SC - Honeycomb (confectionary) - question to the list

[Sue Clemenger]

It looks yummy, but where's the honey?
- --Maire

Jane M Tremaine wrote:
> 
> 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 ****
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