Have honey.......make Mead.

This year the bees provided two large harvests of the sweetest, most fragrant honey. Everyday I eat honey and felt it was a good time to try to drink some too, in the form of Mead. Hopefully a strong Viking version! The best mead is ready in approximately one year after bottling.

The following recipe is for a medium sweet mead (if you like it dry use less honey. Sweet - add more!)

3.5lb Honey

15g Yeast Nutrient

1 tsp Yeast

4 lemons - juiced. (alternatively use 15g Citric Acid)

(4.5 litres- 1 gallon water total)

• Use large pan bring 2 litres water to boil
• Add the honey, stirring so that it does not stick and burn
• Add more water (2.5 litres)
• Bring to a rolling boil, at this point a thick scum may form on the surface which should be skimmed off with a spoon
• Reduce the heat
• Add the lemon juice (or citric acid)
• Add the yeast nutrient
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
• Pour into a clean, sterilised demijohn
• Allow to settle (overnight is best), plug the top of the demijohn with cotton wool to keep foreign bodies out
• Use a clean jar (or similar) and quarter fill with warm water
• Monitor the temperature of the mead solution, you are aiming for the jar of water to be within 5 degrees of the mead.
• When this temperature is reached add the yeast to the jar and swirl the solution gently
• Wait 15 to 20 minutes for the yeast to dissolve
• Add to the mead

• Fit a clean bung and airlock and place demijohn on newspaper. Keep in a moderately warm place (e.g kitchen is ideal).
• Within a few days the fermentation process will have started (bubbles and froth appearing)
• When fermentation has ceased (no vigorous bubbles rising) Rack the liquid into a clean demijohn and top up to within 3 fingers of the neck with clean water if necessary. (Make sure to leave the sludge 'lees' behind).
• Store the demijohn in a cool place and leave to mature - at least a year - if you can resist! The wine mead should be clearer and inviting to drink.

A slight twist on the recipe would be to add some oranges as well as the lemons.

Have honey.......make Mead.