the ingredients together and then cool
· Leave in a covered jar for 3 weeks
· Strain and bottle off.
Plum Wine
Makes ½ Gallon
Ingredients:
6 cups very ripe plums
3 lb sugar
4 oz dried fruit
½ gallon water
Preparation
· Remove the stalks from the plums; wash and crush slightly with a fork to bruise them.
· Put the sugar, dried fruit and plums in a very clean jar and leave for 3 days.
· Add the water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover the jar tightly and leave for 3 weeks.
· Strain through a clean muslin cloth and bottle.
Note: The plums referred to here are small avoid yellow plums, about 1½ inch long, with a central pit and tart yellow flesh. I see no reason why plums commonly available in North America cannot be used in this recipe. In that case, I would use about a dozen plums.
Psidium Wine
Makes ½ Gallon
Ingredients:
4 cups psidium
1½ lb sugar
½ gallon water
6 - 8 cloves
Preparation:
· Wash the psidium and remove any stalks. Cut into quarters and put into a jar.
· Add sugar and water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle cloves.
· Cover the jar and leave for 3 weeks.
· Strain through a muslin cloth and bottle off.
Tangerine Liqueur
Makes 3 Pints
Ingredients:
4 - 6 yellow tangerines
5 cups high wine
1½ lb granulated sugar
2¼ pts water
Preparation:
· Steep the rind of all the tangerines and the juice of 2 tangerines in a bottle with the high wine for 15 days.
· Make syrup with the sugar and 1¼ pints of water. Boil until thick.
· Strain the high wine mixture, and add it to the syrup while it is still warm.
· Stir well and strain through a flannel bag.
· Add 1 pint of water, stir well and bottle.
Note: Alcohol can be used in the place if high wine.
Sorrel Liquer
Serves 16
Ingredients:
2 lbs sorrel
2 lbs granulated sugar
1 bottle rum (26 oz.)
2 pieces cinnamon, 1 ½ "each
Preparation:
· Remove petals and sepals from sorrel and discard stem and seeds.
· Place sorrel, sugar, run and cinnamon in a large bottle or jar.
· Cover and allow to rest in a cool place for about 3 weeks.
· Strain and store in bottles. Serve with crushed ice.
Author's note: It must be noted that we in the Caribbean may call these beverages wines, but they are indeed liquers or another form of spirits such as beer or ale, since true wine can only be made from fermented grape juice, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless.
For further information, please contact yours truly (Kim Clarke) or Judy Beckles at Caribbean Spice Caterers Telephone: (246) 424-9617 or Email: spice_caribbean@yahoo.com
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