SC - Parsnip Syrup?

[Philip & Susan Troy]

"HICKS, MELISSA" wrote:
> 
> Master A,
> 
> I have been reading my *small* backlog of undeleted Cooks Lists emails and
> came across the following.  Could you possibly provide some more specifics
> about proportions and heating temps to create this syrup?

Well, the best thing to do is probably use as little water in proportion
to the parsnips as possible. Cut the parsnips (you really should peel
them, too, they have a sort of sub-skin that's bitter) into reasonably
sized chunks, and put them into a pot that will hold them and not much
more, if you know what I mean. Water to cover. If your goal is maximum
parsnip flavor/body/sweetness to the cooking liquid, it won't matter if
your parsnips get a tad mushy, so add them to the cold water and put
them on the heat. If this were just about cooking parsnips I'd suggest
adding them to boiling water.

Anyway, cook them till the parsnips are very tender, but not falling
apart. If you're just cooking parsnips to eat, you would of course do it
differently. In theory, if you wanted to brew with parsnips, this
cooking liquid is bulked out with cane or beet sugar and boiled with
hops, and colored with caramel to make "stout".  Cool, pitch yeast and
ferment, and treat like any other ale, I suppose. (I've lent out my book
about home-brewed English ales and stouts, so I don't have the details
on hand.) I'm sure you could make some weird kinda country wine out of
them, too. 

> I only ask because I have tried this recipe before and been really puzzled
> why we only use the water.  The syrup would be an excellent experiment.

You could presumably use the syrup for anything else you'd use a sugar
syrup for; reduce it slowly until it's as thick as light syrup, or the
Golden Syrup whose brand name I forget, but which I have a tin of
someplace in the house, or treacle, or whatever.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================