Pineapple Wine & A Snow Grotto!

Spring is here and winter is bidding adieus! Poets’ two favourite seasons to metaphorically drive home the idea that adversities and prosperities of life are seasonal. How can one forget the lines of P.B Shelley, one of the English romantic poets who wrote “O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” How true !! It is again reinstated when Hal Borland quotes, “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” Isn’t it so synonymous with the dull days and happy days of life that come and go? Spring is the renewal of life and hopes and somewhere I read, "winter is door to spring...its a resurrection of hope " . I don’t think I can sum up this concept in any better way than these wise men did. Well, its time to talk about March winds, April showers and May flowers….spring cleaning and spring blossoms……the thought itself is quite refreshing ,isn’t it? :) But honestly, I do enjoy the winter days too, even though we all grumble about removing the pile of snow from the driveway and the slick roads and the icy winds and the dull days. It makes me all romantic, when the star shaped snow flakes tickle my face….waking up in the morning to see the nature covered under a soft, silky white blanket of snow…….the pine trees holding the snow flakes…goose walking across a frozen lake……the eerie look of the naked trees…..somewhere I see a pristine beauty during this season…..and one of those days I was lucky to capture a shot of this natural snow grotto that formed in a lake in our community. Thought it’s incredible and felt only a Virgin Mary is missing in there ;)

Now coming to the substance…. Well, I had a grin on my face when I read that pineapple was the chosen fruit for this month’s AFAM because I had something ready in my pantry, waiting for its turn to go into the spotlight! I am talking about "bottled poetry" here, yes, Pineapple Wine :) This is something I tried along with my experiments with Beetroot wine, which is my personal favourite as I get to enjoy the beet wine from the 16th day after its fermentation, where as I have to wait for more than 3 months to pour some of the bottled pineapple wine into my wine glass. And this recipe is for those who have the patience to wait that long and let me assure you, it’s worth the wait :)

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fresh ripe Pineapple
• 1 kg (50 oz) Sugar
• 1 tsp Yeast
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 small Lemon
• 2 litre Water
• ½ cup warm water

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with ½ tsp sugar and let it rise.
2. Wash the pineapple well and dice them into small pieces. No need to remove the skin.
3. Boil 2 litres of water in a big pan and dilute 1 kg sugar. When the water boils well, add the pineapple chunks and let it cook for not more than 4-5 mins and turn of the stove.
4. When it cools down, transfer it preferably to a Bharani or any earthenware container or a glass jar and add the dissolved yeast and lemon juice and stir well with a wooden spatula and keep the container airtight and store it in a dark place, for fermentation for 21 days. On the 4th or 5th day, open the container and stir it with a wooden spatula and let it rest till the 21st day.
5. After the fermentation process, strain it, without squeezing or crushing the pineapple at all, using a cheesecloth or muslin cloth on the 21st day and make sure that there are no residues; bottle the wine and rack them at room temperature in a cupboard and let it rest for 3 MONTHS allowing it to settle all the impurities and smells FRESH & PLEASANT at the end.

Tips:

Once the wine is bottled, it should be left in a dark shelf, at room temperature, for 3 months for sure, as the smell that results from the activation of the yeast with the pineapple is very overpowering and it is not at all suggested for serving during this time. Also, for the yeast to convert sugar into alcohol, it is mandatory to keep the oxygen out and hence make sure that container is airtight, during the fermentation period. The alcoholic and the mild fizzy effect also depend on the quality of the yeast used. Please ensure that the fermentation jars and bottles are clean and not filled fully; leave some room. It is also suggested to open the bottles once in 2-3 weeks to let the gas out, formed inside the bottles. After 3 months, you will notice all its impurities settling down, creating a thick layer at the bottom, and the wine will be refined and clear and smells fresh and pleasant and tastes GREAT!

So, lets pour some wine and raise a toast to Maheswari for hosting this wonderful fruity event,AFAM and also to Sushma for hosting the interesting Monthly Cooking Tipology event!

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Cheers!
Shn