MEAD AT HOME: A CLASSIC RECIPE

Mead - a drink known in the people since the times of Ancient Russia. It was prepared by our ancestors, and today it has not lost its popularity. Now you can easily buy a drink in any store, but among us there are many lovers of true home taste.

On the intricacies of cooking mead, the recipe of which is given below, will tell this article, as well as you will learn a lot of useful tips.

Meet the drink

Mead is an alcoholic drink of honey and water, obtained by fermenting honey. The strength of the classic honey is usually 5-10%.

The composition, in addition to the main components, includes hops, yeast, various flavor additives. In the old days, berries and spices such as wild rose, cherry, cranberry, thyme, cardamom, and ginger were added to the drink.

Cooking this delicacy with modern technology is much easier. The whole process takes up to six days, and the taste of this magnificent drink is in no way inferior to its ancient version.

The recipe for cooking classic mead (without vodka) at home

Medovukha is quite a popular drink, there are many variations of it, but we will offer a classic recipe for cooking at home.

Did you know? In the modern form of mead appeared and gained popularity in the twentieth century. In Soviet times, "immature honey" was often pumped out, which could not be stored for a long time and was not suitable for sale. Some beekeepers invented such a method of its disposal - diluted it and fermented with yeast. It turned out the drink, which gained over time a great popularity among the people.

Ingredient list

To make honey without the use of alcohol, you will need the following components:

water - 2 l;
honey - 300 g;
hop cones - 5 g;
dry yeast - 1 teaspoon, pressed - 25 g;
cinnamon - to taste;
nutmeg - to taste.

Preparation and selection of honey

Honey is suitable for any, but the most delicious drink is obtained from high-quality honey of light varieties - lime or acacia. Buckwheat honey is also well suited - then honey turns into a beautiful caramel color, with a pleasant bitterness.

Check out other types of honey, such as phacelia, pumpkin, rapeseed, coriander and dandelion honey.

First you need to boil the water and dissolve the honey in it, gently stirring the mixture with a spoon. In the process of cooking, foam will appear on the surface of the liquid - it must be removed in order to get a beautiful transparent color.

Important! In the process of cooking can not leave the syrup unattended, as the honey quickly burns.

Add flavoring

Boil the mixture, stirring constantly with a spoon, until the foam stops forming (it takes about 5 minutes in total). After that, add hops (cones), a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon to your taste. Gently mix the fragrant brew, remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid.

All the spices you want to add to the drink can be bought at the store, and hop cones are easy to find at any pharmacy. Anyone who is interested in cooking mead at home, knows that the recipes can be very different. The choice of flavors is yours.

Fermentation

Allow the mixture to infuse and cool to about 50 degrees. After that you can add yeast to the pan.

To do this, dilute the yeast in about 200 ml of warm, sweetened water and leave for an hour. When on the surface you see bubbles - the yeast "earned", and it is time to add them to the common pan.

Important! Pour the diluted yeast into the cooled honey drink. If you pour in boiling water - the yeast will die, and a tasty drink will not work.

Put the pot in a place where the temperature is not lower than room temperature, before fermentation. The fact that the process has started will be prompted by a foam on the surface of the liquid. After that, pour the future masterpiece into a cylinder with a cap for air exhaust. You can use the old proven method - put a rubber glove on the neck of the cylinder, it will "signal" to you about the active fermentation of the liquid, as well as its completion.

Filtration and spill of homemade drink

The fermentation process usually takes five to six days. At the end of it (you can check it with a match: if the lit match goes out when it is brought to the liquid - the fermentation is not over) you need to drain the drink, passing it through several layers of thick gauze to a beautiful transparent color, and pour it into glass or plastic bottles. This pleasure is stored in the refrigerator or in any other cool place.

Did you know? Finished mead is consumed not only in its pure form. There are several cocktails that include this drink: over-cooking (prepared on the basis of a combination of mead and beer), another cocktail - “Wedding” (contains honey and kvass), and in Soviet times the cocktail “Kolomensky” (mead) was popular + kefir).

Other popular recipes

Honey can be made using any yeast: dry, brewed or culinary. But it happens that there is no yeast in the household. It's not a problem.

Preparing mead at home without this ingredient is quite realistic, a simple recipe is listed below.

You will need:

water - 1 l;
honey - 2 kg;
cherry - 4 kg.

Now more about how to cook mead without yeast:

Prepare the syrup, dissolving honey in boiling water, boil it for 15 minutes. Do not forget to remove the foam from the drink, it can affect its color and taste.
When the mixture has acquired a uniform consistency, cool it to 50 degrees.
Cherries are pitted and filled with syrup. Put the pot in a warm place for a few days.
After 2-3 days, pour the future drink into the bottle and put it in the cellar. You can try your creation in about 3 months.

Here is another example of how to make mead, the recipe of which does not contain yeast. You will need:

water - 1 l;
honey - 80 g;
raisin - 50 g

Let's start the most cooking:

Mix honey with cold water until smooth.
Raise the raisins with cold syrup, put in a warm place before fermentation (2-3 days).
Strain and pour into a glass or plastic bottle. Put the future mead in the refrigerator or cellar for 3-4 months. Then you can try it.

Important! Many people advise not to wash cherries or raisins before cooking, so as not to wash off the natural yeast, which is responsible for fermentation, from their surface.

How to make mead soda

Fans of carbonated mead can use the following tips:

In a clean, dry bottle (glass or plastic) pour honey at the rate of 1.5 tsp. per liter of drink. This will ensure re-fermentation, which will fill the mead with carbon dioxide.
Fill the container with a drink, not reaching 5-6 cm to the edge. Hermetically shut.
For 7-10 days, place the bottles in a dark place at room temperature, periodically checking and relieving excessive pressure.
Before use, keep the carbonated mead in the fridge for five days to “ripen”.

Cooking tips and tips

The following useful recommendations will not be superfluous:

Mead can be consumed immediately after cooking, but it is better to withstand it for about five days to saturate the taste.
The taste of classic honey can be diversified by a large number of different herbs and spices, spices and fruits. It all depends on your taste and ingenuity.
This drink is amazingly tasty, not only when chilled, but also warm.
Soaked fruits and berries (cranberries, lingonberries, apples, watermelon) are considered a traditional snack, and sliced lemon is perfect for it.

As you can see, making mead at home is pretty simple and quick.