SC - medieval times?

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

Many years ago I made a lemon-flavored mead(Finnish) for a Leif Erickson
Tourney in CAID, Calafia.  I bottled it in beer bottles that had the
reusable lids with the rubber seal.  Most of the bottles did quite well, but
one.  When I just touched the seal it popped and squirted like a Champaign
hitting the ceiling of my pavilion.  What a shower.

The recipe
To make 5 quarts
2 large lemons
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 quarts boiling water
1/8 tsp. yeast
5 tsp. sugar
15 raisins


With a small, sharp knife or rotary peeler, carefully peel off the yellow
skins of the lemons and set them aside.  The cut away the white membranes of
the lemons and discard them.  Slice the lemons very thinly.   In a 6 to 8
quart enameled or stainless steel bowl combine the Lemon slices, lemon skins
and the two sugars.  Pour the boiling water over the fruit and sugar, stir
and let the mixture cool to tepid.  Then stir in the yeast.  Allow the sima
to ferment, uncovered , At room temperature for about 12 hours.  To bottle,
use 5 one quart bottles with very tight covers.  Place one tsp. of sugar and
3 raisins in the bottom of each bottle.  Stir the sima through a sieve and
using a funnel, pour the liquid into the bottles.  Close the bottles tightly
and let them stand at room temp. for 1 to 2 days or until the raisins have
risen to the surface.  Chill and serve.

Reading over the instructions I see I do not prepare it exactly as stated.
I bring the 5 quarts of water to a boil and then add the lemon, lemon peel
and sugars directly to the pan.  I cover lightly with cheese cloth and let
stand to cool, and bottle as directed.

This is a yummy refreshing drink.


The Cooking of Scandinavia a Time Life Series of books, published in 1968.
The intro says they tried to collect a series of "traditional Scandinavian
recipes".  I realize this could mean Victorian.
Jana

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> [mailto:owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org]On Behalf Of Stefan li Rous
> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2000 10:26 PM
> To: SCA-Cooks maillist
> Subject: SC - fizzy drinks
>
>
> Master Cariadoc said:
> > On the other hand, Digby is also a good example of the hazards of
> > doing so. I've seen it asserted--how good the evidence is I don't
> > know--that the use of bottles designed to hold fermented drinks under
> > pressure was a new idea at the time, possibly due to Digby himself.
> > If that is right, then the fizzy small mead (Digby's "weak honey
> > drink") that we make probably didn't exist in period, at least in
> > anything very close to the form we make it.
>
> I think this is probably right on the bottles, although can't you store
> a fizzy drink reasonably well in a barrel or cask? Or is the barrel
> too permiable? I've heard this mentioned in regards to champagne before.
> But doesn't champagne develop higher presures than a bubbly mead? I'm
> thinking perhaps the better bottles were needed to keep the champagne
> but it was the development of cork stoppers that first allowed the
> use of bubbly beverages and was slightly earlier than the invention
> of champagne.
>
> Anyone have more definite info?
>
> (Yes, I know Ras, yet another wild theory.)
>
> --
> Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
> Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
> **** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****
> ==================================================================
> ==========
>
> 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".
>
> ==================================================================
> ==========
>