HOMEMADE WINES

    As & how I got busy this year, is a big question and rather with a feeling that I was equally a bit lethargic & all the more occupied with overall twists & turns going around. Making a new wine each year and toasting it for Christmas & New Year had been a routine at home for years & this year I skipped it. One reason is laziness and the other one was that a whole lot of Homemade Wines right from Raisin Wine, Grape Wine, Banana Wine, Ginger Wine are lying in my pantry. Some bottled and matured over the years, new bottles lined up with fresh brew as & when each wine gets over. As I am writing this post( just as the year 2020 is nearing to its last day), I had started to brew a batch of Apple Wine & sure it is going to be ready for next year. I love well-matured Wines, so I can wait with patience even for a couple of years.

    It seems as though when we think of winemaking, we think of grapes. But what about wines made from fruits other than grapes? When winemaking at home became a hobby around the world, it has become very easy for the individual home winemakers to make wines from affordable fresh fruits of the garden variety. Not only fruits, but the truth is also that wine can be made of a wide variety of Flowers or… even Honey. But the fact that a Honey Wine needed for at the least, a minimum of 10 years of the maturing period made me wince a bit. I am not sure whether I had that much patience or life span, as a matter of fact, to wait for it. At this point, I would like to say, don’t equate these wines to back-shed hooches. If perfectly brewed, these homemade Wines turn out to be tremendously tasty and can even rival the complexity of a Chardonnay or a Merlot.

    I think, it is very unlikely to find these special wines in any of the liquor stores as a matter of fact. But no one stops you from brewing your own wine varieties. So, with the current collection of 5 delicious homemade wines, I am sure that you will certainly be able to find perfect homemade wine recipes for your taste. Have quite a few Wine Recipes in mind, Pineapple Wine, Pineapple Peel Wine, Orange Wine, Dates Wines...to name a few.  I am sure it would take years for me to perfect it and post all these Wines in my blog.

HOMEMADE WINES

    When talking about Homemade Wines, Grape Wine had been a default Wine made by my MIL, her mother & family. It had become a family tradition to brew a "Grape Wine alias Munthiri Wine" when there is a call for a festival or a function at home. My MIL had brewed a fresh batch of Beetroot Wine this year and yet to try that too. Years back, when I got a classic recipe collection of 100 Wines, made me try a few other variations and I am still trying out new homemade Wines from the collection. 

    Homemade Grape Wine & Rich Fruit Cake is a default when it comes to a family function or a festival in our family. So always they brew Wines far ahead of a celebration. But instances of celebrations pop out suddenly & time becomes a constraint. Then, I have seen the ladies running helter-skelter when the proposed Wine had not matured or didn't taste as expected. To blurt out the fact, just the day before my SIL's engagement, my MIL & her sister trios found that the Wine had not matured and didn't have the required peppiness in it. The solutions or at least to make it up to taste like wine rather than a Grape Juice was falling out of nowhere that the suggestions to add Coca Cola to Brandy lined up the suit. I was awestruck by the ideas that I moved out of the place not wanting to be an accomplice for the crime. Finally & to my relief, I found that they had sourced out Grape Wines from Diana Aunty who is popular for her homemade wines in our circle. So are the stories behind all homemade wines.  

    When you have ample of time & patience and if you can plan it ahead, then Homemade Wines are the best when you are toasting a Family Party. All the more you can even store it for a long time. Matured Wines have a longer shelf life. So here are a few Homemade Wines from my repertoire and sure you can see a few more in the coming years. All of these Homemade Wines use simple Wine Making technique even a beginner can follow and all the more you wouldn't require any special equipment or utensils for the purpose. 

    Also, I couldn't source Campden Tablets and have been sterilizing the water & the Jars perfectly for winemaking & storing purposes. If you can get hold of Campden Tablets, don’t forget to add a few Campden tablets to all the recipes. These are used as water sterilizer, just drop a couple of crushed tablets into the water, and you’re good to go.

    So here I am with a few of my best homemade Wines repeatedly made and stored for years at home. And let's raise the glass and toast for the New Year, for a new beginning and a more auspicious 2021. Any excuse is good enough when it comes to drinking wine. 

     So, let's enjoy making Wines at home & Let's enjoy our own wines with pride.

     Now enjoy the list!

HOMEMADE WINE RECIPES

 

HOMEMADE WINES

• Grape Wine

• Raisin Wine

• Banana Wine

• Ginger Wine

• Ginger Ale

Grape Wine: The Most Popular Wine

GRAPE WINE

 

    Grape wine is famous. It is loved all over the world and can be literally found anywhere! 

It seems as though when we think of home winemaking, we think of grapes. Walk into your local liquor store. The racks are filled with countless wines produced from Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet and other notable grapes.

    So why should you brew your own? Well… just for the fun of it! Whether the grapes come from the local vineyard or your own backyard, you can make impressive grape wines with remarkable flavour, body and character – tremendous homemade wines that are worthy of recognition by friends and family. And above all, you can create these bottles of wine for a fraction of what they would cost you at the store. 

Raisin Wine: Delicious and Versatile

RAISIN WINE

    A very simple recipe for an old-fashioned wine made out of Raisins. The better the raisin, the better the wine! In the making of fruit wines, raisins are often used to add body to the wine. Dark Raisins will make a dark, somewhat brownish wine. White or golden raisins will make white or golden wine. This is a simple Raisin Wine recipe with simple home-made winemaking technique, but the results are really awesome.

This the best wine I have ever made.

Banana Wine: A Drink that will Surprise Everyone

BANANA WINE

    We know it might sound odd, but banana wine exists. And it is delicious. Surprise your guests with this homemade Banana Wine recipe. Banana winemaking is no more difficult than making wines from Grapes. The basic process is the same, given to the same aspects as when preparing Grape Wine. But patience is much appreciated while brewing this wonderful homemade Banana Wine, as it takes a bit of a long time to get a clear looking Wine.

Ginger Wine: Easy to Make, Easier to Drink

GINGER WINE

    Ginger Wine is something quite warming, with a wonderful aroma, soothing and satisfying flavour. Fresh Ginger Roots give a wonderful aroma to the Wine along with a note of Spiciness from the dry chillies added to the Wine. Some recipes even call for adding Raisins and Yeast, but this ginger Recipe is prepared without adding Yeast. Also adding Caramelized Sugar to the Ginger Wine gives a fullness with a slight bitter note and yields a wonderful colour to the Wine.

Ginger Ale: Not so much of a Wine

GINGER ALE

    Though not a Wine, this Ginger Ale Recipe is a combination of Homemade Ginger Wine which yields a naturally fermented and fizzy Ginger Ale. For a total non-alcoholic fix, I have also added a recipe of Ginger Ale with homemade Ginger Syrup. A refreshing and rejuvenating drink. A simple recipe which is surprisingly easy to make at home. Ginger Ale is nothing but a mixture of Ginger Syrup, Carbonated Water, Sweetener, and it has added flavours from Lemon/Orange. Within no time you can get hold of one of the most refreshing drinks - Sweet, spicy and slightly tart with a citrusy note.

HOMEMADE WINES

These are a few of my best Homemade Wines repeatedly made and stored for years at home. And let's raise the glass and toast for the New Year, for a new beginning and a more auspicious 2021. Any excuse is good enough when it comes to drinking wine, especially HOMEMADE WINES!!!

     So, let's enjoy making Wines at home 

                                & 

     Let's enjoy our own wines with pride.

Wishing You all a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021!!!

 SM

FRESH ORANGE JUICE

     Today is a special day, I am writing my 700th Blog Post and today happens to be my Son's Birthday.  Five and a half years of blogging and I have finished writing 700 Posts/recipes in my Blog.  Wanted to commemorate the milestone.

     Thinking about the number of posts I have written so far.  Most of the recipes in Essence of Life - Food, are related to memories, tastes and occasions.  When I started the blog, I was even wondering about how long I can keep afresh with the content I have.  The number of frequented recipes, family favourites, new trials & experiments were all in my mind, but I still remember how I felt during the initial days about which recipe to write.  It was like feeding the beast, my brain child.  Now, after five long years of blogging and writing 700 recipes on my blog, I feel I still have quite a number of frequented & favourite recipes missing from the blog.  And least to mention the time, effort and passion it takes to keep up the spirit.

      I wish I could read all the books I want to read and write all the recipes in my mind - may be, a lifetime is not enough. I may not be able to finish off the task wholeheartedly.  But it has been an amazing journey overall, and I am thankful to all who have come across my blog, took time to read, try my recipes, and I am overwhelmed by a few readers who send pictures of the recipes they have tried from my blog.  People around me, who knows me or even new acquaintances have started to relate to me as a Food Blogger.  Simple comments like, You have a wonderful Blog out there, the photographs are good, the way you write is amazing etc., & etc., thanks for noticing and encouraging. 

     Until recently, I was even reluctant to say that I am a Food Blogger, but now when somebody asks, I say, "I am a Food Blogger."  And the questions that follow sometimes cringe me (when it comes to how much you earn out of it?), but this brain child of mine is a product of passion & my hobby.  So I enjoy doing it, and I am sure it has turned into an addiction.  So once again, thank you all for being my readers and motivating me.

FRESH ORANGE JUICE

     700th Post on a special day.  But a simple recipe - Fresh Orange Juice - my all-time favourite.  What's about writing a recipe on Orange Juice.  But I thought of writing about it because, sometimes, a fresh home-made Orange Juice can turn out too tasty or nasty.  The bitter taste it leaves into the Juice can spoil the whole new refreshing feel of an Orange Juice.  And this has happened to me during my college days, that's my initial days of cooking.  Peeling off an Orange and just dumping it into the Mixer grinder, straining off and then there you go with an Orange Juice.  The preconception missed to the core.  It turned out to be bitter.  The white pith and the seeds make Orange Juice Bitter was a hard revelation.  Then I started peeling off all the unwanted parts, I used ONLY THE ARILS for making a fresh Orange Juice.  Years after this, still when it comes to making fresh orange juice, I do it meticulously.  Depending upon the variety of Orange I am using, I choose the method to squeeze out fresh Orange Juice.

      So, here you go, Orange juice recipe with 3 easy juicing methods. There is nothing quite refreshing like a glass of freshly squeezed home-made orange juice. Bright and sweet with just the perfect amount of acidity; a glass of orange juice is refreshing, rejuvenating and loaded with vitamin C, a natural Immune booster.  Oranges are loaded with vitamins and minerals, it helps to improve immunity naturally. Home-made fruit juices if consumed in moderation are healthy.  Use them Diluted or Undiluted, sweeten it if you prefer, and there you have a glass of fresh home-made Orange Juice without any additives or artificial colouring.

What type of oranges are best for Orange Juice?

 

ORANGE

      When deciding what type of oranges to use for making orange juice, you should select the fruit that will yield the most juice. I personally like Valencia oranges for the very best juice, the next variety which I like are navel oranges. Easy when it comes to cleaning, cut the oranges into two, just slice off the rind & the white segments and mostly this variety has very less or no seeds. I grind them in my mixer grinder juicer jar with a strainer attached to it.   Next when it comes to Orange varieties like Clementines and Tangerines you will get a sweeter beverage. I juice it with a hand Manual Juicer/Squeezer for making Orange Juices with these varieties. 

     You can get easy with whatever oranges that you happen to have on hand, but keep in mind that a fresh orange will be the juiciest and the sweetness depends on the variety of the fruit you are using.

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Recipe Type - Drink
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 1-2
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 25 -30 Minutes

HOW TO MAKE FRESH ORANGE JUICE

FRESH ORANGE JUICE

INGREDIENTS:

Add-ons (If preferred) :

METHOD:

     Depending on the type of Kitchen equipment you own, you can make Orange juice in a number of ways.  I use a simple blender (Indian Mixer-grinder) which has a Juicer Jar with fitted strainer in it, which makes my work easier.  You can even simply squeeze out the Orange or use a Citrus Juicer.  But the total concept of juicing fresh Oranges is to extract maximum juice out of it. No wastages whatsoever, trying to make the juice without any bitterness which is a hit or miss, when it comes to certain Orange varieties.

FRESH ORANGE JUICE

 

Method 1 – Manual Juicing/Squeezing:

     This method requires no special equipment for the purpose.  An age-old method and the simplest Juicing techniques of all time.  Oranges with thinner skin like Tangerines and Clementines suit well for this method. Oranges with thin-skins can simply be squeezed without expressing too much of the bitter oils contained in the skins.  Note that it is hard to juice a lot of oranges this way, and some amount of pulp remains in the fruit.

But first,

• Rinse the fruit well under running water and pat dry them with clean kitchen towels. 
• Cut the fruit into 2 parts.
• Remove the seeds with the help of a knife.
• Squeeze the halved oranges over a glass, to extract the juice. 
• Simply remove any seeds left in the juice. 
• Dilute or use as it is.  Can add any sweetener of your choice, if preferred.
  

NOTE:

• This method works for Fresh thin-skinned Oranges.

Method 2 – Orange Juice with a Citrus Juicer

This is probably the most obvious way to juice oranges. With either a handheld juicer or an electric model, this method is quite effective. Simple wooden citrus reamers work just fine too.

• Rinse the fruit well under running water and pat dry them with clean kitchen towels. 
• Cut the fruit into 2 parts.
• Remove the seeds with the help of a knife.
• Gently press the cut oranges onto a circulating reamer and squeeze out the juice by simply rotating the Orange halves through the ream.
• If you are using an electric Citrus Juicer, the job gets easier.
  
• Strain or simply remove any seeds left in the juice. 
• Dilute or use as it is.  Can add any sweetener of your choice, if preferred.
  

NOTE:

• Citrus Juicer yields a good amount of juice with less effort.

FRESH ORANGE JUICE

Method 3 – Orange Juice in a Blender

     One best way to make fresh Orange Juice is using a Blender.  This seems to be a great option because this method leaves you with very less wastage and more juice.  But you have to be very careful to remove all the white segments and seeds before adding the Peels into the blender.  Otherwise, the Orange Juice can turn out to be bitter.

• Rinse the fruit well under running water and pat dry them with clean kitchen towels. 
• Peel the Orange.
• Remove the white pith or white membrane. Orange pith is nutritious and is a rich source of fibre, however it imparts a bitter taste, so I try to remove as much as possible.
• Cut the fruit into 2 parts.
• Then, remove the seeds with the help of a knife.
• Take the Orange pulp and discard the rinds and linings.
• Add Orange pulp along with some water into a blender.
• Blend until all the Orange pulp is well blended.
• Pour the Orange Juice through a strainer. 
• I use my juicer jar (which came along with my blender) for the purpose, which has a strainer within, which makes the process easier.
• Collect the strained Orange Juice in a bowl. 
• Add Honey/Sugar to sweeten up the Juice.
• Pour it into a tall glass and serve the Orange Juice chilled or at room temperature.
• Muddle a few Mint Leaves and pour chilled Orange Juice over it for a mint flavoured Orange Juice.

 NOTES:

• I have used 4 Navel Oranges and I got nearly 3-4 medium-sized glasses of Orange Juice out of it.
• I added very little water while blending the Orange Pulps.
  
• Adding Sweeteners to the drink is purely optional.
  
• Adding Mint Leaves/Basil Leaves to the juice can give you an extra note of taste and flavour to Orange Juice. But it is purely optional.

HOW TO STORE FRESH HOME-MADE ORANGE JUICE?

• It is best enjoyed shortly after it is made. 
• However, you can keep it in your refrigerator for 2–3 days in a glass bottle or jar.  Keep it covered.
• Freshly extracted Orange Juice (without added sweeteners) can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 days. 
• Do not dilute it with water if you're storing it.
  

SPICED APPLE TEA

    Coffee is my Poison of Choice & I am ultimately biased with it.  But when it comes to tea & when an occasion offer, I get easy with tea. Sulaimani Chai, Jasmine Tea, Chinese Tea & Apple Tea are a few to name.  It's only a few times I have tasted an Apple tea, and it was in the form of a ready to use tea bag kind.  As I had liked the taste of it, tried to make my own version with fresh ingredients & I liked the all soothing flavour of Apples & the warming effects of Spices in the drink.

    Spiced Apple Tea is one good drink which can serve you best for all the season, make it cold during the warmer months, and it can be made into a warm and comforting drink during colder months.  Something extremely simple, yet soothing with a note of Cinnamon & Star Anise.  Spiced Apple Tea is sweet, spicy & has a rich taste and aroma all filled in a warm cup or in cold glass.  The choice is yours.

    It’s sweet and spicy and a great way to quench your thirst.  With the upcoming Summer & Ramadan fasting, this one drink can best serve to be a start-up Iftar drink. Best of all, you need just a handful of ingredients to make it yourself.  This deliciously simple Spiced Apple Tea can be brewed with a handful of ingredients.  All you would need for a Spiced Apple Tea are - 

• Apple Juice, some recipes even call for Apple Cider Vinegar.  But I have used home-made Apple Juice. 
• Then  you would need a Tea Bag or Tea leaves.  Use your preferred Tea for this drink. I have used black Tea leaves in this recipe just a pinch of it for each glass of cold Spiced Apple Tea.
  
• And when it comes to Spices, what you would need are a few Cinnamon Sticks & a few Star Anise.  Can add Cloves, Allspice too.
• When it comes to Sweeteners, I have added honey in this recipe.  Can use White Sugar, Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar too. 
• Spiced Apple Tea is usually served with Apple Slices.  Can also add a few Mint Leaves for an added flavour.
• Some recipes even call for serving this Tea with a hint of Ginger or Lemon/Orange Juice in it.
  

    First the Apple Juice is simmered along with Cinnamon & Star anise in water until fragrant.  Once it boils you can drop in the tea leaves or the tea bags & left to steep. Add any sweetener of your choice & serve this Spiced Apple Tea with a few freshly sliced Apples & a Cinnamon Stick.  Serve Spiced Apple Tea hot or cold.  When serving it chilled, top it with a few ice cubes.

    You can always get easy with a store-bought Apple Tea, but with all the added flavours, I feel home-made Spiced Apple Tea is quite a justified version with all fresh ingredients. The taste is warm and inviting, with hints of sweet/tart apples and spices.  The smooth, mild taste of tea serves as a perfect blend with other robust flavours in this drink.

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Cuisine - Around the World
Recipe Type - Beverage
Difficulty - Easy
Author - SM   


Preparation Time - 5 Minutes
Cooking  Time - 8 - 10 Minutes
Brewing Time - 5 Minutes
 

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 HOW TO MAKE SPICED APPLE TEA - HOT/COLD

SPICED APPLE TEA

INGREDIENTS:

For Spiced Apple Tea:

For Garnishing:

Apple Slices - a few
Cinnamon - a few Sticks

METHOD:

For Spiced Apple Tea:

• Boil 2 Cups of Water along with Cinnamon Sticks & a Star anise in a small sauce pan. 
• Stir in the Apple Juice.
• Leave this on a low flame for about 8-10 minutes or until heated through & fragrant.
• Now, switch off the flame & add Tea Leaves or Tea bags into it.
• Allow it to steep through. 
• Strain the Spiced Apple Tea & keep it aside.

For Serving:

Hot Spiced Apple Tea:

• Place a few freshly sliced Apples in a serving Mug.
• Add a Teaspoon of Honey.
• Pour in the Spiced Apple Tea into the Mug.
• Stir well & serve Spiced Apple Tea hot with a Cinnamon Stick.
  

Cold Spiced Apple Tea:

SPICED APPLE TEA

• Chill the serving glass in  the freezer for about 15-20 Minutes.
• Can mix this drink in a Boston shaker.
• Add a few Ice Cubes into the Boston Shaker. 
• Add a Teaspoon of Honey.
• Shake it well until well combined. 
• Alternatively, can simply mix it up in the serving glass.
  
• Place a few freshly sliced Apples into the glass.
• Pour in the Spiced Apple Tea into the chilled glass.
  
• Place a Cinnamon Stick into the glass.
• Top it up with a few more Ice Cubes & serve Spiced Apple Tea chilled.

NOTES: