Sunday, March 18, 2007

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!

Related Posts:

Beetroot Wine - Sweet wine Fruit Cake Grape wine

Cheers!
Shn

No part of the content ( articles, photographs, recipes) of this blog may be reproduced without my written permission.Copyright © 2007-2010 Kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

41 comments:

  1. Lovely post welcoming Spring Shn.
    That Snow grotto is so beautiful, never seen such a formation.
    It snowed agian here Friday and our driveway is not yet cleaned, but your words did lift up my spirit

    I am amazed at your wine making skills. Where did you learn it ?

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  2. Shn, the pineapple wine sounds absolutely wonderful. I could use a glass :) Spring is almost here... almost if we don't count yesterday's snowfall.

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  3. pineapple wine sounds divine! i am impressed with the winemaking skill as well! my uncle makes wine too, and i would like to give it a try someday, especially since we always have an abundance of blackberries at the end of the summer and they make lovely wines! the snow picture is beautiful also!

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  4. Wow, homemade wine... that's some serious committment Shn... woderful entry for AFAM.

    I love the post about winter and spring, and the picture is amazing! Never seen such a grotto formation!

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  5. wonderful recipe shn.. normaly we don't drink 'em. now i think we should give it a try with this home made one.

    the pic of the snow grotto is just owesome! i have never seen it before. thanks.

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  6. I have book marked this post :) My hubby loves wine. I make black grape wine, and have given a post on it too I am going to make this one for sure :)
    What is that photo of snow fountain ? I have not seen anything like that :)

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  7. Someone's in a romantic mood :) with some wine, verse, settings to go with it! Nice pic Shn. Wish it wud snow here too... Wow, u are a good wine maker!! Is that a family tradition? Out of choice, I don't have alcohol, but if you keep posting wine recipes made out of ingredients residing in my pantry, I'll change my mind!

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  8. Love your thoughts on Winter...I do enjoy the cosy Winter nights a lot...there's just something about them!

    Pineapple wine...wow...I stay away from such indulgences...I'd get drunk just sniffing it, you see. :)

    trupti

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  9. You make Wine!!!WOW!! Looks great shn and thanks for the recipe.

    That snow photo looks hilarious.We hardly had any snow this year,may be next year!:)

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  10. Hey Thanks for the wishes dear!! So you must be preparing for vishu!I used to see vishu Kani in the mornings with my friends.I used to be a lovely experience. Btw never seen a snow grotto like that.

    Nice pineapple wine, must make it for myself!! you understand right?

    sharmi

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  11. Beautiful picture!!Like Jyo,I am also wishing that it would snow here too.Hmm..You are a perfect Wine maker,Once I tried pineapple Wine and it tasted like vinegar(Ha! Ha!) and I threw it away.

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  12. cool recipe shn. it sounds quite simple to make it. may be i will give it a go soon. but will try it with small amount.
    thanks for the recipe n tips girl. and happy ugadi to u n ur family:)

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  13. My mom used to make grapes wine...so now to see pineapple wine is great. Can grapes be substituted for pineapple ?

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  14. Looks like your are good winemaker too. Thats a nice entry .

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  15. Looks like your are good winemaker too. Thats a nice entry .

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  16. CHEERS!!!!!! That looks neat!!!!! I must surely try that :)

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  17. I love home made wine..and my aunt makes this pine apple wine and I absolutely love it..

    it is funny to see my uncle say that his wife makes the best "vaatu wine" in the world!!

    ;-P

    cheers for the wine!!

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  18. Wow, you're really adventurous! I'd never dare to make my own wine, but pineapple must make a really delightful apéritif!

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  19. Hi Shn, I really enjoyed your spring thoughts. Having lived my whole life in a place where it snows every year, I have come to realise that without the winter, I wouldn't appreciate spring as I do now. And you're right-- there is a pristine beauty in snow-covered world. As for the wine -- simply amazing! I would never have even thought to try that :)

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  20. Sandeepa,My Mom, who else!! She is the source of most of my recipes and inspiration too.Even now, its still a surprise for her that I am cooking, considering how lazy and uninvolved I was in cooking during my teens !:)Thanks and glad you enjoyed the post.

    Mandira, oh,sure :)

    Cinderelly,Thanks :) Hope u will try making wine blackberries and share it with us too. I would really appreciate that :)

    Sig, Thanks a lot dear:) Me too, I had never seen such a thing , so thought of sharing with u all. Feel good when you all appreciate it :)

    Maneka, Home made wine is always tasty..yes, snow grotto was something new to me too...I had never seen such a thing earlier...infact it became very huuuuge, actually doubled the size with the following snowfall !!

    Archana, yes, I saw ur post and hope u try this too. I have one more post with BEETROOT WINE,in this blog itself, thats also great, infact I love it more :) Oh, thats actually a cave like formation,which formed around a fountain in one of the lakes here after a snowfall :)

    Jyothsna, hehehhe wine is bottled poetry, so definitely it puts me in a romantic mood ;)) There is no family tradition as such, but my mother experiments with all such things, she has tried making lots of wines. I dont know if home made wines are really alcoholic but certainly one glass of wine is enough for me to curl around like a snake :))

    Trupti,I am soo happy to find a group who seconds my thoughts as I always come across winter haters only:) hahahh...u better stay away then :))

    Asha, yes, I do :)

    Sharmi, Vishu comes next month only though its the equivalent of Ugadi. Yes, Vishukani is deft'ly a great experience....nice that u re able to appreciate all that :)

    Kitchenfairy, come over next year and stay with us until u get tired of snow:) hey, why dont u try this one..or u can try my beetroot wine which is also there on this blog..beet wine colour is just beautiful.

    Sia,Thanks dear , but we dont celebrate ugadi, for us its Vishu which comes next month. I am waiting to see ur Ugadi special dishes :)

    Pravs, I doubt if u just blindly substitute grapes,it will taste good ! I think its better not to mix up the recipes, in this particular case.

    Just for fun,Thank you :)

    Deepak, Welcome :)

    Coffee, hey nice to have u back, dear :) hmm..try and let me know for sure :)

    Mathew, hahah...sathyam paranja orutharam 'vaatu' thanneya ;)

    Shilpa, Thanks :) Pineapple wine is not just an aperitif, but a great dessert wine too. Try it :)

    Linda,Very well said ! Now u can give it a try, right?:)

    Thank you all,
    Shn

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  21. Well you have a talent..beautiful paintings and now wine making...and that too which requires 3 months of patience...

    I loved reading your post, it feels so good to see the snow flakes falling , as if everything iscovered with a white sheet , But only from inside :-) I am tooo cold to step outside in snow..:-)

    Thanxs dear for posting a recipe for MCT event...

    Hugs
    Sushma

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  22. I had already bookmarked the beetroot wine,dont have a proper Bharani for the fermentation process so didnt make it,now pineapplw wine...:(how will I make it here!I would have loved to see the wine as it Shn,here the orange background steals the beauty of the natural colour of wine.My valiamma too is an expert in making wine,do you know jambakka you can make excelent wine out of it too.Loved your beautiful write up too,I am happy tht spring is here but sad that winter is gone and all the snow is slowly melting away:(

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  23. I love this "bottle poetry" :D One day I got to try one of your wine!

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  24. I don't know why i missed this post.May be i saw the pic and mail send for AFAM.Pic.s is amazing.I guess this is the second wine recipe u r posting..right?.Hope to try this soon..my problem is i don't have the patience to wait till the taste..

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  25. Sushma,Thats soo nice of u to say all those sweet comments. Thanks a lot dear :)

    Bee,Yes, I am :)

    Sumitha, Bharani is what is preferable but if u cant find it here in US, then as I did, u can resort to big glass containers which I got from Walmart. I tried both my wines in that one only and it came out well too. Yes, I know the orange background steals the beauty but I had no idea to capture the real golden colour of the wine:) Do try the wine and let me know for sure.

    Gattina,For u I suggest pineapple wine rather than the beet wine as the latter is more sweet. Am sure u will like the pineapple wine :)

    Marriedtoadesi,Thanks and Welcome to Mishmash!

    Mahe,thats ok, u did reply to my mail and thats more than enough dear :) Yes, this is my second post on wine and if u re that impatient, try the beet wine which will take only 2 weeks time :)

    Luv
    Shn

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  26. I loved the writeup for spring

    and homemade wine recipe thats great i will try it sometime

    Roopa

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  27. Shn, what en entry! I never thought one could make such wines at home until some blogger friends proved its possible. I love your discription of snow. Never lived in a place where it snows and now you make me want to.

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  28. wow ! amazing photographs , especially the snow one..

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  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  30. Lovely presentation , I just loved your recipes and the pictures..I am going to bookmark your page for my weekend cooking .:-)

    Cheers
    Nisha

    July 5, 2007 1:06 PM

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  31. The new picture is the tops. Looks very appealing. Will be trying that out next.

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  32. U inspire me to make wine!! Thanx for the recipe.. also it would be great if u could tell me, whether I could use canned pineapple??
    Thanx much,
    DJ

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  33. Dj, I havent tried with canned pineapple , and hence I dont know.

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  34. Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

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  35. Hi,
    I attempted the pineapple wine. But when i checked the bottle after 4 days, there was a layer of fungus (like the ones that come in pickle).
    I removed the top layer, but not sure if i can use this or should i just throw the whole thing?
    Any idea on what i could have done wrong?
    btw i also tried the beetroot wine and it came out wonderful!

    Thanks Nandini

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  36. Thank you so much for "Pineapple Wine & A Snow Grotto!" (:

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  37. that's an awesome wine recipe..and nice clicks too...

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  38. Hi Shn thats a beautiful post and reading this again made me want to make some. do you think we can make this wine in summer (i will be relocationg to very hot and humid Kolkata)? I really have no idea if the weather plays any significant roll in making this and mostlyy I see wine recipes posted around the Christmas season.
    Thanks in advance.

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